Cattle Lick Salt for cattle health
R.Gangi Reddy
Rural Development Organisation.(RUDO)
173 P.K.Street,Tirupati,Chittoor,dt,A.P. India
.
Introduction:
The dairy became a primary livelihood source for rural communities in Chittoor district, because the employment through agriculture has declined from 85% to 15% owing to the adverse effects of the chemical based farming. Another reason is growing demand for milk and market access at door steps. But in dairying, the farmers are facing the issue of fodder crisis and problem of low milk yielding. There is a substantial decline in fodder production, owing to the decreasing area under forest and grass lands. The fodder availability from various crops has also decreased largely due to the introduction of high yielding dwarf varieties. The shortage of fodder is therefore being compensated with commercial feed, resulting in increased cost of production of milk. Moreover, as commercial feed is mixed with urea and other artificial milk boosters, it has a deleterious effect on the quality of milk produced and the longevity of the livestock, which in turn leads to degenerative diseases like cancer and coronary ailments in human beings. The body development and production of milk depend on the status of the animal health. The animal requires salt and essential trace elements besides the forage and water for productivity and maintenance of health. The dairy farmers lack scientific knowledge of maintaining the milk animals.
RUDO is addressing fodder crisis by introducing Azolla as a sustainable cattle feed and silage to preserve the forage available in moisture period for lean period and issue of animal health and productivity by introducing Cattle Lick salt. It is conducting trainings and demonstration on above three technologies for dairy farmers in Chittoor district for last three years. This paper deals with Cattle lick salt technology to maintain the health of the animal for sustainable milk yielding.
Importance of salt & Trace elements in animal Metabolism:
Salt is essential in the nutrition and physiology of all animals. Life can not be supported and normal growth does not take place when salt intake is very low. The proper use of it facilitates a freer flow of salive, gastric juices and other intestinal secretions. The excess of salt is excreted through urine, faces and sweat. Dairy cattle need salt and deprived of it, eat soil , lick walls , its body or calf standing before it. A continued deficiency of salt produces serious conditions and reduce milk yield. Salt increases the palatability of feed and has benevolent effect in digestibility of protein, carbohydrates and oils. Daily the milking cow requires 50 to 150g salt, dry cow requires 60-80g and calf 30-40g of salt. Milking cow requires more salt than the dry cow, because the salt is excreted in milk 5-20g per day during the period of lactation. Minimum amount of salt is given with food and remaining quantity by free choice through licks.
In addition to salt, certain necessary trace minerals called Trace Elements known for their specific and varied functions in animal life essential for growth and metabolism. In order to utilize maximum energy from food stuffs like calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, copper, cobalt,Zinc,magnesium and manganese are required. Though present in minute amounts, the essential trace elements are vital importance for maintaining the health of animals. If due to faulty feeding practices, sufficient amount of the essential minerals are not present in rations pathological symptoms developed quicky, and if the defect are not corrected sufficiently early, death may ensure.
Symptoms of deficiency of essential Trace element in cattle:
The important role of the minerals in animal nutrition as well as the symptoms of deficiency of essential elements and injury caused by the toxic elements is given under.
Calcium:
Calcium deficiency in cattle is seldom counted as he usual roughages generally supply sufficient quantity of this mineral. In case the calf may not be receiving its full quota of calcium, the growth may be stunted due to insufficient bone development.
Magnesium:
Magnesium deficiency is seldom seen under practical conditions of livestock feeding. This is due to the fact that most common feeds are good source of this mineral.However, when calves are kept for several months on milk alone, without any roughage or green supplement, they show irritability, nervouseness and lose appetitie, followed in later stages by convulsions. Such systems are associated with low magnesium content in blood serum.
Iodine:
Lack of iodine in the ration causes the disease known as goiter. The affected animals shown an enlargement of a gland, called thyroid, situated in the neck so that the neck appears to be highly swollen.
Iron:
Iron is a constituent of haemoblobin, the red pigment of blood which helps in carrying the oxygen from the inhaled air in the lungs to various tissues and to carry back the carbon dioxide produced in the tissues to the lungs again to be exhaled.
Symptoms of iron deficiency are refusal of milk, diahorres, and pale mucous membranes, ulceration in the mouth and disinclination to move.
Copper:
During the last two decades, the importance of copper as an essential trace element has been definitely established. Loss of weight, dishorres and suppression of estrus are frequently observed.Sometime, sudden deathly may occur. Bleaching of hair cost has also been noticed.
Cobalt:
In certain areas, cattle and other livestock were found to fare badly even when kept on bush pastures. The symptoms are a lack of appetitive followed by loss in weight and debility. The coat of the animal became rough and the skin as clay.Aniaemia develops in chronic cases and the mortality among young stocks very high.
Manganese:
Manganese deficiency has been noticed in animals. Its symptoms are loss in weight, and reduced strength of the bones as result of which fractures and failure of reproductive ability may occur.
Zinc:
Zinc is necessary for cellular function and for proper growth of hair, wool and skin.
Manufacture of 2 Kg Cattle Lick salt Block:
Equipments:
- Wooden Mould. 2. Balance 3. Hydrometer. 4. Messuring weights 5.Measuring Jar 6.Wooden Hammer.
Raw Material.
Common salt 2.B Grade chemicals.
Process:
The process consists of the following steps:
? weighing of chemicals.
? Preparation of Magnesium chloride solution to 24 Be
? mixing of chemicals in the salt.
? adding gradually at internals Manganese chloride solution to the salt mixture &
mix well.
? Moulding of the wet mixture in a wooden block.
? Sun drying of the mould block.
In order to prepare a cattle lick salt block of 2 Kg. The following chemical proportions are required.
Copper sulphate: 4 grms, Cobalt chloride: 1 gram, Magnisium sulphate: 4 gram , Ferric oxid 4grams, Zinc sulphate: 4 grms, Calcined Mangesite: 80grms,Potassium Iodide:0.03 grms,
Ground common salt is taken and mixed thoroughly with the above qualities of the trace elements. To this calcined magnetite is added and once again mixed well. The Magnesium and iodide solution of 20 Be already prepared, is gradually added at intervals and mixed well till such a time that the salt mixture can be formed into small Ladoo which does not break by itself. The contents are then emptied into a wooden mould. The wet mixture is introduced in the mould in small quantities and removed with a wooden hammer having a rectangular base. The block is filled up gradually and then a tapered peg is inserted into the centre of the block up to the depth of about 3”.The peg is now carefully removed and the mould with the material inverted and a slight tapping at the bottom is givn.The wooden block is carefully removed and the now carefully removed and the mould with the material inverted and a slight tapping at the bottom is given. The wooden block is carefully removed and the 2 Kg cattle lick block is kept in open for sun drying. The dried salt block is hung before the animal for its choice for lick. The salt and trace elements enters the body of the animal.
RUDO efforts in propagation of Cattle Lick salt:
RUDO propagated the cattle lick salt in Chittoor district through trainings and demonstrations. In the year 2005-06 the training was conducted in four villages for 200 women. In year 2006-07 trainings were conducted in 6 villages with coverage of 317 beneficiries.In the current year two trainings were conducted in two villages for 80 women dairy farmer and 35 unemployed rural women for self employment through the this technology. The units were supported for 30 women to adopt the technology. The local PRI members,NGOs and SHGs of the concerned panchayats were involved in the trainings
Impact of the Trainings:
- The awareness and knowledge on cattle lick salt was increased among
villagers.
- The villagers are showing interest on cattle lick salt.
- The technology is accepted for adaptation.