Annual Research & Review in Biology

Aims: The main objective of this study to evaluate and observe the livestock breed selection and care strategies in rural area of Betul, MP, India specially for Shahpur Block. It’s a tribal dominated area and provide key solutions to improve breed selection practices among dairy farmers.

Study Design: A Google form questionnaire with 23 questions was created for dairy units and dairy farms. Farmers were questioned about what they were doing.Dairy worker and farmer identity, animal production traits, breed selection strategies, milk production technology and animal nutrition were among the inquiries. Included were increases in milk fat diet or the use of herbs for milk and animal management.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the Shahpur block area of the tribally dominated district of Betul (M.P.) in India between September and October of 2024.

Methodology: Using a Google Form, a door-to-door survey of 383 dairy farmers and 129 dairy workers engaged in animal husbandry in the village was carried out and all type of statistical analysis were done.

Results: This survey is being conducted among 512 dairy producers and dairy workers. Twenty-five percent of the answers were from dairy workers. We found that 95.1% of males and 4.9% of women are employed in the dairy business under investigation. 3.1% Sahiwal, 0.2% Malvi, 0.6% cross-breed, other 5.2% cows, 2.7% Gir, 10.8% Jersey, 3.1% Sahiwal, and, in addition, 36.3% Murrah buffalo, 49.9% Desi buffalo, 0.5% hybrid buffalo, 0.3% Nagpuri buffalo, and the remaining 13.1% buffaloes are raised in the study area. 34.4% of dairy farmers fed 60% green and 40% dry feed, 40.8% fed 50% green and 50% dry feed, and 18.9% provided 70% green and 30% dry feed, according to the poll. 3.1% of dairy farmers treat their animals themselves, 10.1% of farmers have their animals checked by a veterinarian periodically, and 86.8% of farmers do not regularly get their animals checked.

Conclusion: Future breeding initiatives might utilize all the desired traits that were impacted by socioeconomic variables to boost dairy cattle output. Suggestions for improving livestock breeding in the study area include: supplying farmers with healthy bulls or males for mating with good characteristics; providing dairy farmers with appropriate training at the local level; implementing government schemes at the ground level; promoting artificial insemination; emphasizing the purity of indigenous breeds; providing financial support to dairy farmers; and organizing "Pashu mela" at the panchayat level to promote animal husbandry.