Buffalo Murrah: Livestock Business

General Information

It is the most popular breed originating in the Rohtak district of Haryana state. It is now mainly found in Hisar, Rohtak, and Jind of Haryana, as well as the Patiala and Nabha districts of Punjab. It is also known as “Kali” or “Kundi” or “Delhi”. This breed has jet black body colour, a white marking on the tail, a small head, a somewhat high forehead, small horns, a heavy body and udder, and long teats. Their completely packed or curved horns make them different from other breeds. It gives an average of 1600-1800 ltr milk per lactation, containing 7% fat content. The average weight of a bull is 575kg and that of a cow is 430kg.

Fodder

Give food to this breed only when required. Before giving them leguminous fodder add straw or add more amount of another type of fodder which will help them for good digestion. The required amount of feed is written below.

Necessary nutrients: Energy, Protein, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A.

Distribution:
1.    Grain: Maize /Wheat, Barley/ Oats/ Millet
2.    Cake oilseeds: Peanuts, Sesame, Soybean, Flax/ cotton seeds/ Mustard, Sunflower
3.    By product: wheat bran/ polished rice/ polished rice without oil
4.    Metals: Salt, scrap metal

For cheap food use of industrial and animal waste:
1. Leftover waste from alcohol industries
2.    Spoiled potatoes
3.    Dry excreta of birds

Care of the breed

Shelter Requirement: For better performance, animals require favourable environmental conditions. Shelter is necessary for animals to protect them from heavy rainfall, strong sunlight, snowfall, frost and parasites. Ensure that clean air and water facility should be there in the selected shelter. According to the number of animals the space for food must be big and open so that they can eat feed easily. The drain pipe of animal waste must be 30-40cm wide and 5-7cm deep.

Care of pregnant animals: Good management practices will result in good calves and also give a high milk yield. Give pregnant buffalo 1kg more feed because they are also growing physically.

Care and management of calves: Immediately remove the phlegm or mucous from the nose or mouth after the birth. If the calf is not taking a breath, then provide them artificial respiration by compression and relaxing the chest with the hands. Cut the umbilical cord by tying the naval 2-5 cm away from the body. Clean the umbilical stump with the help of 1-2% iodine.

Recommended vaccines: After 7-10 days of birth, dehorn the calf with the electrical method. Deworming should be done at regular intervals of 30 days. The viral respiratory vaccine is given to 2-3 weeks-old calves. Clostridial vaccination is given to 1-3-month-old calves.

Diseases and Treatment

Diseases of the digestive system:

Treatment of simple indigestion:

•    Provide them feed which gets digested easily.
•  Give them spices which will help to increase hunger.

Treatment of acidic indigestion:

•  Avoid giving acidic fodder to animals. 
•    During the start of the disease, give animals saline elements such as baking soda etc. and medicines which will help to give energy to the liver. 

Treatment of saline indigestion:

•    During preliminary disease, give light acids such as 5% acetic acid @5-10ml per animal weight or approximately 750ml vinegar to cure the disease. 

•    If brain stroke is occurring and no difference is seen after giving medicine 2-3 times, then a rumenotomy operation should be done by a doctor.

Treatment of constipation:

•    In starting give them flax oil@500 ml and don’t give them dry fodder as a feed and give them more amount of water.

•    For large animals, a solution of Magnesium sulphate@800gm and a scrape of ginger powder@30gm is given to animals through the mouth.

Treatment of acidity:

•    Turpentine oil@30-60ml, extract of Asafetida (heeng)@60ml or mustard/flax oil@500ml is given to animals (don’t give too much amount of Turpentine oil, this will lead to stomach issues).

•    If this disease is seen again and again in animals, then activated charcoal, 40% Formalin@15-30ml and Dettol water should be given. 

•     Look at the type of disease and the condition of the animal, and consult the vet.

Treatment of bloody diarrhoea:

•    Give sulpha medicines through mouth or vaccinations and along with this give more amount of Glucose@5% and water. 

• Antibiotics, Sulpha medicines and opiates, antenniform or iron elements can also be given to get rid of diarrhoea.

Jaundice: 

Types of Jaundice:

1. Prehepatic or hemolytic jaundice- due to destruction of red blood cells.

2.    Intrahepatic or poisonous jaundice- due to liver disease

3.    Jaundice due to closure of lymph nerves

Treatment: 

•    First of all find out the cause of poisonous jaundice and then remove it.

•    The animals that have infection and blood pest diseases, take away those animals from other animals.

•    Give glucose and salt solution, calcium gluconate solution, and Vitamins A and C and along with this give antibiotic medicines.

•    Give animals liver tonic along with green fodder and fatless feed. 

•    During the deficiency of phosphorus, give animals sodium acid monophosphate.

Anthrax: It is an extremely infectious as well as deadly disorder of cattle due to spore-forming rectangular structured bacterium referred to as Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is common in every region and leads to severe mortality in ruminants. The microbe generates incredibly strong toxins that are the cause of the bad impacts, leading to a large number of mortality. The microbe generates spores on exposure to air. Symptoms of the disease generally emerge in 4 to 7 days after the spores are either inhaled or ingested. As symptoms start appearing in animals, they often expire within a couple of days. They typically obtain the illness by ingesting anthrax spores when grazing on pasture infected with anthrax spores. Breathing the spores, that are colourless, odourless, and even tasteless, can also induce infection in humans as well as animals.
Treatment: Treatment can be done only in the sub-acute form of illness. They can be treated in the early stage only. The antibiotics used for their treatment are Ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline and penicillin.   

Anaplasmosis: It is an infectious disease which is caused by Anaplasma marginale. Its symptoms are increased body temperature, nasal discharge, coughing, grinding of teeth, inappetence, and pale and icteric mucous membranes.
Treatment: Spraying or dipping of acaricidal medicine to control the insect population. A serological test is done to check the anaplasmosis disease. If the result is positive then immediate treatment is given by a qualified veterinary doctor.

Anaemia: The symptoms are muscular weakness, depression, anorexia and increased heart rate. The disease is caused due to poor nutrition management, inadequate nutrients in the diet and colostrum intake.
Treatment: Vitamins A, B and E are given in the diet and an injection of iron dextrin @150mg is given to cure the anaemia.

Foot-and-mouth: The disorder is extremely communicable influencing cloven-footed pets or animals. This is indicated by fever, growth of vesicles as well as blisters in the udder, oral, teats and even on the dermis between the paws also above the hoofs. Mammals restored from the disorder display a specifically irregular covering as well as deformation of the hoof. In India, this disorder is prevalent. The infection develops through straight communication even indirectly from contaminated manure, fluid, and hay. It can also be transferred by cattle attendants. Sometimes it can spread via retrieved livestock or by birds. High temperature, hanging saliva, and lameness are seen.
Treatment: Apply antiseptics for healing ulcers. For the feet lesion use copper sulphate and coal tar in a 5:1 proportion. Recommended vaccines should be given. Proper care of sanitized vesicles should be used to control the files and spore.

Hypomagnesaemia: The symptoms are continuous movement of ears, hyper-excitement, incoordination of gait, loss of urination etc. The disease is mainly caused when calves are fed only on milk.
Treatment: Magnesium oxide @5g or magnesium carbonate @8g is added to the diet to get rid of hypomagnesaemia.

Lead poisoning: Sunken abdominal pain and calf dullness are the major symptoms of lead poisoning. It mainly occurs when they lick the metalwork, painted tarpaulins, lead batteries etc.
Treatment: A dose of calcium versenate @25% twice a day is given to cure lead poisoning in sub-acute cases.

Rinderpest: This is one of the dangerous viral strains of livestock. Some time ago there was no control, but organized efforts have brought a total elimination of the disorder in the Western Hemisphere. The disorder even now endures in the Asian regions. The virus is located remarkably in the saliva; withdrawn from eyesight as well as from the no and se, even in the faeces as well as urine. They are within the circulating bloodstream throughout the febrile period and afterwards target several body parts, specifically in the liver, lymph nodes as well as spleen. They are demolished by direct sun rays as well as disinfectants outside the body. Cold conditions sustain this viral infection. The virus is generally spread by polluted food and fluid. Show increased body temp about 104 – 107 Degrees Fahrenheit. Lacrimation as well as itchiness of the eyes are some of its symptoms. The unpleasant odour comes from the oral cavity. Bloody mucoid diarrhoea is discovered.
Treatment: It can be treated with sulphadimidine, streptomycin or penicillin but only when they are controlled on the primary level.

Black Quarter: This bacterial infection is a severe infection with lethal effects on livestock. Cattle are mostly infected at the young age of 6-24 months. These are sporadic infections mainly born from the soil during the rainy season. The animal suffers from high fever, and difficulty breathing. Loss of appetite, dullness. High pulse and heart rate.        
Treatment:

1) High dose of Oxytetracycline i.e. 5-10 mg/Kg body weight 1M or IV.

2) Injection of Avil / Cadistin @ 5-10 ml IM.

3) Penicillin @ 10,000 units /Kg body weight 1M & locally daily for 5-6 days.

4) B.Q. Antiserum in large doses.

Calf pneumonia/ Enzootic bronchitis: Calf pneumonia is mainly caused by wet floors or bedding. It is caused by infectious agents such as Parainfluenza herpesvirus, Pasteurella, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Mycoplasma etc. and can also be infected by contact with infected animals.
Treatment: Proper dry bedding and proper ventilation are required.

Enteritis/ Diarrhoea/ Calf scours: In this disease first the excessive loss of water occurs then acidosis and dehydration and then the death of the animal. The disease mainly occurs due to unclean hygiene conditions, drinking unclean water and poor feeding systems.
Treatment: Clean the hygiene conditions. Treat with nitrofurazone @20mg/kg or with trimethoprim and sulphadoxin to cure from disease.

Ectoparasites: The symptoms are itching, excitement, irritation and abscesses on the skin. The disease is mainly caused by unclean surroundings and wet living conditions.
Treatment: Application of coconut/peanut oil (3:1) mixed with Sulphur is used to cure disease.

Endoparasites: The symptoms are diarrhoea, bottle jaw, listlessness etc. The disease is caused mainly because of unhealthy surroundings and ingestion of gates, licking of walls, infested floors etc.
Treatment: Give clean drinking water. Deworming is required firstly at 2 weeks and then at the interval of 6 months. A dose of sulfamethazine/sulphadimidine is given to cure the disease.

Mastitis: This disease is the inflammation of the mammary gland and is a significantly lethal disease of livestock worldwide. Though pressure or external wounds stimulate swelling of the gland, contamination by invading microbes (yeasts, fungi and even viruses) is the major source of mastitis. Diseases activate once the microbes permeate the teat canal and then distribute in the mammary gland.
Treatment: Mastitis can be controlled by dipping the teat in germicide after each milking. Heifers are given antibiotic treatment during gestation. Drugs such as gramicidin, Tyrothricin and acriflavine are effective drugs. Penicillin, sulphonamides and streptomycin are a few other effective drugs used for its treatment.

Navel-ill: The symptoms are loss of appetite, swollen and painful hock and knee joints, elevated temperature and infection in the liver. It is generally caused by using an unhygienic knife/blade and improper dressing of the navel.
Treatment: Do proper dressing of the navel cord and if external injury is seen, do proper dressing.

Ringworm: It is the most common skin infectious infecting beef cattle. This is a fungus infection, which is transmissible to humans also. Generally, the infection emerges as crusty grey spots often around the head as well as the collar and even around the eyes.
Treatment: As an initial step in managing the infection, if possible, infected animals need to be segregated as well and their pens and even stalls cleaned up with disinfected. Wash the cattle which were infected with the infection, need to be attended thoroughly for the presence of scars as well as handled instantly. Adequate nourishment, especially excessive levels of Vitamin A, copper as well as zinc, aids to boost the stability of the animal. Communicate with the veterinarian as well as hook up to shops for items to cure this infection. Applying a wormer such as Ivomec can destroy lice as well as assist in preventing cattle from itching which causes a skin injury due to which fungi can penetrate in.

Footrot: Foot rot is a basic source of lameness in cattle as well as develops most often while cattle are on pasture and forced to move from slush to acquire water as well as food. Foot rot is stimulated while a cut rather than scrape on the skin that permits disease to go through between the claws as well as around the upper of the hoof.
Treatment: Unique cases must be confined to an arid place as well as handled instantly with medicines as instructed by a vet. In case the infection turns into a herd condition a foot shower possessing a 5% mixture of copper sulphate should be inserted everyplace where cattle are compelled to move 1 – 2 times per day can help to minimize the range of other diseases. Additionally, depleted slush holes as well as concrete zones around the fluid feed box where the cattle often acquire the infection. Thoroughly cleans the pens as well as places where the cattle assemble. Sufficient nourishment related to proteins, vitamins and minerals can improve hoof condition.