Housing is one of the most important aspects of any dairy farm. The success or failure of many dairy farms is directly linked to the kind of housing provided. By providing animals with better housing, farmers are able to produce higher quality milk, maximize labour utilization, improve animal health, control disease and improve animal care and management, resulting in a higher price and greater profits. However, inadequate and inappropriate housing results in added labour charges and increased cost in maintenance of sheds. Housing offers the best control of microclimatological parameters for high yielding animals, although it comes at a relatively high price. In order to reduce the temperature effect and construction cost on dairy farms, building design and construction materials are usually the most common measures. The livestock housing is a major capital investment; however, the construction materials have an impact on expenditure, maintenance, ease of cleaning, durability, and appearance of a structure. As well, when selecting construction materials, one needs to consider their thermal properties in order to minimize animal thermal stress. The thermal conductivity of materials varies from sample to sample depending on their density, moisture content etc. Since, there are so many expensive construction materials available in the market that have varying durability, efficiency, and effectiveness, choosing the right type of construction material is very crucial in the present scenario. Due to limited means within developing countries, it is necessary to seek ways to reduce construction and repair/maintenance cost, especially for low income farmers. The present article focused on the different construction materials used for building the livestock sheds in India.
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