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Deterioration of Cattle in Certain Parts of India
as possible, e.g. by supplying the deficient mineral
or vitamin or protein in adequate quantities by the
most suitable route, by overcoming parasites by
regular use of suitable drugs and examination of
faeces or blood as the case may be, by dealing with
the trace elements as required, and by regular im-
munization of the animals against the prevalent
contagious diseases like rinderpest, haemorrhagic
septicaemia, etc. Regular data in detail with
photographic records should be collected from all
the animals before the commencement of the ex-
periment and during the course of the experiment
and the beneficial results accruing therefrom in
regard to growth, milk production, capacity for
draught and reproduction should be observed.
Chemical and biological analysis of blood, skin and
hair studies and, where necessary, accurate clinical
and detailed post-mortem examination should be
carried out. This kind of investigation can be
carried out successfully only if long-range experi-
ments are planned, say for a period of at least ten
years, and it should be remembered that such a
comprehensive investigation may produce very
important and far reaching results.
However, by a careful analysis of the available
information on the subject, some general con-
clusion can be drawn with which it might be possi-
ble to take some steps immediately with a view to
tackling this serious problem with some degree of
success. The following points arising out of the
review of the existing literature deserve careful
consideration:
1. Grow fodder crops. Good cattle are found
in comparatively drier parts of the country where
people grow or are forced to grow fodder crops for
the maintenance of their cattle in the absence of
sufficient pastures. It seems, therefore, necessary
that if cattle-wealth of the poorer areas is to be
improved a suitable proportion of the land should
be under fodder crops. To make the agriculture
more remunerative and the cultivators healthier
and more prosperous, it is essential that fewer
cattle with greater production and capacity for
work should be maintained and fed properly
utilizing the limited fodder resources in the best
possible way.
2. Balance rice straw. Rice straw is the staple
cattle feed in the humid rice growing tracts of
India where poor type of cattle with stunted
growth, very low milk yield, stamina and capacity
for work are generally found. Even good cattle
imported from healthier areas tend to deteriorate
in these areas in course of time. Rice straw is
deficient in protein, phosphorus and vitamins and
contains a large quantity of crude fibre on one hand
and oxalic acid which interferes with the proper
absorption of lime on the other. Knowing that
protein is the body builder, calcium and phos-
phorus the bone former and vitamins essential for
wholesome assimilation of food and proper de-
velopment and functioning of the body, it is not
difficult to imagine what the cattle lose when they
are fed mainly on rice straw. Under the Imperial
Council of Agricultural Research animal nutrition
scheme in Bengal, Indu Bhushan Chatterjee has
shown that these defects in rice straw can be reme-
died by balancing it up with the addition of the
locally available feeds such as oil-cakes (ensures
valuable combination of protein and phosphorus),
rice bran (contins protein of high biological value
and is rich in aoil and phosphorus*) and pulses (rich
in proteins) in small quantities along with some
green forage (especially to supply vitamins).
Calcium and phosphorus supplement, e.g. a small
quantity of powdered chalk and sterilized bone
meal flour may be added to the diet when neces-
sary. A fairly good sterile bone-meal flour can be
prepared locally by the following method:
In an open vessel, meat-free and comparatively
fresh bones may be cooked in boiling water for
sufficiently long period till the bones become soft
enough to disintegrate on beating. The broken
chips of bones are again cooked twice, every time
in fresh boiling water. The cooked bones are
finally washed thoroughly in hot water. After
allowing them to dry in the sun for two to three
days, they are crushed into powder. This bone
meal powder or flour prepared for feeding stock,
should have but little odour, and should be nearly
white in colour.
3. Control of parasitic and bacterial diseases.
Humidity in the soil and air is more favourable
for the development of parasites, especially hel-
minths and the spread of soil-borne bacterial
infections like Anthrax, Black-quarter, etc. Acute
bacterial infections may cause heavy mortality,
but losses from these diseases can be prevented
by the use of appropriate sera and vaccines issued
by the Imperial Veterinary Research Institute,
Mukteswar. Regular vaccination of stock against
these diseases in infected localities preferably
before the onset of monsoons is desirable. Parasi-
tic infestations both external and internal and
chronic protozoan infections cause deterioration
of the affected animals by adversely affecting
their growth, milk yield and capacity for work,
although in most cases they may not succumb for
years. Regular administration of parasiticides
against internal parasites and the use of cattle-
dips against external parasites and the tick-borne
protozoan infections should be extensively em-
ployed in these areas as a routine.
4. Prevent soil erosion. As a result of heavy
rains the soil may be denuded of mineral matter
and the fodder on such areas does not grow luxuri-
antly and does not contain enough of mineral
*It is not present in an assimilable form, but it can be
rendered assimilable by hydrolysis