Vol. 11, Special Issue 10 (2022)

Author(s):
VA Dodiya, GP Sabapara, SM Kasondra, DD Garg, MD Odedra and AR Ahlawat

Abstract:
A field study was conducted in Junagadh district of Gujarat to ascertain the housing management practices followed by Jaffarabadi buffalo owners and data were collected from randomly selected 320 respondents through personal interview with the help of structured interview schedule. The present study revealed that majority (63.43%) of respondents provided conventional type of houses for their buffaloes. About 66.25% of buffalo sheds were near to the dwelling of the respondents and 69.06% of the sheds were oriented in east-west direction. Majority (93.44%) of respondents adopted single line tying method of animal. About 92.50, 87.81 and 98.12% of the respondents had adequate floor space, light and ventilation respectively, in their buffalo sheds. Majority (76.25%) of respondents had earthen floors in their buffalo sheds; 23.75% had slope in floors towards backside of the animal sheds; 89.38% of respondents used cemented type pillars. About 80.63% sheds had single slope type of roof; 65% had Pucca type of manger and 16.56% of sheds had provision of drainage facility for slurry. Majority (36.44%) of respondents kept their animals inside the house during day as well as night. All the respondents adopted some kind of measures to protect the animals from extreme weather conditions. About 96.25% respondents store the manure by means of heap and 80% respondents store manure at distance location from buffalo sheds.