Feeding and Caring for Farm Animals Chapter Notes | Vocational Education (Kaushal Bodh) Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

Introduction

Farm animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry play an essential role in our lives. Like all living beings, including humans, they need proper care. This includes practices related to feeding and overall well-being.

Importance of Farm Animals

• Domestic animals help with transport, providing quality food, wool, and manure.
• They assist in farm operations like ploughing and carrying loads.
• Common farm animals include poultry birds, cattle, buffaloes, bulls, sheep, yaks, mithun (gayal), pigs, and camels.
• These animals are reared for food, wool, transportation, and farm labour.
• They contribute to soil fertility by providing organic manure.
• Collectively, domestic animals on a farm are called livestock.
• Livestock forms a large part of farmers' wealth and provides regular income.
• Herders specialize in specific types, such as shepherds for sheep, goatherds for goats, swineherds for pigs, and cowherds for cattle.
• Beyond economic benefits, animals respond to love and care, becoming part of the family and offering emotional support.
• Essential care includes nutritious food, clean water, proper shelter, and vaccination for good health.

Historical and Cultural Context

• Paintings in the Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh show the relationship between humans and animals.
• These include decorated bulls, grazing animals, and humans riding horses, suggesting domesticated animals have been companions for more than 10,000 years.
• In Indian culture, gratitude towards livestock is expressed through festivals and rituals.
• Every state has festivals dedicated to animals, such as Bendur or Pola in Maharashtra, Kanuma in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and Khaturva in Uttarakhand.

Animal Husbandry

• Animal husbandry is the management and care of livestock.
• It includes ethical farming practices to ensure animals are treated well and kept in a healthy environment.
• Ethical practices involve treating animals with respect, providing basic needs like good housing, feed, water, timely medical treatment, and caring for their well-being.
• Cows and goats are some of the commonly found livestock in India.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this, you will be able to:

• Identify important farm animals in your locality and record their health parameters.
• Estimate the weight of an animal based on its body measurements to prepare a feeding chart.
• Prepare silage and a healthy, dry fodder mixture for farm animals.
• Design a first-aid box for livestock with homemade Ayurvedic medicines.

Tools and Materials Needed

• Tape measure
• Weighing scale
• Silage bag
• Salt
• Chopped dry fodder
• Chopped green fodder
• Digital thermometer

Safety Precautions

Some key precautions while feeding and caring for farm animals:

• Farm animals can get disturbed by unfamiliar people and may become aggressive.
• Stay calm, avoid abrupt gestures, speak to the animal, and offer feed to reduce stress.
• Tie animals and maintain a safe distance.
• Never stand behind a large farm animal, as it may kick if disturbed.
• Interact with animals only when accompanied by a teacher, farmer, or veterinary professional.
• Follow their instructions while approaching an animal.
• For internet use: Ask a teacher for help, avoid uploading or downloading without checking, and do not share personal information.

Essential Needs for Livestock

• Livestock need proper housing for cleanliness, ventilation, shelter from weather and predators.
• They require clean water and fodder for feed.
• Healthcare includes vaccination and medicine.
• A safe environment ensures healthy growth and optimum productivity.
• Proper housing, shelter, feed, healthcare, and clean environment are essential for animals.

Observing Farm Animal Care

Livestock is integral to the daily life of farmers or animal owners and their families.

• Talk to a farmer or animal owner to learn about their animals' healthcare routine and maintenance.
• If rearing livestock at home, base observations on personal experiences.
• Visit a nearby cow shelter (gaushala), stable (tabela), or meet a horse owner (e.g., tangewala) to record observations.
• Record details such as:
  • Name of the place or farmer/animal owner visited.
  • Types and number of animals owned.
  • Important activities of the day.
  • Number of people involved in the activities.
  • Description of daily activities.

Reflections on Farmer-Animal Relationship

• The relationship between the farmer/animal owner and the animal is essential for its well-being.
• For example, does the animal recognise its owner? How does it react to the presence of the owner?
• Does the farmer/animal owner have a specific name for the animals? What criteria were used for naming animals? How do they recognise individual animals?
• What are the reasons for keeping animals on the farm (e.g., farm labour, dairy, wool)?
• Talk to a farmer/animal owner or friends, and find a story about the relationship between a farmer/animal owner and the animal.
• You can also find any local poem or a folk song about farm animals.

Interesting Fact: Music for Cows

• Apart from a caring approach, the environment affects livestock well-being.
• Playing music in cow sheds has a calming effect.
• It results in an increase in milk production.
• This is due to masking noises (e.g., of farm machinery).

Veterinary Healthcare

• Just like humans, domestic animals have healthcare requirements.
• Animal healthcare centres or veterinary clinics provide necessary services to livestock.
• Veterinary practitioners need specialised training and certification.
• The Veterinary Council of India (VCI) is the nodal authority that decides how veterinarians should be prepared to work with animals.
• Visit a veterinary centre in a village or nearby town to learn standard healthcare practices and treatment.
• Invite a veterinary doctor or practitioner to school to learn about basic healthcare requirements.

India's Livestock Diversity

• India ranks number one in the world for its cow and goat population.
• It is the largest producer of milk.
• India has the highest diversity among cows, with 43 registered native breeds.
• Breeds indicate various types within the same kind of animal.
• Breeds are chosen based on the kind of work they will do.
• Example:Kasargod cattle from Kerala are a dwarf breed that grows to an average height of 1 metre.
  • They produce high quality milk at low maintenance cost.
• Example: Siri cattle from parts of Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Bhutan have long, powerful legs helpful in mountains.
  • They are used as draught animals.

Local Livestock Information

Gather information about livestock in your vicinity with help from an expert.

• What are the most common livestock in your locality?
• List the important breeds of livestock in your locality.
• Try to find out whether they are indigenous or brought from other places.

Example Record of Local Farm Animals

• Locality: Shirur block of Pune district
• Common farm animals: Cow, goat, poultry
• Common breeds:
  • Cow: Khilari, Holstein Friesian (HF) cross
  • Goat: Sangamneri
  • Poultry: Broiler, Deshi
• Common use:
  • Cow: Milk production
  • Goat: Meat/Milk
  • Poultry: Chicken and eggs

Food and Fodder for Animals

• Which fodder crops or food sources are used for livestock in your area?

Information About Food and Fodder

• Animal: Cow
  • Food: Green fodder (Maize, Napier, Berseem, Lucerne); Dry fodder (Jowar, Bajra, Wheat, Paddy straw); Concentrates (grains, oil cakes, bran) and Mineral supplements
  • Food availability: Fodder grown on farms; Feed from cooperatives; Silage
• Animal: Goat
  • Food: Open grazing (grasses, weeds)
  • Food availability: Stalled, semi-stalled, open grazing
• Animal: Poultry birds
  • Food: Food grain (maize, wheat), poultry feed; Protein (Soya meal, fish meal); Kitchen waste and grains from home

Vaccination for Livestock

• Vaccination is vital to protect humans against infectious diseases and prevent spread among them.
• Similarly, livestock need regular vaccination to avoid bacterial and viral diseases.
• Every year, vaccination drives are organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Participating in a farm animal vaccination drive and interacting with a veterinary doctor helps understand the need for vaccination.
• If a veterinary clinic is not accessible, visit a farmer, gaushala, or tabela to learn about immunisation.