Management of young animals and perceived constraints in rearing livestock in dryland areas of Tamil Nadu.

摘要

The livestock rearing practices of farmers in the dry land areas of Tamil Nadu as well as the constraints they faced were investigated. 100 livestock owners were selected from the Pikkili village, Pennagram block, Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, to participate in the study. The results showed that livestock owners followed most of the scientifically recommended practices for the care of young animals (calves, lambs and kids). The major constraints identified were water scarcity, lack of veterinary aid, lack of green fodder availability, high feed costs, high disease incidence, low productivity, reproductive disorders and lack of credit availability. These constraints must be addressed since livestock rearing was considered a very important livelihood resource in the dry lands.