Journal of Animal Research: v.5 n.2, p. 231-235. June 2015

DOI Number: 10.5958/2277-940X.2015.00040.6

Effect of Orientation, Ventilation, Floor Space Allowance and Cooling Arrangement

on Milk Yield and Microclimate of Dairy Shed in Goa

S.K. Das 1* , M. Karunakaran 2 , S.B. Barbuddhe 3 and N.P. Singh 1

1 ICAR – Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela , Goa, INDIA

1 ICAR – National Dairy Research Institute (ERS), Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, INDIA

1 ICAR- National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chattishgarh, INDIA

*Corresponding author: SK Das, Email: dasicargoa@gmail.com

Received: 11 February, 2015

Accepted: 21 April, 2015

ABSTRACT

Ten farmers consisting of large, medium, small and marginal from each of six talukas ie Pernem, Bicholim and Ponda taluka of

North Goa district; Salcete, Canacona and Sanguem talukas of South Goa district in total sixty farmers were considered based

on cattle population for this study. Farmers were interviewed for collecting information on housing and production aspect of

dairy cattle. Subsequently farmers were grouped according to type of dairy house. Data on microenvironment of cattle shed and

milk yield of cows were recorded on daily basis. Data analysis revealed that the orientation, ventilation, floor space provision

and cooling arrangement had a significant effect on average daily milk yield and microenvironment of dairy shed. Significantly

higher milk yield and lesser heat stress were observed in east – west orientation, good ventilation and standard floor space of

minimum 5 m 2 per cattle. Further cooling arrangement in cattle shed had a highly significant (P < 0.01) effect on average daily

milk yield and microenvironmental parameters revealing that if false ceiling is made inside cattle shed besides manual and

mechanical cooling animals would feel more comfort resulting in higher milk production.

Keywords: Cooling, dairy cattle, floor space, milk yield, orientation, ventilation

Livestock is an integral part of agriculture in India more

the most efficient production of meat, milk and wool. A

particularly in the state of Goa as most of the people due

better understanding of micro climate of shed will greatly

to multifarious reasons depend up on the animals for their

enhance managerial capabilities. Several management

economic support. Livestock contributes around 6 % to

practices are available to ameliorate heat stress, each with

National GDP and 25 - 26 % to Agricultural GDP. As

positive and negative properties.

per basic animal husbandry statistics (2012), total cattle

Housing provides the most potential control over micro-

population in India is 199 million; total buffalo population

climatologicalparameters;however,itcomesatarelatively

is 105 million with total bovine population of 304 million.

high initial investment cost per head. In present times, the

Animal husbandry and agriculture are not competitive

main focus is on cow comfort, which will increase the milk

rather complementary to each other.

production and eliminate many animal health problems.

Dairy housing systems have significant impact on the

The most common measure taken by the Japanese

dairy production, overall health and longevity of dairy

farmers to reduce the temperature effect on dairy farms

cattle. Housing systems have been transformed from

was to improve the building construction (Nomiyama

pasture-based systems to indoor housing systems with

et al., 1981), since it is proved beyond doubt that high

limited outdoor access. Housing management, in reality,

temperature and high humidity is deleterious to milk

is the manipulation of the animal environment to promote

production (Lurdi, 1982). Thiagarajan and Thomas (1990)