Ludhiana | GADVASU cautions goat farmers as heat takes a toll on livestock

Experts from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, advised farmers to follow scientific goat farming practices

Due to extreme heatwave-like conditions, experts from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) advised farmers to follow scientific goat farming practices.

Dr RK Sharma, professor-cum-head, department of veterinary animal husbandry extension education, GADVASU, Ludhiana, advised goat farmers and other livestock farmers to have proper planning in connection to land, breeding and balanced feeding, focusing on the use of indigenous herbal preparations rather than heavy doses of anti-biotics (HT FILE)

Goats are suffering from a wide variety of conditions, the most important being diarrhoea, which could be due to ingestion of toxic materials, including tree leaves, or due to amphistomiasis. The latter is a disease caused by a two-mouthed trematode.

Dr RK Sharma, professor-cum-head, department of veterinary animal husbandry extension education, advised farmers to have proper planning in connection to land, breeding and balanced feeding, focusing on the use of indigenous herbal preparations rather than heavy doses of anti-biotics.

Farmers can contact the university experts through Pashu Palak Tele-Advisory helpline numbers (62832-58834 and 62832-97919) that remain functional from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all working days.

Earlier, PAU issued advisory on ill-effects on field crops

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) had also issued an advisory to caution the state farmers against the detrimental effects of the abnormally high temperatures, resulting in heatwave, on the field crops as well as livestock.

The sudden rise of temperature had caused a drop in the yield of wheat crop earlier during the year.

Ashok Kumar, director of extension education, PAU, alerted against the heat shocks along with increased water demand.

He said to avoid heat stress and dehydration, keep the animals indoors, providing them water and nutritious diet frequently, and provide showers to the animals from time to time to maintain their body temperature. Coolers / fans may also be arranged for animals, especially cows of exotic breeds.

The advisory also states that the newly germinated plants may be injured or even killed by sunburn. The nursery of paddy and tender leaves of recently germinated cotton crop may get affected. It may also affect growth and flowering in vegetable crops and may lead to flower drop in moong.

Proper moisture should be maintained by providing irrigation to avoid yield losses in orchards, especially mango, litchi, pear and citrus fruits. Straw mulch can also be helpful to reduce the heat load on small and tender plants.