Use of Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) in animal husbandry practices in IndiaINTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants have a long history of use in the treatment of human and animal diseases. The Rig Veda, the Atharva Veda and eight divisions of the Ayurveda are the most ancient documents of the world having evolved in India around 5000 BC and practiced thereon. It provides information about curative properties of plants on human and animal and a detailed prescription for disease prevention and treatment. Many other studies also verify the high utilization of Ayurveda by Indian community. But many traditional medicines have been abandoned following the discovery of the modern allopathic medicine. The resurgence of interest in the traditional system of medicine and growing
importance of therapeutic uses of active medicinal plants become a part of human culture in recent years and are widely practiced in almost every part of the world. Although over the last 20 years, most research on the subject focuses on the use of plants in human medicine, knowledge of the curative utilization of bioresources is not limited to humans, and also extends to the treatment of animal conditions . This increasing interest in traditional practices has been encouraged by the recognition of some efficacious ethnoveterinary medicinal products. Ethnoveterinary practices, is growing, and is highly developed in some countries, for example Spain,usa. The indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) regarding animal husbandry is considered as old as domestication of various livestock species. Unfortunately, these practices, which are in vogue throughout rural India, are little documented and there is danger of extinction of this knowledge.
India, the country of Rishi and Krishi, has a very rich heritage of traditional health control and several treatment systems that have been used for animals since time immemorial. Traditional knowledge is characterized as the sum of experience and knowledge for a given ethnic group, which forms the basis for decision making in regard to familiar and unfamiliar problems and challenges. In this article, different traditional practices in dairying, sheep and goat farming, poultry farming, and duck rearing were discussed
INDIGENOUS ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
Indigenous animal husbandry practices are classified into two major divisions viz., traditional knowledge and Ethnoveterinary practices.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE (TK)———–
Traditional knowledge (TK), also known as indigenous knowledge (IK) or local knowledge (LK) generally refers to the matured long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. It also encompasses the wisdom, knowledge, and teachings of these communities.
Traditional Knowledge about Dairying
Traditional healers know a lot about the transmission and spreading of diseases. Therefore disease prevention plays an important role, for instance traditional tick control. They reported the following:
• Nomads used to avoid places with high infestation of ticks.
• Animals were fed with plants containing a high level of salt, thus the ticks fall off.
• Before leaving the enclosure in the morning, women and children collect ticks from
the animals and throw these ticks into a fire burning near the entrance to the enclosure
• Shady trees were avoided in case of ticks infestation
• Tick eradication by burning the infested pasture was widely used.
There are two main systems or methods of treating diseases viz., Magic-Religious healing,
mostly done by reading the Koran. This is in accordance with the findings of Padmakumar (1998).
Under the practical treatment, the most common treatment is the scarification and bloodletting in order to free the animal from spoiled blood and using red-hot plates on animal
body to burn disease spot. Indication of this type of therapy is lameness, the rheumatic complex, skin diseases and infectious diseases of the alimentary and respiratory tract.
Rajan and Sethuraman (1997) reported that indigenous disease control measures are carried out through herd management viz:
• Herd dispersion is used to reduce the risk of infecting all animals belonging to one household.
• Choosing animal for breeding was based on the health of the animal
• Prevention of contact between healthy and ill animals
• Diseases prevention can cause herdsmen and his herds to move.
• Pastoralist avoids regions where insect or cattle rearers use medication without proper care and therefore complications arise.
• There may also be over-dosage, false applications and wrong treatment.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SHEEP AND GOAT FARMING
The droppings of sheep and goat contain higher nutrients than farmyard manure and compost. On an average, the manure contains 3 per cent N, 1 per cent P2O5 and 2 per cent K2O. It is applied to the field in two ways. The sweeping of sheep or goat sheds are placed in pits for decomposition and it is applied later to the field. The nutrients present in the urine are wasted in this method. The second method is sheep penning, wherein sheep and goats are kept overnight in the field and urine and fecal matter added to the soil is incorporated to a shallow depth by working blade harrow or cultivator.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT POULTRY FARMING
Although, majority of the poultry owners were rearing the birds in backyard/free-range system but they made necessary arrangement for night shelter of the birds to protect them from predators which is similar to the findings of Mandal et al.,(2006). Majority of the poultry owners constructed separated house for birds, whereas, only few farmers reported that birds shared the same house with the owner.
Most of the backyard poultry owners stop broodiness in the hen by taking her off the nest and dunking her lower half (underside) into a bucket of cool water until her feathers are wet. Other cruel methods include plucking its feather from its body and pierce the same in the nose and tying the hen in a tree upside down.
DUCK REARING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Broody hens are widely used for hatching eggs. Now-a-days artificial incubators owned by the egg vendors/traders are being extensively used by the duck farmers to fetch the required ducklings. Candling of egg is done on the seventh day of incubation using torchlight in the darkroom. The infertile eggs are removed. On 28th day, the ducklings are removed from the incubator/hens and reared separately. The Hatching percentage is 60-70 % (Gajendran et al.,
2005). It is also learnt from this study that the high percentage of infertility more often was due to wider male female ratio.
The ducklings will be brooded in a country method by using pneumatic tyre used for tractors. Three days old ducklings will be transported in a locally made bamboo baskets to sell them locally through cycles.
Among the ducks, the common disease conditions noticed were gasping for breath, swelling of joints etc. The farmers used decoction made of roots of paragrass, omum, vasambu (Acorus calamus) and Poduthalai leaves (Lipia nodifloara). This is in accordance with the findings of Gajendran and Karthickeyan (2011)
First Aid Treatment for Calves:
Deworming in Cattles: The calves must be provided with correct deworm tablets. From one and half months followed by one to two months deworming is necessary for calves.
Required herbal medicines:
Cumin 15 g Basil leaves- 1 hand full
Mustard 10g Neem leaf -1 hand full
Tumeric-5g Pseudo stem juice-100g
Garlic 5 Nos. Bitter Gourd- 50 g
Pepper -5 Nos. Jaggery-150g
Treatment: (oral)
Cumin, mustard and pepper are ground later the other ingredients are added along with jaggery and ground well. Tiny pellets are made, coated with salt (salt needed – 100 g) and rubbed at in the of the tongue of the calf. The entire pellets must be fed at one time.
Enteritis:
Loose stool along with foul-smelling are the symptoms of the disease. The dung will be stuck on the tail and hind legs. Dehydration occurs and the calf resembles to be week.
Herbal medicines and products needed for a one calf:
Mixture 1
Poppy15 g Pepper -5 Nos.
Tumeric 5g Fenugreek- 15
Tumeric-5g Pepper-5 Nos.
Asfoetida 5 g Cumin-10
Mixture 2
Onion (small) 10 Nos.
Garlic -6 Nos.
Tamarind- 200 g
Jaggery (black)- 250 g
The following items should be grind well.
Treatment: (oral)
Mix these two compounds and make into small pellets, and coat it with salt (salt needed – 100 g). Rub the pellets on the tongue of the calf and feed all the pellets at one time itself.
External parasite removal (Ectoparasites)
External parasites like lice, ticks, cow fly are found on the body of the cow. All thess parasites sucks the blood of the calf. Therefore this causes anemia in calf. Moreover, these are one celled, and spread from diseased ones to healthy ones. It is difficult to save the calf from parasite attack. So it is essential to prevent the attack of these parasites.
Herbal medicines and products needed:
Aloe vera 200 g
Basil leaves 50g
Tulasi leaves-50g
Kuppai meni 50 g
Unni plant -50 g
Grind the above mentioned ingredients.
Treatment (external application) :
The mixture is taken in a pot and 4 litre of water is to the mixture and it is boiled and the quantity is made to 1 litre and filtered. 100 ml is taken and sprayed on the body of the animal. NB:To diluted lime 100 g turmeric powder, 100 grams of Acorus is added and wiped on the walls of the cattle shed to reduce the parasite attack.
Mastitis
Mastitis in dairy cows is often caused by infection. The udder of the cow will be swollen, harder, and the body temperature will be increased .The milk of the infected animal will be yellow in colour, curd like consistency and sometimes blood might mix with milk .Wash the udder of the animal and keep it clean always.
Herbal and medicinal products required for a cow:
Aloe Vera – 200 grams (I leaf)
Turmeric – 50 g
Lime – 5 grams (the size of a tamarind seeds)
Method of Treatment: (External application)
The above products are ground in an Attukal mortar and made into a solid state. Then take a hand full of the mixture, add water to it and make into a diluted state. Apply this to the udder of the infected animal. Apply this mixture for 10 times a day until the swelling reduces.
Stomach Bloat (Bloat)
Stomach bloat is caused due to the change in the intake of fodder. It is caused due to intake of grain and of green fodders .
Herbal and medicinal products required for a cow:
Betelvine 10 Nos.
Pirandai-(Cissus Quadrangularis) 10 Nos.
Onions -15 Nos.
Ginger- 15 Nos.
Pepper- 10 Nos.
Cumin -25 gram
Tumeric-10 gram
Treatment: (oral)
Cumin and pepper are powered and mixed with the other mentioned ingredients. To this mixture jaggery is added, made into small balls which is coated with rock salt (required salt – 100 g) and rubbed on the surface of the tongue. All these balls are fed entirely at the same to the infected cow.
Foot & Mouth disease
Foot and mouth is a viral disease. Blisters appears on the mouth and tongue of the affected animal. The saliva drips from the mouth like a string. Wound appears on the foot of the diseased animal and the leg will be swollen. Don’t feed the milk in the udder of the diseased animal to the young ones .Vaccination is amust to prevent the disease.
Herbal and medicinal products required for a cow
Grated coconut – 1 coconut
Cumin seeds – 50 g
Fenugreek – 30 g
Turmeric -10 g
Jaggery (black) – 20 g
Method of Treatment -: (oral intake for a cow)
Cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, grated coconut are ground and mixed with jaggery and fed twice a day for for at least 3. When fed for 5 days the animals gets better.Lift the head of the animal and feed the medicine slowly inside its mouth..
Foot lesions
Herbal and medicinal products needed:
Acalipha indica (Kubaimeni)
Garlic 10 Nos.
Tumeric 100g
Gingelly oil or Illupai oil
Method of Treatment: (external application)
The above mentioned first three medicinal products are ground and boiled in Iluppai and Gingelly oil. Wash the legs of the infected animal with water which contains salt and turmeric then wipe the wet area with a clean dry cloth, later apply the medicine.
Poison bite:
Bites of poisonous species viz., scorpion, wasp, bumblebee, Centipede, and small snakes causes rashes, swelling, stomach bloat skin, dripping of saliva from the mouth, suffocation the body swelling, stomach bloat, are the symptoms found in sheep.
Herbal and medicinal products needed:
Siriyanakai leaves 15 Nos. Betelvine 5 Nos.
Pepper – 10 Nos. Pseudo stem juice-100g
Cumin seeds – 15 g Salt-15 gram
Onion -10 Nos. Jaggery-100g
Treatment:
Little cumin, and pepper is ground and mixed with other ingredients. To it 100 grams jaggery is added along with other products and made into small pellets and rubbed in on the tongue and fed once.
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 ofAval” 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.
Documentation of ITKs (in cattle in all cases)
Disease ITKs Used
Dysentery • One hundred to one hundred fifty g stem, leaves of Anantamul (Indian sarsaparila, Hemidesmus indicus) is grounded and juice is extracted and mixed with honey and to be fed to the animal suffering from dysentery.
• Three pieces of Golmorich (Black pepper, Liquorice Glcyrrhiza glabra Piper nigrum), 2 teaspoon full ghee and 50 g smashed Jastimadhu are mixed with 250 ml cold water and to be drenched.
• One hundred ml sap is collected from the extract of Thankuni (Indian pennywort, Centella asiatica), Patharkuchi (Coleus aromaticus) and Durba(Dhub grass, Cynodon dactylon) and drenched to the cattle for 2-3 days.
• Fifty ml extract of Ganda (African marigold, Targetes erecta) shoot is mixed with 50 ml extract of Durba (Dhub grass, Cynodon dactylon) and is drenched to the animal.
• Three pieces of Golmorich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum), 5 g Jowan (Bishop’s weed, Trachyspermum ammi) and 5 g Chirata (Swertia angusti folia var pulchella) are grounded and fed to the animal for 3-4 days.
• One hundred g bark of Simul tree (Salmalia insignis, Bombax insigne) is boiled with 500 ml water and then being drenched to the animal.
• Latex of Chatim (Dita bark, Alstonia scholaris) is mixed with Golmorich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum) in the ratio of (3:2) to be given to animal.
• Bark of Palas tree (Butea monosperma) is boiled with 250 ml water and then is drenched to the cattle for 3-4 days.
• Two hundred g Kalmegh (Creat, Andrographis paniculata) leaves and 100 g Thankuni leaves (Indian pennywort, Centella asiatica) are grounded to make a paste and then fed to the cattle.
• One hundred ml extract of Kurchi (Holarrhena antidysenterica) leaves is drenched to the animal for 2-3 days.
• Decoction of the root of Babul (Acacia arabica) is mixed with mustard oil in the ratio of 1:3 and to be drenched to the animal.
Disease ITKs Used
Arthritis • Decoction of the root of Babul (Acacia arabica) is mixed with mustard oil in the ratio of 1:3 and to be drenched to the animal.
• Roots of Dhutra (Thorn apple, Jimson weed, Datura stramonium), Bonkul tree and Rasun (Garlic, Allium Sativum) are mixed and grounded. A paste is made and applied on the affected part.
• Hot fomentation is given with Akanda leaves (Asclepiadaceae, Calolropis gigantea) along with ghee.
• A luke worm paste is made from Rasun (Garlic, Allium sativum) and ghee and applied on the affected part.
• Sometimes some people put warm iron on the affected part.
Disease ITKs Used
Dog bite • Roots of Bonson tree are mixed with 21 pieces Golmorich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum) and the paste is fed to the animal.
Disease ITKs Used
Cough and cold • One hundred g Tulsi leaves (Holy basil, Ocimum sanctum) and 100 g Basak leaves (Adhatoda vasica) are boiled with water. Then extracted juice is mixed with 1-teaspoon honey and fed to the animal.
• Three to four pieces of Tejpata (Indian cassia lignea, Cinnamomum tamala), 50 g Ada (Ginger, Zingiber officinale) and Aswatha (Ficus religiosa) leaves are mixed. Extract is made from the mixture and is drenched to the animal along with water.
• Efflorcence of Tulsi (Holy basil, Ocimum sanctum) and Basak (Adhatoda vasica) leaves are mixed and extract is taken and mixed with ghee, Ada(Ginger, Zingiber officinale) and molasses and fed to the cattle.
• Fifty ml Begna leave’s sap, 50 ml sap of Ada (Ginger) and 3 pieces of grounded Black pepper are mixed and fed to the cattle.
• A paste is made from ghee, Golmorich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum), Ada (Ginger, Zingiber officinale) and Rasun (garlic, Allium sativum). Then it is divided into 2 parts. One part is fed to the animal and other part is topically applied over head and neck.
Disease ITKs Used
Anoestrus • Seven pieces of chicken egg per day is to be fed for seven days.
• Twelve pieces of Kala (Edible banana, Musa paradisiaca) along with 400 g sugar are to be fed for 2 days.
• One hundred g paste is made from Jaba (Chinese hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa sinensis) flower’s bud and old sugarcane (Saccharum sinense) jaggery, then to be fed for 15 days.
• One hundred g Asok (Ashoka, Saraca asoka) tree’s bark is grounded and fed to the cattle.
• Two hundred g bark of Asok tree (Ashoka, Saraca asoca) is to be boiled with 1 litre milk, then, every day it is to be drenched with water for 15-20 days.
• A mixture is made with the extract of bark of Aswatha (Ficus religiosa) and gruel and is to be fed for 10-15 days.
Disease ITKs Used
Wound • Sap extracted from leaves and stem of Kesurta (Scirpus grossus) is mixed with Rasun (Garlic, Allium sativum) and to be applied topically.
• Halud (Turmeric, Curcuma domestica) is grounded and applied topically.
• Extract of Ganda (African marigold, Targetes erecta) leaves is applied topically.
• Jiyeti plant is to be burnt and ash of Jiyeti is then mixed with coconut oil and applied over it.
• Extract of Visalyakarani leaves is applied topically.
• Powder is made by grinding the seeds of Ata (Custard apple, Annona squamosa) and applied topically on the worm-infested wound.
• Paste is made from root, bark of Jam (Syzgium jambolanum) and applied topically on wound.
• Fruits of Khudikathi are to be grounded and mixed with coconut oil and applied topically.
• Roots of Kuchila (Snakewood, Strychnos nux-vomica) and roots of Surjamukhi (Common sunflower, Helianthus annuus) is mixed with Palas (Butea monosperma) petals and mustard oil and applied topically over the wound.
• Latex of Akanda (Asclepiadaceae, Calotropis gigantica) is applied topically.
Disease ITKs Used
Bloat • Fifty g Amlaki (Emblic myrobalan, Emblica officinalis), 50 g Haritaki (Chebulic myrobalan, Terminalia chebula) and 50 g Bahera (Terminalia bellirica) are mixed and fed to the animal daily once for 7 days.
• Ten g bark of Aswatha (Banyon, Fiscus benghalensis), 10 g Ada (Ginger, Zingiber officinale) and 10 g salt are mixed and fed to the animal daily once for 7 days.
• A mixture is made from flower of Tal tree (Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifer), flower of Halud (Turmeric, Curcuma domestica), fruit of Lata tree, soot of kitchen room, bark of Sonari tree and bark of Banahata and then fed to the cattle.
• One hundred g mixture is made of salt, Pyaj, Bakhad, Ada (Ginger, Zingiber officinale), bark of Aswatha and honey and then fed to the cattle for 3-4 days.A mixture is made with Pat alu (one type of potato), Halud, Bel, Gad (one type of creeper), ghee, Rasun, bark of Aswatha and then fed to the cattle.
• A mixture is prepared from burnt tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum), burnt Bhutta (Maize, Zea mays) and cockroach faeces and applied on the belly.
• One hundred ml sap extracted from leaves of Kadam (Anthrocephalus cadamba) is drenched to the cattle for 2-3 days.
• Mixture of 250 g Somraj (Centrathierum anthelminticum) and 250 g Indrajan (Pala indigo plant, Wrightia tinctoria) is fed to the cattle.
• Twenty ml decoction of stem bark of Kadam (Anthocephalus chinensis) is given to the animal.
• A 250 g mixture is made from Bitlaban (Natrum mur bit), grounded sulphur, molasses, black pepper and glue and then fed to the cattle.
Disease ITKs Used
Diarrhoea • Pulp of 100 g old ripened Tentul (Tamarind, Tamarindus indica) is fed to the animal for two to three days.
• Fifty ml sap of Peyara (Common guava, Psidium guajava) leaves is fed. It is efficient for goat especially.
• Valukchairi trees bark and roots of Lajjawati (sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica), Apang (Prickly chab flower, Achyranthes aspera) and Chakunda are to be mixed and grounded. Then 100 pieces Gol morich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum) and 2 teaspoons ghee are added to it. In case of calf, 40 pieces Black pepper are to be added. Then daily 100 g is to be fed.
• Bonkutti’s leave and Kirkichi tree’s roots are taken in an earthen pot and mixed with 2000 ml water. Then the mixture is boiled till it becomes 500 ml. Then 125 ml is to be fed to the cattle daily.
• One hundred and fifty gram Pelakacha’s fruit is collected and smoked and then fed to the cattle.
• Juice of Anarash (Pine apple, Ananus comosus) leaves is mixed with water and then is to be drenched 100 ml daily for 2-3 days.
• Neem (Margosa tree, Azadirachta indica) leaves and bark of Daka and bark of Daniaa are mixed and sap is extracted from the mixture and then 100 ml of it is drenched everyday for 3-4 days.
• Six pieces of Simul (Bombax insigne, Salmalia insignis) seeds are pulverised and mixed with 250 ml butter milk, then filtrate of this is taken and mixed with goat faeces and to be fed for 3-4 times.
• Rakta Kambal leaves (Indian red water lily, Nymphaea nouchali) are mixed with soda and then fed to the cattle, 50 ml daily for 2-3 days when it is suffering from bloody diarrhoea.
• Sap of 250 ml Kala (Edible banana, Musa paradisiaca) leaves and 100 ml sap of Bans leaves (Bamboo, Bambusa arundinacea rundinacea) are mixed with 250 g sugar and fed to the cattle for 2-3 days.
• Bark and fruits of Bahera tree (Belliric myrobalam, Terminalia bellirica) are pulverised and mixed with water then it is boiled and to be fed 50 ml everyday for 4-5 days.
• Fifty ml sap of Tentul (Tamarind, Tamarindus indica) leaves and Sonal leaves are mixed with Gol morich (Black pepper, Piper nigrum) and then given orally for 3-4 days.
• One hundred ml sap of Kurchi (Holarkhena antidysenterica) leaves is to be fed to the cattle for 2-3 days.
• Fifty ml Juice obtained from bark of Sal tree (Sal, shorea robusta) and then it is to be drenched.
• Fifty to sixty ml decoction of stem-bark of Khair (Cutch tree, Acacia Catechu) is given to the animal twice daily for 2-3 days.
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Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
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