(6)
III.—BREEDING OPERATIONS.
(1) BOVINES.
(i) Stud bulls.
See table VIII.
37. One hundred and sixteen stud animals are now maintained in 39
districts.
The provision of adequate bull power appears to be giving a considerable
impetus to the cattle-breeding industry which year by year is arousing great
interest in the province. The endeavours of the Civil Veterinary department have
been directed towards the production of:—
(a) Improved working bullocks for ploughs, wells and general agricultural
purposes as well as for heavy draught work.
(b) A higher milk yielding class of cows.
These bulls have been chiefly supplied by this department either by outside
purchase or from its own farms. Most of the animals are maintained by district
boards, court of wards, co-operative credit societies, or influential land-owners. It
is anticipated that in the next few years there will be a greater demand for stud
animals, and all possible steps are being taken to provide for this contingency.
A workable scheme for the general management, up-keep, distribution and stud
work of the animals has been separately submitted.
Bull-rearing and breeding farms and dépôts.
See table IX.
38. Kheri farm.—The bull-rearing farm at Manjhra-Lakhimpur in the
Kheri district is now in working order and continues to progress satisfactorily.
It has now been established 4 years and since the first issue of bulls in 1912, 110
animals have been distributed. These breeds are now at stud work in the
districts of Etawah, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Cawnpore, Farrukhabad, Allahabad,
Benares, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Gorakhpur, Garhwal, Lucknow, Unao, Sitapur,
Hardoi, Kheri, Fyzabad, Gonda, Bahraich, Partabgarh and Sultanpur, and
some have been supplied by the department for agricultural purposes. Fifty
bulls will shortly be issued to certain herds in the Kheri and Pilibhit districts
where they appear necessary. It is confidently believed that the proposed
yearly introduction of an adequate number of sires into the herds will go a
great way towards stimulating and maintaining the cattle-breeding industry of
these parts, which from various causes appears to be declining.
In order to provide for the near future it was necessary on the establishment
of the farm to buy well-bred and suitable male calves and rear them till mature
enough for stud purposes. Brood cows, however, are now being gradually
introduced into the farm with the object of ultimately breeding our own animals.
Improvements and additions to the buildings are being made and farm overseer's
quarters and a small inspection bungalow are being added. The jungle is year
by year becoming cleared and the grass land is being considerably improved.
There are at present 242 head of live stock on the farm. The past year was a
very healthy one for the cattle, very little mortality having taken place.
See table IX.
39. Madhurikund farm, Muttra.—Although some delay has been
experienced in the erection of the buildings for this farm it has been already
partly stocked with 169 animals. Nine bulls of the Kosi and Hissar breed have
already been issued and a further small batch of the following classes are ready
for distribution:—
Hansi (Hissar).
Kosi.
Montgomery (Sahiwal).
Murrah buffalo bulls.
It is proposed this year to import some British bulls, probably of the Ayrshire
and short horn breeds, in order to carry out experiments with a view to forming a
strain which will give an increased milk yield. Originally some prejudice existed
with regard to English crosses from the fact that having little or no immunity to
the many Indian cattle epidemics such as rinderpest they quickly succumbed.
Another objection was put forward that the male progeny would have little or no
hump and would be useless for draught purposes. Although some mortality must
be expected, preventive inoculation methods now in use considerably reduce the
risk in this direction. It has also been found that the necessity for a fully
developed hump for a bullock for draught purposes has been much exaggerated.