Effect of bedding material on parasitic profile of barbari goats and manure enrichment of litter under semi-intensive system of rearing.

摘要

Twenty Barbari does maintained under a semi-intensive system of housing were provided with different bedding materials (sawdust, chaffed paddy straw, rice husk, slatted wooden floor, cement concrete floor, sand and soil) in the winter, summer and rainy seasons from December 2004 to August 2005 in the Tarai region of Uttaranchal, India, to study the parasitic load through egg per gram (EPG) count and to ascertain better manure absorption capacity of the litter. The overall EPG values of does in winter, summer and rainy seasons were 290.6+or-41.2, 913.13+or-74.51 and 745.0+or-57.9, respectively. Egg count in the winter was significantly lower (P<0.01) than in summer and rainy seasons. During winter, the least squares means of EPG of does kept on sawdust, paddy straw, rice husk and wooden slatted bedding materials were 237.5+or-41.3, 367.5+or-45.3, 335.00+or-44.3 and 222.5+or-46.1, respectively. During summer, the EPG count of does kept on wooden slatted floors were significantly (P<0.01) higher (1340.0+or-119.02) than those kept on cement concrete, sand and soil and wooden slatted bedding. During the monsoon, the EPG count remained unchanged due to the bedding materials used. Maximum moisture, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium levels were retained by rice husk (80.42%), paddy straw (71.48%), sawdust (50.38%) and rice husk (1.89%), respectively. In conclusion, rice husk may be considered as bedding material of choice for housing goats in the Tarai region of Uttaranchal.