The Department of Animal Husbandry has stocked medicines in sufficient quantity in the veterinary clinics and the veterinary hospitals in the district to save the livestock from the adverse effects of heat prevailing in the district during this summer.
According to Kanniyakumari Collector P.N. Sridhar, the dairy farmers should closely monitor the cattle having symptoms like excess salivation, eating fodder in lesser quantity, sheltering under shades, breathing fast with opened mouth etc. all symptoms of heat exhaustion. The cattle should be given clean and cool water with fodder mixture at least 5 times a day. If the cattle are fed with vitamins and mineral salt mixture, it will keep the animals healthy despite prevailing excessive heat.
Sprinklers may be used to spray water inside the cattle shed and also on the cattle to moderate the temperature. If possible, fans may be fitted in the cattle shed. Green fodder is good for the cattle during this scorching summer while dry fodder like paddy straw may be given in the night. Buffaloes may be allowed to take dip in the ponds or tanks to beat heat.
The chicken, which should be kept in spacious and airy shed, may be given food in the morning and the night while cool and clean drinking water mixed with vitamins and glucose should be made available throughout the day.
The goats and sheep should be given a minimum of 12 litres of clean drinking water a day besides vaccinating them against viral infections as prescribed by qualified veterinarians. The mineral salt mixtures should be kept in the sheep and goat pens to save the animals from heat exhaustion.
Since the prevailing heat will have adverse impact on the domestic animals and poultry birds, veterinary medicines and mineral salt mixtures in sufficient quantity have been stocked in the 49 veterinary clinics, 2 veterinary hospital and the lone multipurpose veterinary hospital to save the livestock from the adverse effects of unprecedented heat prevailing in the district.
The Collector also urged the public not to keep their pets inside the cars and not to allow them to wander around under the sun.
“Farmers shifting their cattle to another place may do so either early in the morning or in the night to save the animals from possible heat exhaustion,” Mr. Sridhar said.
