Indigenous practices in animal husbandry

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE stems from rural society. Being traditional in nature it is transmitted from generation to generation. It can be used as an effective remedy in modern agriculture. It is an accumulated knowledge on experience suited to local situation and social system. Some of the indigenous practices of farmers of Erode and Coimbatore districts in animal husbandry have been collected and presented below.

Control of respiratory tract infection in birds:

The Tulsi leaves (oscimum sanctum)extract to be orally administered to birds for three days. About 100 grams of tulsi is sufficient for treating 1000 birds.

Control of respiratory diseases in poultry:

To control the chronic respiratory disease the root of ``senthatti'' is dried, powdered and administered along with the regular feed of birds for two days. The required quantity is 1/2 kg for 1000 birds.

Control of bacterial infection in animals:

The leaves of pepper (piper nigrum)and Garlic (allium sativum)are crushed and the juice is mixed with butter milk or goat's milk and it is administered to infected animals.

Treating waggot infection in wounds:

The leaves of Kalyana Moringai (erythrina indica)are crushed and mixed with eucalyptus oil. The mixture is applied on wounds after three days. The wounds are later pressed for the removal of waggots.

Healing cuts and wounds in animals:

A handful of neem azadiracta indica, a few pods of garlic allium sativum, 3-4 Napthalene balls and carbon powder (from waste battery) are mixed and prepared as a paste and is applied on the affected cuts and wounds of animals.

Curing yoke gall in bullocks:

To cure yoke gall in bullocks, onion reels allium sepaare burned and the ash is mixed with butter and made into a paste and applied on the yoke gall.

Easy dropping of placenta in cattle:

To hasten the easy dropping of placenta, one kg of paddy is smeared with groundnut arachis hypogeaoil and is fed to cattle. It is done three to four times after calving.

Sesamum oil for hairy tail:

Animals lose hair on their tail due to excessive cold during winter season. This can be prevented by dipping the animal tail in sesamum oil which is heated till it changes into red colour. The animal tail is dipped when sesamum oil is cooled. It is applied 2-3 times a day for a week, until the animal regains its hair.

Using goat droppings for wounds:

About three to four droppings of goat and 1-2 leaves of ``Aval'' are pound together. This mixture is applied daily on the wound.

Repairing fractured bones:

Charcoal is prepared by burning a dry stem of ``kerada''. The charcoal is powdered and mixed with pure ghee and the paste is applied over the fractured bone of the animal. This sets the fractured bone.

T. Raj Pravin, Rexlin Selvin & T.Rathakrishnan

Department of Agricultural Extension

and Rural Sociology

Agricultural College and Research Institute

Madurai-625104

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