Ludhiana-10-May(Bharatsandesh news):Labour involved and infertility in animals are two major constraints which restrict the farmers for adopting dairy farming in a big way. After attaining puberty or after calving, the cows can exhibit oestrus on any day and hence can calve on any day of the year, which warrants their daily observance for exhibition of oestrus and thereafter for calving to take care of the dam and newborn. The information reveled by Dr. Parkash Singh Brar Head, Veterinary Gynecology department of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University. He said that It means daily trained personnel are required for detection of oestrus/heat in dairy animals at least thrice a day and going for the insemination of the animals detected in oestrus. Similarly daily observations are required near calving, which is very critical period in the life of a cows and newborn, farmer may lose calf, dam or both if proper care is not taken at calving.
Synchronization of oestrus is bringing a group of animals (most practically cows and buffaloes) to oestrus at one time and going for their fixed timed insemination. Basically this programme was applied at organized big dairy farms with the aim to reduce labour involved in detecting oestrus , inseminating them and taking care at their calving which were spread over longer time. After synchronization of oestrus and timed insemination the cows will calve over much limited period where they can be properly observed, hence decreasing labour involved and dam and calf mortality. The hormones being used for synchronization of oestrus also ameliorate hormonal aberrations in the infertile animals leading to their improvement in conception rate. With synchronization of oestrus in cattle farmer can preplan breeding, calving and hence milk production during particular part of the year. It helps in round the year production of milk, especially during summer season when the milk scarcity happens in this part of the world. This fits very well into the present scenario of Punjab dairy production which is in its transitional phase of conversion from small and medium sized dairy farming to big organized dairy farming. With advanced basic protocols of synchronization the anoestrus animals (not exhibiting oestrus over long time) and heifers can also be brought in oestrus and impregnated. Buffaloes in general are shy breeders and do not exhibit overt signs of oestrus, the problem increases during summer months. Synchronization and their impregnation is very effective under such conditions where pregnancy rates to the tune of 60- 65% can be achieved. In Punjab initial work was started in years 2002-03 under the guidance of Dr A S Nanda presently, Animal Husbandry Commissioner of India. With constant efforts from Dr V K Taneja, Vice-chancellor of the GADVAU the technology has been passed over to hundreds of farmers who are practicing it with main of reducing the labour costs involved and improving the conception rates of cattle. The costs involved per animal are to the tune of Rs 500/- which is equivalent to 20 Kg of milk which usually animals produce in a day.
