Saturday, July 3, 2010

Agricultural Biotechnology

Agricultural biotechnology are some techniques in which living organisms, or parts of organisms are altered to make or modify agricultural products, to improve crops, or develop microbes for specific uses in agricultural processes. Simply put, when the tools of biotechnology are applied to agriculture, it is termed as "agricultural biotechnology". Genetic engineering is also a part of agricultural biotechnology in today's world. It is now possible to carry out genetic manipulation and transformation on almost all plant species, including all the world's major crops.

Plant transformation is one of the tools involved in agricultural biotechnology, in which genes are inserted into the genetic structure or genome of plants. The two most common methods of plant transformation are Agrobacterium Transformation - methods that use the naturally occurring bacterium; and Biolistic Transformation - involving the use of mechanical means. Using any of these methods the preferred gene is inserted into a plant genome and traditional breeding method followed to transfer the new trait into different varieties of crops.

Production of food crops has become much cheaper and convenient with the introduction of agricultural biotechnology. Specific herbicide tolerant crops have been engineered which makes weed control manageable and more efficient. Pest control has also become more reliable and effective, eliminating the need for synthetic pesticides as crops resistant to certain diseases and insect pests have also been engineered. Phytoremediation is the process in which plants detoxify pollutants in the soil, or absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil. Several crops have now been genetically engineered for this purpose for safe harvest and disposal, and improvement of soil quality.

According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)'s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in reference to a section specific to the major biotechnology derived field crops, out of the whole crop plantings in the United States in 2004, biotechnology plantings accounted for about 46 percent for corn, 76 percent for cotton, and 85 percent for soybeans.

Modern agricultural biotechnology has now become a very well-developed science. The use of synthetic pesticides that may be harmful to man, and pollute groundwater and the environment, has been significantly lessened with the introduction of genetically engineered insect-resistant cotton. Herbicide-tolerant soybeans and corn have also enabled the use of reduced-risk herbicides that break down more quickly in soil. These are nontoxic to plants or animals, and herbicide-tolerant crops help preserve topsoil from erosion since they thrive better in no-till or reduced tillage agriculture systems. Papayas resistant to the ringspot virus were also developed through genetic engineering, which saved the U.S. papaya industry.

Agricultural biotechnology may also be helpful in improving and enhancing the nutritious quality of certain crops. For example, enhancing the levels of beta-carotene in canola, soybean, and corn improves oil compositions, and reduces vitamin A deficiencies in rice. There are also researches going on in the field of biotechnology to produce crops that will not be affected by harsh climates or environments and that will require less water, fertilizer, labor etc. This would greatly reduce the demands and pressures on land and wildlife.

Quality of Machineries and Tools Suppliers for Agricultural

The Agricultural Suppliers have some of the latest and most modern models of equipment in their stocks. These models have been well received in the market and are worth the money.

Since agriculture farming equipment is considered a market for consumer durables, the market also looks at the price. The American and European markets are quality conscious and are not very price sensitive. The market capturing depends on the quality of the product. There are other Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers like Case, Murray and Snapper. These manufacturers are very popular in the North America segment and in Europe. Most of the suppliers are good with the quality and production range they have. Also they have the capacity to make it big and stand up to the giants like Honda, Ford, John Deere.

The farming equipment makes the tasks associated with farming easier and the operations more productive. Such equipment mostly includes Tractors, Combines, Hay Equipment and the like. Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers offer many listings for equipment used in agricultural farming, cattle ranching, dairy and poultry to name a few. From planting all the way through to harvesting these farm equipment dealers have the proper equipment that farmers need. Whether the buyers are searching for new or used tractors by John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, McCormick or others, along with combine, forage harvester, planter, tillage equipment, or other agricultural equipment, you can find the listing at Fuzing.

The fuzing agriculture chemical suppliers directory is a leading B2B portal for global buyers searching manufacturers, exporters and suppliers. There is an agriculture chemical page bringing you to our handpicked agricultural chemical manufacturers, exporters and suppliers from various regions. If you are an agricultural chemical supplier, exporter, manufacturer, factory, vendor or trading company/agent, and want to list in this supplier directory, please click Fuzing.com.

Agriculture ETFs

PowerShares DBA ETF (Exchange Trade funds) has shown more than 50% return since January, 2007, when this ETF was introduced. During the same period S&P 500 was down more than 5%. DBA is one of several agriculture ETFs out there and they all seem to be performing.

There seems to be a trend that agriculture exchange traded funds goes up when stock market declines, according to the analysts. Based on this performance, would hedging your portfolio with agriculture ETFs make sense? That really depends on your prediction of the stocks you own and whether you think they are doing well enough on their own. If you see the stock market in decline, it may be worth your while to take a look at commodity ETFs, particularly agriculture.

Supply and demand for agricultural products is the key to why these commodity ETFs are doing so well. The demand for crops around the world, particularly in China and India is very high, and they are getting their supplies shipped in because they cannot keep up or they are predicting a future need. China has the Olympics coming up and have been seemingly stocking up on wheat. Better health education around the world is causing a higher demand for grains. Corn is on the rise for feed. Even sugar is in higher demand, maybe because of the effect recent weather has had on global crops.

Agriculture ETFs are about predicting the future and the experts are seeing this rise in agriculture exchange traded funds as ongoing. Consumers might not be happy about the price of oil causing the rising costs at the grocery stores. Nobody wants to see that these crazy weather anomalies seemingly caused by global warming causing so much disaster. But commodity agriculture ETF investors are certainly able to look at the silver lining in these clouds.

Even the analysts cannot predict the future, though some of them seem to do a pretty good job of trying. But they are saying that the future looks good for commodity ETFs, and agriculture exchange traded funds in particular are getting an expert nod. If you got in on the agriculture game by purchasing some DBA exchange traded funds back when it was introduced in January, 2007, then you already know what an agriculture ETF can do for your portfolio. If you haven't given commodity ETFs a try yet, maybe now is the time.

You are the only one who can decide which investments are right for you. Only you know what your portfolio looks like and whether the ever dropping S&P 500 is doing for you and whether you need something in there that will counteract it. Take the time to study up on agriculture exchange traded funds. They could be the boost your portfolio needs. You may not have to be as concerned about your other stocks if you have some commodity ETFs to back them up.

Challenges in the Agriculture Biotechnology Industry

The increased demand for food will call on agriculture, specifically, to act as the biggest source of industry. And with the increased demand for foodstuff, better-quality yield and huge agricultural output will be required. (Though there has been vast improvement in the sector thanks to the improved quality of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers.)
This is where the agriculture biotechnologist steps in. Agricultural biotechnologists are professionals who provide a set of tools, which, if incorporated suitably with other technologies
, can be used for the sustainable development of agriculture and the food industry as a whole.

Scope of the Agri-Biotech Industry

With increased R&D efforts in the agri-biotech industry, the scope of agriculture-based biotech work has become tremendous. Agriculture biotechnologists' roles are multifarious. From being people with strong scientific expertise to being good administrators and good marketers with sharp business acumens and strong communication
skills, the career options for an agri-biotechnologist are vast. Choosing the right avenue is the main priority.

Nature of the Job

Today, with modern technologies like micro propagation which allows for the multiplication of virus-free plants and tissue cultures, agriculturists have successfully combated natural hindrances to productivity such soil imbalances, crop diseases, and genetic breeding. Therefore, the agriculture-based biotech industry needs people who are qualified in the fields of molecular biology, plant transformation and tissue cultures, biochemistry, plant genetics, pathology, entomology, and agronomy for trait evaluation and integration.

Career Options for Agri-Biotechnologists

The field of agriculture-based biotechnology is evolving each day, offering numerous career options. Besides employing people for research and development, the industry also caters to various other agri-biotech-related fields including horticulture, floriculture, dairying, poultry farming, and fishery. Agri-based biotechnologists can also sharpen their academic skills by working with food processing or post-harvest technology, better known as genetically modified (GM) technology.

Career Challenges in the Agri-Biotech Industry

With growing consciousness of the ills of chemically treated foodstuff, changes in approaches to farming are taking place all over the globe. The stage has been set for the advent of bio-chemicals and bio-insecticides, biofertilizers, and biofuels. Agriculture-biotechnology careers are never short of challenges, both natural and man-made. For instance, in the next two-and-a-half decades alone, the world must produce the same amount of food or more than what it produced in the last 10,000 years.

For a biotechnologist, the challenge does not end with producing sufficient amounts of foodstuff. The challenge lies not only in meeting requirements within deadlines but, at the same time, causing minimal harm to the earth. Agriculture biotechnologists have to combat odds like the depletion of precious top-soil at the rate of seven percent in 10 years in order to fulfill the increasing water requirements which will have doubled by that time.

Other Career Options

Several other career openings are available for agri-business graduates. From the more general opportunities within the agricultural and land-based sectors such as equine management, animal science, and horticulture, to global buying and trading of agricultural produce, the opportunities are vast for agriculture biotechnologists.

Satellite Remote Sensing Technology and Geographic Information Systems (gis) for Agricultural

the current remote sensing NDVI algorithms utilized have become more accurate and reliable, providing detailed crop information for agriculture management to improve production and crop health.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) data indicate that annually 2500 km3 of freshwater is used for agricultural production, which amounts to 70% of the water resources that the world population consumes in a year. China is now consuming more than twice as much as what its ecosystems can supply sustainably, having doubled its needs since the 1960s, as indicated in a new WWF report. With the global population continuing to grow at a high pace, it is essential to optimize the use of water resources and to increase agricultural production in view of the prospect of having to feed 8 billion humans by 2030.

Agriculture resources are among the most important renewable, dynamic natural resources. Comprehensive, reliable and timely information on agricultural resources is very much necessary for countries whose main source of the economy is agriculture. Agriculture surveys are conducted through the nation in order to gather information and statistics on crops, rangeland, livestock and other related agricultural resources. This data is most important for the implementation of effective management decisions.

Satellite images can show variations in organic matter and drainage patterns. Soils higher in organic matter can be differentiated from lighter sandier soil that has a lower organic matter content. "Satellite image data have the potential to provide real-time analysis for large areas of attributes of a growing crop that can assist in making timely management decisions that affect the outcome of the current crop" said Leopold J. Romeijn, President of Satellite Imaging Corporation of Houston, Texas. However, like other precision agriculture technologies the information gained from satellite imagery are more meaningful when used with other available data and visualized and analyzed with a 2D/3D Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Satellite Imagery analysis for agriculture production allows for:

- Fast and accurate overview
- Quantitative green vegetation assessment
- Underlying soil characteristics
- TreeGrading

Remote sensing satellite imaging is an evolving technology with the potential for contributing to studies for land cover and change detection by making globally comprehensive evaluations of many environmental and human actions possible. These changes, in turn, influence management and policy decision-making. Satellite image data enable direct observation of the land surface at repetitive intervals and therefore allow mapping of the extent and monitoring and assessment of:

- Crop health
- Storm Water Runoff
- Change detection
- Air Quality
- Environmental analysis
- Energy Savings
- Irrigated landscape mapping
- Carbon Storage and Avoidance
- Yield determination
- Soils and Fertility Analysis

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a simple numerical indicator that can be used to analyze remote sensing measurements from a space or airborne platform, and assess whether the target being observed contains live green vegetation or not. AgroWatch (*) algorithms were developed by DigitalGlobe to enhance the NDVI results.

High or medium resolution satellite image data products help quantify crop status, soil conditions and rates of crop change throughout the field as small as 2' x 2'. NDVI products reduce the field time by 50% by quickly identifying the problem areas - often before they are visible to the naked eye and to provide a solution to the problem which can significantly boost field productivity and crop quality, while reducing costs.

Green Vegetation Index - Colorized Map

The Green Vegetation Index - Colorized Map (GVC) colorizes the green vegetation index (GVI) values to show the spatial distribution of remotely sensed vegetation. The index is related to crop vigor, vegetation amount or biomass, resulting from inputs, environmental, physical and cultural factors affecting crops. The NDVI algorithm is applied to calibrate satellite images to separate the reflectance of vegetation from variation caused by underlying soils or water. The product is produced for a given field as well as for a region of interest.

Green Vegetation Index - Sharpened Map (GVS) is a superior product which combines pansharpened information and GVC values to improve manual image interpretation intended to facilitate the identification and mapping of significant spatial features. Information about green biomass density is contained in the original GVC product, which uses colors to show various levels in increments of 5 (on a scale from 0 to 100). GVS uses the registered panchromatic image (collected to make this a visible pan image) to modulate the brightness of each GVC color. The result has the excellent properties of a pansharpened image, but with quantitative numbers that are close (within 2 units) of the original GVC numbers.

More information on Green Vegetation Index.

Soil Zone Index

To develop a Soil Zone Index map, satellite images of the agriculture fields are calibrated and then spectral algorithms are applied that isolate soil components from vegetation. The final satellite image shows what the soil surface of your field looks like, including irrigation patterns, sand streaks, clay lenses, and organic matter and crop residue variations. If the crop has less than 50 percent canopy cover, the NDVI algorithms sees it all, and the Soil Zone map shows only the underlying soil. With a Soil Zone map, you can clearly see landscape variations. Lighter colors indicate dry, salty or coarsely textured soils, while darker colors indicate wet or organic soils. Often, variations in color indicate topographic variations across fields, which can greatly impact your crop management strategies and zone creation for precision agriculture management applications.

More information on Soil Zone Index

TreeGrading

The TreeGrading product provides an assessment of each individual tree in an orchard to help growers manage trees for top production. High resolution QuickBird, IKONOS or SPOT-5 satellite image data can be collected in support of Agriculture Management developing TreeGrading Maps to reveal the location and extent of each tree canopy determined by using a proprietary spectral algorithm. The properties of the GVI satellite images within each polygon are extracted to an industry standard Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database. The GIS software is then used to view and analyze the data. A satellite image and GIS map of missing trees is also created so the manager can plan for replacement.

More information on TreeGrading

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC) provides archived and new IKONOS, QuickBird, SPOT-5, ALOS and other Satellite Image data for many areas around the Globe and utilizes advanced Remote Sensing techniques, Color and Panchromatic image data processing services, orthorectification, culture and feature extractions, pan sharpening with image data fusion from different sensors and resolutions, enhancements, georeferencing, mosaicing and color/grayscale balancing for GIS and other geospatial applications. For more information on satellite image products and services, please contact us or visit our website.

Finansial of Forestry and Agricultural

Agriculture and forestry largely depends upon heavy equipments in order to accomplish the related tasks easily. These equipments are generally expensive and hence require forestry and agricultural equipment financing.

Equipment purchasing is a normal practice in the field of agriculture and forestry since these equipments ensure completing the tasks without any interruptions. For instance, cutting the tree efficiently is impossible without the truck. Similarly it is obvious to use a tractor in the farm work. Therefore forestry and agricultural equipment financing is required to buy the essential equipments.

There are varieties of loan options provided by some reliable financing companies. The forestry and agricultural equipment financing is categorized as farm equipment financing, landscape equipment financing and other agricultural equipment financing.

Farm equipments vary from farm to farm according to the size and type of the farm. For instance equipments used in dairy farm may not be useful in a grain farm. There are various types of farm equipments which are useful in harvesting, threshing and cleaning the grains. Similarly there are equipments like Hay bailer which is used to compress grains in round or rectangular bales. These equipments are quit expensive and so forestry and agricultural equipment financing is required to get such equipments. Some legitimate financing companies offer low interest rate financial assistance for these purposes.

Tractors, power tiller, Ploughing equipment, planting equipments are often essential in agricultural field. Agricultural farms are using mechanized equipments nowadays for accomplishing the farm works faster and deeper. Since these equipments are indispensable for modern agriculture. The genuine financing companies would help you get such forestry and agricultural equipment financing that lets you buy all the necessary for your farm.

Landscape companies require large mowers and other equipments like edging equipment, mulching equipment, turf maintenance equipment, irrigation system like sprinkler system, drip system and so on. These equipments are vitally important for smooth operation of landscape companies. However these equipments represent a costly investment. There would be difficulty in getting financial assistance from some financing companies. Yet there are some good financing companies which can provide you financial help at lower interest rate to buy the essential landscape equipments. There would be embarrassing procedures and delayed responses. You can get the forestry and agricultural equipment financing immediately after applying for the loan provided you have the minimum qualifications to obtain the loan.

Apart from the normal agricultural and forestry equipments, there is some equipment that is in special in nature. These equipments help in improving agricultural and forestry field. For instance, automated milking machines help speeding up the milking process. However these equipments are not cheap and so they would not be used by an average farmer. But Forestry and agricultural equipment financing helps those people to buy the necessary equipments that help them provide steady improvements in their farm works.

There are yet some special types of equipment like food processing equipment, dairy machinery equipment and so on. You can get financial help from reliable companies by simply filling the online application form provided by such companies.

An agricultural Mortgage Rate

An agricultural mortgage rate is different from a consumer mortgage rate with its flexible payment option, its tenure period and other such terms and conditions.

The main difference lies in certain options offered by the mortgage lenders of agricultural mortgages, such as - the low interest rates, the flexible repayment options like interest only payments, transferable loans (especially from one generation to another), periodic payment choice etc. There are specialized mortgage brokers and mortgage companies that offer this wide range of options customized to your personal needs.

An agricultural mortgage not only offers capital for farm development or farm purchase, but it also covers other types of mortgages to purchase or develop rural properties such as pasture, catteries, gardens, nurseries etc. Many such properties fall under agricultural mortgages with flexible rural mortgage rates.

A rural mortgage rate depends on various elements like the prevailing market condition and market rate, the type of interest rate, the type of mortgage, the tenure period, the principal amount, the borrower's credit record and income, the equity value of the mortgaged property, the terms set by the mortgage lender and the mortgage broker etc. The rate of an agricultural mortgage falls under two basic categories -


* Fixed agricultural mortgage rates: These are the interest rates, which remain same throughout the tenure period of the loan. This means you have to pay the monthly installments with a fixed interest rate. This type of rate though sometimes can be a bit high, but will not vary through the tenure of your loan. Here you can be certain of the amount of money you need each month to pay off your agricultural loan. Thus your expenditure remains under the budget.

If you are uncertain about your monthly income, then it is best to opt for this type of agricultural mortgage rates. As you are agreeing on the manageable interest rate at the beginning of the loan program, there will be little chance of high interest rate that you cannot pay.

* Variable agricultural mortgage rates: These are the interest rates, which vary from time to time according to the changing market condition. This means your monthly payment amount will also alter according to the interest rates. If the market mortgage rates are high, then your monthly interest rate will also be high; and when the market rate falls your monthly payment also will decrease. This type of loan thus carries a certain amount of risk with itself, as a sudden high market rate can always call for a high monthly payment rate. Those with high income rate can opt for this type of loan, as they are capable enough to deal with sudden payment rate hike.


However to get the low mortgage rates you can opt for refinancing mortgage option. The trick is to opt for variable mortgage rate when the prevailing market mortgage rate is low, and then refinance the mortgage to fixed mortgage rate whenever the market rate rises high. If the fixed rate becomes higher than the market mortgage rate, then it will be best to refinance mortgage to variable agricultural mortgage rates or a lower fixed rate.

Study in Agriculture and Allied Sciences

In recent years, there has been an ever-increasing demand for salaried agricultural and food scientists for conducting lab research in a variety of areas that directly impact the food and agriculture industry. There has also been a rise in demand in recent times for qualified staff for managing the technically challenging aspects of agribusinesses. Let us take a look at some of these distance learning in agriculture programs, and the courses they offer.

Kansas State University

This University distance learning in agriculture program is accredited by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools. It offers a master's degree program in Agribusiness that is geared towards advanced learners. If you plan to register for this program, you would be required to make two one-week on-campus visits annually, for the duration of the course.

Oregon State University

Oregon State University offers an online B.S. degree in General Agriculture, through the Universities' Extended Campus. To be eligible for applying for this course, you would have to complete educational instruction worth a full year of biology and two terms of chemistry, all having lab components. The University is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.

University of Illinois Online

University of Illinois Online offers the following distance learning in agriculture programs:

Professional Development Sequence In Dairy Science (Certificate) The program is open to undergraduates and students with a bachelor's degree. Classes are conducted via the internet.

Online Master's Degree in Agricultural Education This is a professional degree for students who wish to become high school or community college instructors of agriculture programs. The minimum requirement is a four-year degree in agricultural education or allied fields of study.

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University offers a Master of Agriculture online degree program that is intended to prepare individuals for a fulfilling career in natural resource management, plant sciences, poultry sciences and life sciences. This is a non-thesis degree program. Texas A&M University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Delivery methods include videoconferencing over the internet and CD-ROM presentations for interactive learning. There are no residency requirements.

University of Georgia (Center for Continuing Education)

The University of Georgia offers a distance learning in agriculture certification course on the Principles of Turfgrass management. This course was originally designed and developed in association with the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA).

Iowa State University

Iowa State University currently offers two masters degree programs:

Master of Agriculture This degree aims to provide graduates, who are professionally involved in the agricultural and food system with advanced training in the science, technology and business of agriculture. The course also emphasizes leadership development and the use of statistical analysis.

Master of Science in Agronomy This distance learning in agriculture program emphasizes the development of technical skills involved in crop management, soil and water management, and pest management. It is a non-thesis degree. Both these programs are delivered in the state of Iowa via the Iowa Communications Network, and in the U.S. and Canada via the medium of the internet.

The Rural Mortgages Company

The rural mortgages company is structured with an aim to contribute in the total development of the village society of a country. This means, the financial bodies are not only responsible to offer their help to the farmers, but also to other people who are trying to invest in rural development. After the sharp rise of urban-centric industrial development, these organizations have been built with some basic governmental initiatives to revitalize the agrarian society and its lost zeal. The agricultural mortgages company provides financial help both for purchasing of new property or for developing or improving the existing property.

The agricultural mortgage company not only offers its services to the farmers for buying lands or machines to set or expand agricultural business, but to different sectors like horticulture, equestrian or other rural businesses. There are also entities such as rural finance company that help in financing rural shops, road development, landscape development, irrigation system or renewable energy resource usage programs etc.

This wide variety of services can only be found in a specialized rural mortgage company. There are various financial organizations that may come to you with customized plans of agricultural loans. But most of them do not have the specialized knowledge of rural mortgage financing. In 1928 with the Agricultural Credits Act there were born few professional companies like Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, UK which were licensed dealers in rural financial products. One of their various services is providing mortgage financial services that help people to accumulate required capital for rural investment.

A mortgaged loan is a type of loan where a property is taken as the security of the loan. In case of any default in loan repayment, the lender holds the right to seize the secured property. By providing the property on mortgage, people can get hold of a lump sum to achieve their goals. But like all other mortgaged loans agricultural loans also carry few general characteristics -

The principal amount granted by these companies depends on the equity value of the mortgaged property, along with the borrower's credit record and income rate, the financial prospect of the project and few specific elements. After deciding on the principal amount, the mortgage companies estimate the mortgage rates. These are mainly two types -


* Fixed rate mortgages

* Variable rate mortgages


These two variations offer two distinct facilities. The mortgage interest rate also depends on the tenure period of the loan. It varies from 0 to 30 years. Along with these charges, an agricultural mortgage company can also ask for other fees as for processing, investigating, documentation and service charges.

There are also entities such as agricultural refinance company and rural refinance company, which offer refinancing mortgage options to fetch in the lowest available rate and the best benefits out of these loans. With a little research one can easily find out the best agricultural mortgage company.

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Function Of Boa Care Sheet

The Boa is a popular snake amongst herpetoculturists. The common boa has a long lifespan, capable of reaching more than 30 years in captivity, so is a very long term commitment. They require specific heating and housing, but if cared for properly they make excellent pets. Here is a boa care sheet explaining the basic care requirements of these extraordinary snakes.

Size: Adult boas can easily reach 8-10 feet in length, which means that you need to provide a substantial enclosure. A vivarium of 72x24x24 inches is ideal for adult boa constrictors.

Food: Boa constrictors are nocturnal hunters. In their natural habitat they feed on small mammals and little rodents. Lizards, birds and bats also common prey, but in captivity there is no need to provide such a varied diet. Mice for juvenile boas and bigger rodents and rabbits for adults make a perfect and easy to provide diet. The boa needs one prey every ten to fifteen days when it is adult and one per week as a neonate.

New born boas will start on pinkie or fuzzy mice, and the prey size should be increased as your boa grows, but in any case you need to remember that the size of the prey should not exceed the size of the widest part of the snake. Overfeeding, or 'power feeding', to increase growth rate should be avoided. While this can increase the snake’s growth rate, but it will significantly reduce its lifespan. Boas are prone to obesity in captivity so care should be taken to limit the amount and size of prey items offered.

You should also keep in mind that as with all snake the common boa needs fresh water. It is essential to provide fresh and clean water on a daily basis.

Substrates: Many people tend to place wooden substrates in the snake’s vivarium, considering them to be close to the natural ambiance. These however are prone to harboring parasites such as ticks and mites, are difficult to clean, and can lead to digestive problems if ingested. A much better solution is to use paper towels or newspapers which can be quickly and easily changed at little or no cost. A solid brand should also be provided as many boas will climb if given the chance.

Handling: Avoid handling newly acquired boas for a few days to allow them to get used to their new surroundings. Once settled in, begin handling for just a few minutes at a time and slowly your boa will become quite tolerant and docile. Most adult boa constrictors are easy to handle, slow moving, and unlikely to bite. They are however large and strong, so always be aware that they are potentially a dangerous animal. When handling a large boa always ensure that a second person is nearby as a safety precaution.

Nutrition And General Care For Rabbit Husbandry

History
Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents, and are closely related to hares and picas. A distinguishing difference between lagomorphs and rodents is the number of incisors each has. Rodents have four incisors and lagomorphs have six.

Domestic rabbits are the descendants of the European rabbit from Western Europe and Northwestern Africa and have been kept as pets since the 16th century.

Behavior
1. Females tend to be more territorial than males, making female/female bonds the most challenging.

Nutrition

Rabbits are herbivorous which means they require diets that consist of hay, greens, and pellets.

Hay: Hay should make up the majority of your pet rabbit’s diet. Hay is very important in gastrointestinal health, prevention of hairballs, and the prevention of dental disease. Any rabbit under one year of age should be offered unlimited hay including about 50% alfalfa and 50% grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age or older should be offered unlimited hay including all grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age and older should not be fed alfalfa hay as it is too high in calories and calcium for the adult rabbit.

Pellets: The common misconception about pellets is that they were made for the pet rabbit. While there are a few brands that are now specially formulated with the pet rabbit in mind, many brands were originally produced for commercial rabbits to promote quick growth and weight gain. Pellets are part of today’s pet house rabbit diet, but should be limited in most cases. A good rabbit pellet consists only of the green extruded pellets that look like mashed up hay. Rabbit “mixes” that contain cute shaped pieces, dried fruits/veggies, seeds, or grains should be avoided as these extras are not nutritionally sound for pet rabbits. In fact, rabbits cannot digest sugars, seeds, or grains very well and a diet containing these can cause medical problems such as loose stool and GI stasis. These mixes are also too high in calories and fat which can lead to obesity. Rabbits under one year of age should be given an unlimited amount of pellets that are alfalfa based (first ingredient is alfalfa) while rabbits one year of age and older should be offered limited timothy based pellets (first ingredient is timothy hay). The amount of pellets an adult rabbit can have a day is based on weight and you should refer to the package instructions.

Greens: Dark green leafy veggies are another important part of the house rabbit’s diet. In general, the darker the green, the higher its nutritional value is. Rabbits can have a salad the size of its head up to twice a day. If you rabbit is not used to greens in its diet, you will want to start of will a salad half the size of its head once a day and slowly work up. Dark green leafy veggies that are great to feed your rabbit include:

1. Alfalfa sprouts
2. Arugula
3. Basil
4. Beet tops
5. Bok Choy
6. Brussels sprouts
7. Carrot tops
8. Chard
9. Chicory
10. Cilantro
11. Clover sprouts
12. Collard greens
13. Dandelion greens and flowers
14. Endive
15. Escarole
16. Kale*
17. Mint
18. Mustard greens
19. Parsley
20. Peppermint leaves
21. Radicchio
22. Radish tops
23. Romaine lettuce
24. Spinach*
25. Watercress
26. Wheatgrass

* Use sparingly. Contain high levels of oxalates.

Treats: Anything that is not hay, pellets, or dark green leafy veggies is considered a treat and should be offered sparingly. So what exactly do we mean when we say sparingly? A bunny that is 2 lb or less in body weight should get no more than 1 Tbs of treat food a day. A bunny that is 5 lb or larger should get no more than 2 Tbs of treat food a day. In general, commercial rabbit treats containing sugars, grains, seeds, etc should be avoided. Healthy treats include:

* Fresh Fruit:

1. Apple
2. Banana
3. Blueberries
4. Blackberries
5. Cherries
6. Cranberries
7. Grapes
8. Mango
9. Melon
10. Orange
11. Papaya (no seeds)
12. Peach
13. Pear
14. Plum
15. Pineapple
16. Raspberries
17. Strawberries

* Fresh veggies

1. Artichoke, Jerusalem
2. Asparagus
3. Beet
4. Carrot
5. Chives
6. Cucumber
7. Fennel
8. Green pepper
9. Pea pods
10. Sweet potato
11. Turnip
12. Zucchini

Water: Water is a very important part of the diet that tends to get overlooked on a day to day basis. Rabbits can be given water with a water bottle or a crock. The water bottle or crock should be rinsed and refilled with cool fresh water daily. If you live in an area where the water is heavily treated with chemicals or tastes bad, you will want to consider offering bottled water.

Husbandry

1. Environment
2. Predators
3. Environmental extremes
4. Environmental intoxicants

Behavior

Rabbits are quiet, relatively odor free, and have a propensity for chewing and gnawing.

Litter Box Training

Rabbits are very easy to litter box train.

Veterinary Care

The two main causes of illness in rabbits are improper nutrition and poor husbandry. Providing proper nutrition and husbandry as described above is one of the best ways to prevent problems from occurring.



In the wild, rabbits are prey animals that are constantly on the look out for predators. Domestic rabbits still have many of the instincts of their wild cousins. This is very important to keep in mind when owning a pet rabbit. In the wild predators with pick out the rabbits that look injured or sick. Pet rabbits will hide signs of illness until they are very, very sick as a natural defense against “predators”. Because of this, it is very important to call your veterinarian if you notice anything that is abnormal about your pet rabbit. Even something as minor as not wanting to eat a treat that is normally favored could be a sign of illness.

Rabbits should be examined by a veterinarian that is knowledgeable about rabbits at least once a year; more often if there are any signs of illness.

Nail Trimming: In addition to yearly exams, rabbits will require regular nail trimming. This can be done at home or by experienced veterinary staff. Trimming rabbit nails can be a little trickier than trimming the nails of other animals. If you are not experienced with trimming bunny nails, it is best to ask qualified veterinary staff to show you how.

Spaying/Neutering: Spaying and neutering is another very important part of your rabbit’s veterinary care. The ideal time to have your rabbit altered is 3-6 months of age. However, it is never too late to have your rabbit altered. There are many benefits to altering your rabbit. Females have a high incidence of reproductive cancer which can develop as early as 3 years of age. Spaying essentially eliminates the risk of developing uterine or ovarian cancer because the ovaries and uterus are removed during the spay surgery
. Aggression and urine spraying is easily controlled or decreased with altering your rabbit.

Common Medical Problems

Bordetella: Bordetella is caused by a bacterium known as Bordetella bronchiseptica. This organism is also a pathogen in other species such as cats and dogs and is generally benign and clinically silent in rabbits. It is believed to be part of the normal flora.

Dental Disease:

Pasteurella: Pasteurella is caused by a bacterium known as Pasteurella multocida. Pasteurella can be transmitted from rabbit to rabbit by direct contact, close contact aerosol, and venereal routes. Pasteurella lives in the nasal passages and symptoms can range from frequent sneezing (snuffles) and mucopurulent nasal discharge to…

Rabbits purchased from pet stores, adopted, or otherwise obtain should be assumed be infected with pasteurella

Trauma:

Uterine/ovarian Cancer:

Breed Overview

There are approximately 45 breeds of rabbits currently in the United States that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). These breeds range in size from 1 kg (2.2 lb) to 5-8 kg (11-18 lb). Rabbit breeds are distinguished from each other by a combination of body size and shape, ear carriage and length, and fur color and length.

Terms and Definitions

Here are some common rabbit terms and their definitions that are good for rabbit owners to know.

1. Buck - A male rabbit
2. Doe - A female rabbit
3. Kit – A Baby rabbit

Some Bacterials In Large Animals and Horses

1. Dermatophiliosis
a. Be able to recognize or list factors that contribute to infection of the skin with Dermatophiliosis.
i. The etiologic agent is the gram +, filamentous actinomycete, Dermatophilus congolensis. The infective stage is a motile zoospore that is liberated from crusts (on or off carrier animals) after wetting.
ii. More common in fall and winter and following periods of overcast and rainy weather
iii. Intact skin is resistant to infection. Abrasion, overzealous grooming, chronic moisture, chronic wetness, insect bites are all predisposing injuries.
iv. Host factors play a role with debilitation and immunosuppression and also individual susceptibility having been demonstrated to allow infection to be established more readily in some exposed animals.
v. In show barns or training barns, the disease may be spread by contaminated clippers (trauma and source).
vi. Dermatophilosis may be associated with chorioptes and/or tick infestations and may be spread among animals by biting flies.
vii. Therefore, the 3 factors that are necessary for establishment of the disease are: EXPOSURE, MOISTURE, and SKIN INJURY.
b. Be able to recognize the clinical syndromes or presentations for which dermatophilosis is part of the differential diagnosis.
i. Horses:
1. Usually dorsal surfaces of the animal and occasionally the extremities and the muzzle
2. white skinned areas may be more severly affected
3. Lesions: small (1-20 mm), thick, circular crusts that can often be felt before they are seen. Looks like hair is raised in tufts by the crust and the hair usually comes off with the crust.
4. Under the crusts, is a superficial erosion with exudate and acute lesions are painful. But, chronic lesions are scaly and have no exudate.
5. Occasionally, an acutely affected horse will exhibit limb edema and local heat.
6. Young foals kept in bad conditions may be badly affected with acute moist eczematous dermatitis involving the entire body and muzzle lesions that are prominent. Adult horses that are immunosupressed may also develop very severe disease. These are protein losing dermatopathies.
ii. Cattle:
1. Scaly crusts as in horses:
2. 6 forms:
a. face and ears of calves (milk scald) and bulls
b. rump and top line (rain scald)
c. brisket, axillae, groin
d. udder, teats, genitalia
e. distal limbs
f. perineum and tail
iii. Sheep:
1. Endemic in most sheep flocks though the importance is varied
2. Fine-wooled breeds more susceptible to severe dz, esp. in warm climates
3. Lambs: scabs on face, ears, and nose; may be concurrent with and hard to tell from orf
4. “lumpy wool”- mild form with moist scabs drying to form pyramidal crusts on top line; in severe cases, lesions extend over the flanks and lead to wool loss
5. “Strawberry Foot Rot”-crusts from coronets to tarsi and carpi with underlying bleeding granulation tissue; considered a complication of viral dermatitis
iv. Goats:
1. Inner surface of pinnae; also nose, muzzle, feet, and tails of kids; muzzle, dorsal midline, scrotum of adults; may get strawberry foot rot; rain scald; damage to hides important
v. In Llamas and other Camelids:
1. Very important
2. May be pruritic
3. “Rain scald” and leg disease
c. Given a case description of a typical case of dermatophilosis in horses or cattle, be able to choose an appropriate list of differentials.
i. Dermatophiosis DDX: pemphigus, Zinc dermatopathies, Staph folliculitis
ii. Pastern disease in horses (scratches) DDX: allergic or contact dermatitis, photosensitization, dermatophyte, pastern follicultis, acute pyotraumatic dermatitis
d. Be able to choose from a list the appropriate diagnostic specimens to be collected to establish a diagnosis of dermatophilosis.
i. Histo exam of skin biopsy or just the crusts is very important to the diagnosis; crusts should always be submitted with biopsies
ii. Cytology: mince a crust in sterile water or saline on a glass stain, allow to air dry or heat fix, wright-geimsa stain. See branching “railroad tracks” of filamentous bundles of diplococci. Smears of pus from under an acute crust may occasionally yield organisms.
iii. Culture: minced crusts placed on selective media (blood agar with polymixin b 1000 IU/mL). It takes 72 hours to grow.
e. Be able to describe the technique for cytologic examination of specimens for diagnosing dermatophilosis.
i. Discussed above
f. Be able to choose appropriate therapy for a given case of dermatophilosis from among a list of proposed treatment options, or be able to describe your therapy in a short essay format.
i. Therapy:
1. Most cases will regress spontaneously once inciting causes have been corrected (dry weather).
2. chronically affected animals should be sheltered.
3. Gentle grooming to remove crusts and shedding hair coat may hasten resolution (but remember grooming implements can act as fomites).
4. Chlorhexidine or Iodine shampoos may help if animal can be dried thoroughly after bathing. Other topicals: 2-5% lime sulfur, 0.5% Zn sulfate, 0.2% Ca sulfate, 1% K Al sulfate (Alum)->favored for sheep
5. In severe cases, systemic Abx therapy may hasten resolution. Injections of Penicillin 22-44,000 IU/kg or long-acting oxytetracycline 20 mg/kg for 7-10 days. (TMP-S is not effective.
g. Be able to list and/or describe the 3 forms of dermatophilosis of sheep.
i. Maybe Strawberry foot rot, lumpy wool, scab form
h. Be able to list various predilection sites for lesions on cattle and horses.
i. Discussed above
2. Be able to recognize the agents associated with bacterial folliculitis/furunculosis in the horse.
a. 3 bacterial agents:
i. Staphylococci (S. aureus, S. hyicus, S. intermedius);
ii. Actinomyces (Corynebacterium) pyogenes
iii. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
3. Be able to give a DDX for causes of pastern dermatitis/folliculitis in the horse. Be able to choose from a list the most common causes.
a. Allergic or contact dermatitis
b. Photosensitization
c. Dermatophyte
d. Pastern folliculitis
e. Acute pyotraumatic dermatitis
4. Be able to list a DDX for scaling, crusting skin disease in the horse.
a. I think this is what she means!:
i. Dermatophilus
ii. Pemphigus
iii. Zinc dermatopathies
iv. Staph folliculitis
5. Be able to name or recognize the agent of exudative epidermitis of swine and be able to name or recognize the age group affected. Be able to describe the signs seen in the peracute form. Be able to choose an appropriate therapeutic agent from a list.
a. Agent: Staph. Hyicus toxin
b. Age group:Piglets 1-7 weeks old
c. Peracute form signs: See exudate periocularly, then vesiculo-pustular eruption on nose, lips, tongue, gums, coronets. Red-brown macules behind ears, ventral abdomen, then whole body erythema with moist greasy exudate and thick brown crusts. Anorhexia, depression, death in 3-5 days.
d. Tx: Good husbandry, EARLY tx with penicillin, ampicillin, lincomycin, tylosin, cephalosporins, much Ab resistance-rec sensitivity testing in important outbreaks.
6. Be able to name or recognize the agent of caseous lymphadenitis of sheep or goats, and given a typical case history be able to give a diagnosis or suggest appropriate diagnostic tests to establish a diagnosis.
a. Agent: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
b. Typical case history: See cold abscesses associated with lymph nodes (inc. internal nodes), cutaneous nodules an draining tracts; thick cheesy exudate—yellow, greenish, or tan, most lesions on head and neck, or associated with shearing injuries in sheep.
c. Diagnostic tests: Direct smears (diptheroid gram + intracellular rods) and culture, ELISA test?
7. Be able to give a DDX for nodular or fistulous skin disease of cattle with exudate that contains sulfur grains (see also infectious nodular notes).
a. DDX: Actinomyces bovis (lumpy jaw), Actinobacillus ligniersi (wooden tongue), Botryomycosis, (all I could find)
8. Be able to give a DDX or recognize a list of causes of cellulitis, skin necrosis, or purpura in swine.
a. DDx: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, malignant edema clostridial infection (many different Clostridial species including C. septicum), possibly black leg caused by Clostridium chauvoei, Fusiform necrophorus (necrobacillosis), Porcine spirochetosis (Borrelia suilla plus poor hygiene thats complicated by Fusiformis necrophorus)

Ways Of Injured Wild Animals

Veterinarians are seldom familiar with the biology or veterinary care of most of the wild species that are presented to them for examination and treatment. This is compounded by the fact that there are often strict laws governing the protection of wildlife species which must be abided by, not to mention the numerous ethical dilemmas.

Are vets duty bound to deal with wildlife casualties?

Over the last 20 years, the attempted rehabilitation of injured wild animals has become widespread. Many of those involved are members of the public with varying levels of experience and training. Veterinarians have often assisted in such activities to some degree, and there are several reasons why this occurs and will continue despite the usual absence of any financial remuneration.

Many vets do not mind offering their assistance because:

1. Professional ethics dictate that a veterinarian should provide attention to an animal of any species in an emergency.
2. Legislation in some countries specifies that only a registered veterinarian can carry out certain tasks, making the profession obliged to provide a service.
3. Treating wildlife can be good publicity for veterinary practices, via local newspaper articles and TV or radio mentions.
4. As more and more studies reveal links between pet and wildlife diseases, knowledge of wildlife is increasingly important if vets are to understand the transmission and pathogenesis of certain diseases.
5. Some vets enjoy the challenges of treating wild animals, adding variety to their day and providing a feeling of altruistic satisfaction.

What are the ethics of treating wildlife?

Potential issues include:

Does the rescuer know enough about the biology and natural history of the species to be able to fulfil all its dietary and husbandry needs?

Does the rescuer have suitable facilities to keep the animal in, not just in the emergency period but also at a later date during recovery, when the animal might need more space and become difficult or dangerous to handle?

Could the animal pick up an infection during captivity that it could then transfer to other wild animals on release?

Does the animal have good long term prospects? Will it be able to return successfully to the wild, as the law often requires, or will it have to remain in captivity?

If the animal has to remain in captivity forever, is this against its welfare interests and is the cost of long term care feasible? Remember, an animal born in captivity is completely different to one accustomed to the wild and then forced into captivity due to injury. Though usually an unpopular decision with the general public, often euthanasia at an early stage is the most humane action a veterinarian can take. Euthanasia is the sensible option if the veterinarian decides that the needs of the animal cannot be satisfied, and if there are no alternative options such as local wildlife rehabilitation centres.

The success of rehabilitating an injured wild animal is measured by whether they are able to prosper when returned to the wild. However, this in itself is impossible to measure. Numerous animals have been released back to their habitats over the years, but their fates remain a complete mystery.

What are the legal implications of treating wildlife?

The first point of note is that the law regarding wildlife rehabilitation is changed from time to time, and it is important to be aware of the current law. The law also varies between countries, for simplicity any laws referred to below are those currently valid in the UK.

Animals injured on protected land, or in a restricted area, might require a permit to be obtained before the rescuer is allowed to take it. Taking game species requires the landowners consent, to avoid accusations of poaching. An animal may only be taken if it is sick or injured, and only kept until it is no longer disabled. An animal may only be killed if it is too ill or badly injured to stand a reasonable chance of survival.

Catching the injured animal can itself be a feat. Certain traps are inhumane and illegal, while other methods such as nets and firearms require authorization.

Transporting a wild animal has certain legal requirements, namely that the animal must not be caused unnecessary suffering or injury while being transported.

A written record should be kept detailing the circumstances of the rescue and ownership, and this should accompany the animal wherever it is transported to.

Generally the person looking after the rescued wild animal does not need a license to do so. However, certain animals do require registering with the local environmental governing body. Some birds must be ringed and some dangerous animals, such as venomous snakes, require special licenses. Veterinarians usually have a 6 week period during which they can hospitalise an injured animal that would normally require a license, before they are required to apply for one.

There are also rules governing the type of intervention allowed, according to the level of training. While lay persons are permitted to give first aid in an emergency, only veterinarians are allowed to give medical or surgical treatment.

Many countries have laws concerning the care for an animal once it is in captivity. Usually a bird must be kept in a cage large enough for it to be able to stretch both its wings fully.

The laws regarding the release of wildlife necessitate careful deliberation of all the health, welfare, ethical and legal aspects. A balance has to be struck between the legal obligation to release a casualty if it is fit, and risking the accusation that the animal has been abandoned if it is not quite fit enough.

Agriculture and Environmental Studies course

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Study Of Exotic Pet Husbandry

Exotic pets are animals that are so rare and are an unorthodox pet in a household. Simply put, these are creatures that are normally not imagined to be a pet. Those who have exotic pets are considered to be unique pet owners.

Some exotic pet homeowners have reptiles such as crocodiles and snakes. They also have amphibians such as frogs and turtles. They have rodents like hamsters and mice. These creatures are considered to somehow be normal pets that they're no longer considered to be that 'exotic.' More and more animal lovers are getting interested in experiencing firsthand taking care of what is not the 'norm' pets.

Other exotic animals include ferrets and domestic rats. Because of the growing number of these 'rare and unusual' creatures as animals, the word 'exotic' is relevant to the owner.

Since then, a number of pet stores and animal service providers like veterinary clinics, insurance carriers and online stores, classified animals aside from cats, dogs, fish and birds, as "exotic."

Pet owners must be responsible to provide the proper environmental conditions for their exotic pets. Considering that their habitat is different from the normal pets, these owners must be updated and in-the-know of the right housing and diet for these creatures. If they don't have enough information about taking care of animals that are already in captivity, they might endanger them even more.

Proper housing may be difficult to attain because it might be expensive. The correct environment to put the creature in is also dependent on the specific temperature and the amount of sunlight the creature would get. Above all, giving the exotic pet the right food and the correct diet isn't only difficult, it could also be impossible. Then again, if the owner is really interested, he must have been aware of the 101 before procuring the exotic animal in the first place. Besides, who in his or her right mind would get an exotic animal only to let it die in the first place, right?

When you think creatures, alligators, wolves, tigers, lions, snakes, spiders, scorpions, rare birds such as eagles and ostrich, sometimes even monkeys come to mind. But the point of it all is that they're still animals. They too can be cuddling and beautiful creatures if you could only tame them. That's what these unorthodox pet owners are doing.

By reaching out to those wild creatures, the right pet owner can actually tame them - bringing out the cuddling little critter in them.

Animal Nutrition/remedy From Veterinary Medicine Rids

Did you know that the top 10 human diseases were cured in animals in 1957 using only natural nutrition
and it works on people too! Skeptical as I was because of the condtioning all my life that the local doctor had all the answers to the cures, that it must be impossible that veterinary medicine could more advanced about the cures to serious diseases. Impossible! Until I was forced to try it.
Will Rogers said "If you want a good doctor, get a veterinarian. Why! Animals can't tell him whats wrong, he's just got to know what's wrong. Dr Joel Wallach, Veterinarian/Naturopthic doctor (nobel prize nominee) was involved in comparative medical research for 30 years and came to the conclusion that commercial animals got a better deal when it comes to health care with no harmful side-effects. The Veterinary profession has raised the art and science of preventive medicine to its highest level by eliminating cancer, arthritis, liver disease, asthma, learning disabilities, birth defects, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, dental diseases from laboratory animals, pet and farm animals. A lot of non-sense you say! Well we are human animals made from the same earthly elements and so why wouldn't it work on humans. Because of small profit margins, animal farmers demand nutrition systems that prevent disease. No birth defects of any kind and healthy livestock. Farmers demand 100 healthy calves from 100 healthy breeding cow's that they are feeding and expect calves to reach market or reproductive age with little or no vet fee's. THIS BEATS WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT AS HUMANS. Just go to any zoo on a beautiful sunny day and ask the first 100 women that walk by if they have had any complicated pregnancies, children that were delivered by cesarian or children with birth defects and the results of your survey will be astounding!
Animal farmers are unwilling to pay for ceasarians or pay for symptomatic therapies because they are working on a tight budget and the government does not have MEDICARE for animals. Preventative Medicine veterinary style, is inexpensive and extremely effective in preventing the chronic diseases in animals that, if present, would make animal husbandry impossible. In America, the economic system of capitalism was allowed to take its course and the money was in finding a cheap and practical system of health care for animals, the result was preventative natural nutrition programmes.ie 90 daily essential nutrients, components which are made up of, 60 plant derived colloidal minerals,12 amino acids,3 essential fatty acids,16 vitamins which add up to the 90 essential nutrients. In other words, what are the things you need to consume every day so you can live till 100yrs and be healthy. Absurd. Really! Most of these things you can buy in your local gym or sports nutrition shop but they don't know how to use them and the quality is not the same and its incomplete. Originally this nutrition pack was used in swine to get an extra 3 birthing years out the sows. Pigs suffer from arthritis and this regime prevented the arthritis. and the discovery was that it got rid of 400 other diseases. This natural nutrition pack was discovered in 1957 for the animal kingdom by veterinary researchers and it reverses 400 ailments in humans with no side-effects if there is no previous serious irreversible damage from toxic pharmaceuticals( liver,kidney,intestines) and substance abuse. Despite this damage, a lot of supposed abuses and genetic birth defects are managed better by these natural 90 nutrients. The pack was upgraded for human use.You can live to 75yrs. The regime is for 3 months minimum. The longer you take it, the more reversal of the ailments.
In contrast to the animal health systems, our human health care systems are heavily supported by the government, clinical care as well as research, via legislation, eg medicare. It is unfortunate that the mindset in human medicine is in treating the symptoms (and not the root cause), with patented synthetic pharmaceuticals that have harmful side-effects. Doctors, Pharma people, have a nice cartel thats protected by Gov't laws. Just google the doctors prescription medicine that he's given you and search the side-effects. Really scary findings. If it was any other industry, they'd be prosecuted for selling this stuff. Google search the individual components of the 90 essential nutrients. Marjority of pharmceuticals are patented and it is a sickness for profit industry. Medicine credo should be first "Do no harm". This has produced a health care system that if union members learned that management and union stewards had reached such an agreement, they would wryly call it a sweetheart deal and call for instant workers strike.
Medical scientists clone sheep,map gene nomes,swap chromosomes and genes in mammals and plants, grow a human liver inside a pig,etc, frankenstein stuff, men on the moon.But can't cure the top 10 diseases without transplant/surgery and nasty toxic drugs. Seems odd, and Why not, you say, when Vets can do it.
The orthodox medical system is an artifical system that depends on our governments via the corrupt Codex Alimenarius Commitee in the background, globally, masquerading as protectors against those alternative health nuts to survive. If it were left to the people , they will always choose a less formidable and less complex,efficient, health care system. Under the protective and loving wing of the government, orthodox medicine has flourished as a house of cards. They will badmouth alternative medicine because it is better and it is a threat to their hip pocket. You cannot patent the 90 essential nutrients and monopolise it . They would like to ban them then legally then monopolise them. If the people were aware of the deaths as a result of polypharmacy, they would be like me, and not have anything to do with synthetic toxic pharmaceuticals.
It is of interest that the 10,000 year old system of Tradtional Chinese Medicine only paid the doctor when you were healed and stopped paying him when you became ill- this ancient system combined with the veterinary natural medicine mindset would be an ideal medical system.
I am a 54yr old that use to suffer when I was 48yrs of age from Arthritis, Asthma,High blood pressure, Hemorhoids, a flu like condtion for 3 years(4 types of anti-biotics didn't help) constant diahorea. Low back pain, Hands would go numb 3 times a night in bed if my wrists were bent in my sleep, Heat stress headache-could'nt stay out in the sun for long,and could not work physically for long as I would get this headache and sweat profusely. In this condition, I could not bend down to pick something up off the floor without pain/pressure in my head. Had to take a nap to sleep it off or take a pain killer which I never felt good about. Never liked those warning labels on medicine bottles. I had silvery white hair which I absolutely hated. Couldn't remember peoples' names the next day. Bad memory. Had bad B.O. Had terible bad breath, arms weren't long enough for reading,
Loosing my career and house was at stake and out of sheer desperation and my wife buying my first pack on my credit card which I could not afford, I tried what Dr Wallach advocated despite my disbelief and to my surprize I was slowly restored with almost complete health in 3-4 months. I could do things again that I could do when I was about 30yrs of age. What an eye opener this was. Good night sleep every night again, no numb wrists and hands,could work hard physically like a man again, self esteem suffered from this, No more reading glasses, no joint pain,hair going dark again,no heat stress, no severely cracked heels, could walk up stairs again, could squat and get up again by myself. The only side-efffects was the detoxification that went on. Bowel movements were disgusting and flatulence. Flatulence abated after a few months. Colon cleanse and what they called repair pains. It was all worth the restored health. Why hadn't this come thru the normal medical chanels.
My wife suffered from low blood pressure all her life, lower bad back pain, hemorhoids, dizziness, irratable bowel syndrome, carpal tunnel, cancer of the cervix 3 times in 10 years, liver or age spots, gall bladder ready for removal, hysterectomy was on the cards, and she double dosed on the chelated selenium part especially, and she too saw all her ailments disappear gradualy one by one in about 3-4 months. Still remember her saying too me,gleefully "this stuff really works". The side-effect was those repair pains,which gradually went away, and after taking the 90 essential nutrients for about 3 weeks, she broke out in red spots from her head to her toes for about 2.5 weeks. She was told this was a fatty liver cleansing itself out and to perservere and it too gradually diasppeared and she too enjoyed restored health. The discomfort of the detoxification was worth the result. I know many people with the same testimony of restored health. Told this story to numberless people and am amazed at the disbelief. They get this glazed far away look in their eyes as I speak to them about this natural animal medicine. They just don't believe this crazy story. Some fella's start howling like a dog or start scratching themselves for flee's like a dog in derison.. Then I remember how skeptical I too was once! People seem to think the local doctor is some sort of a all knowing medical demi-god. If the doctors all lived healthily to 100 years of age, then I'd listen to every word they'd say. Do some research and find out the average age of a doctor when they pass away into the hereafter. The result you will find is very interesting.
I have only touched the tip of the iceberg about Dr Joel Wallach's veterinary medicine and there is much more to said about this subject. The causes of these 400 diseases is surprising. What is on the disease list is surprising also. Our low mineral hydroponic farming and depleted farm soils are major causes of sicknesses. Yes they fertilize, but not comprehensively. The medical profession doesn't seem to have clue about this. Dr Joel Wallach is also usually ridiculed by alopathic medico's and called a lot of names that you can't say in mixed company but I know who's telling the truth. Its dificult to not sound like a crachpot. I thank him for persistence in getting the message to the plebisites, as the established medical profession will not tell you a thing about this life saving information. In fact anybody that promotes alternative medicine is not allowed to make claims or say the word "cure", "heal", even though it is exactly what it does. It's absolutely criminal and fraudulent to suppress legitimate medical information to the people because of vested business interests. Someone has to standup and say something when the establishment is wrong about too much.

Two Ways in Animals (Mating System And Parental care)

Mating system is a complicated issue that is still under analysis depending on the primitivity and evolution in animal kingdom. Mating system can be defined as the ways in which animals of different kind are associated during copulation and the factors that contribute to identification of partners, interaction and eventually fertilization.

Parental care is the attention that is taken by the parents toward rearing and protecting their offspring until they attain the age of being self reliable and independent. Some animals will extend parental care even if their progenies are able to sustain themselves. These will include man and other primates. Caring of offspring requires time and energy.

Mating systems in animals inculcate different behavioral methods which depend on their natural instincts that include seeing the female genital parts, sniffing and seeing female

genital part and urine.

This is exhibited by almost all animals regardless of the kingdom for example buffaloes would lick the genital parts of the female and would smell the urine of the female frequently to detect when she is on heat, it is known that herbivores are poor in sniffing. It is the functions of male bull to detect when the female is on heat. But another issue is raised whereby the male can attract the female that is on heat by vocalization of sound and bellowing.

This is a competitive feature in hoofed animals where the vocalization sound of bulls determines and reflects on the strongest male and robust enough to mate and sire strong calves. Beside vocalization and production of sound, many animals would extend their necks and curl upper lip. This is exhibited by male animals when they feel that they would like to mate and no female is ready. This is eventually done to attract any female that is willing to be mated or if any that is on heat.

Sometimes tactile stimuli are noticed in males as licking and biting of the female takes place. Bulls get the sexual desire quickly as soon as the female is on heat and arousal follows no sooner. With time the mating bull would become sexually exhausted as mating continues. When mating the bull don't concentrate on grazing and this is a factor that makes man to encourage domesticated animals to be isolated, and mating would be allowed at night or early in the morning before grazing resumes.

Erection in bulls of cattle, buffaloes, wild beast, waterbucks, giraffes, rams and he goat is fast and ejaculation is fast on mounting. But elephant bulls, rhinoceros, donkey, camels, zebras, and others have difficulty in mating due to the size of body mass and weight as well as the size of the male genital organ, height of female and calmness of female when mating.

From the observation of a video on mating of animals, mating in elephants take long since the male bull would take time to locate and insert the penis. Then it has to remain mounted till it ejaculates. The same case applies to rhinoceros. In donkey, mating is tedious due to aggressiveness of male and the female don't accept to stand still for the mating to occur. Biting of male to female's neck and strong fight between them eventually makes the female to oblige. There is a problem when the male donkey tries to insert or to penetrate the female due to the size of the male's penis and the failure of it being stiff even on full erection.

When it comes to camels, mating would take time since the female must lie normally as if it is resting. It remains the work of the male camel to locate the vulva and penetrate while she is lying. This gives the male hand time to mate. Sometimes a human assistance is required to facilitate successive mating in camels since the male is long too to squat or to bend properly. The man would assist in holding the bull's penis and insert it in female's vulva and bull would start mating and hence ejaculate after a while. Camels' males have low libido as compared to other domesticated animals apart from horses. Horses would require sexual activation by man since mating occurs after a long period of time since females don't become on heat quickly.

Some animals would mate due to sexual interaction, sense of touch, seeing partners and getting attracted to them and lastly addiction. This is usually done by primates where the female genitals organ would swell to attract the male. The genital parts of primates e.g. baboon would change color and vulva would swell to attract the male. Males chimpanzee mate frequently almost like human being. It happens that after getting relaxed a certain group of these creatures would just start mating. They are really addicted to sex. Other males are isolated from females and would go to females when they would mate. Certain sounds would be produced by females on heat to attract the male and this happens to females that do not produce pheromone hormone. Or the male produces certain sound to attract the female on heat.

Mating systems in animals differ according to the natural complexity, height, weight and size of the specific animal.

One method of mating system is whereby a male has an exclusive relationship with two or more females. This is mostly exhibited by a number of primates where the king of the jungle would mate several females, each at time when they are on estrus. The male baboon that is strong enough and can fight all other males in that group is always the king who usually would mate the females on heat during his rein and would bring forth a number of generations before it become sexually exhausted and weak to mate any more. This is a specific system in polygamous animals that is polygynic. Polygyny is the most mating system in animals that is so far well analyzed and proved and tested. It usually occurs in a number of animals for example in lions, baboon etc.

Another mating system in animal kingdom involves polyandry where one female has a relationship with two or more males. This is exhibited by wild dogs and hyenas

Sometimes it is very hard to identify and to distinguish mating systems in world animals like elephants. But continuous study indicates that a polygynandry system of mating is exhibited where two or more males have almost exclusive relationship with two or more females. The mating elephants tend to start dating before mating. In the process when the female become on heat the male is likely to mate her and not any other male. Elephants tend to show age mate when mating. A young male bull cannot mate an old elephant female. The numbers of males and females in this system of mating is not necessarily equal, and in vertebrate species studied so far, the number of males is usually less.



In parental care elephants would ensure enough security that requires cooperation of all elephants in that social colony. Elephants would surround the female on birth and would not move until when the calf is able to do the walking. The mother would protect the calf from predators such as lions and tigers. Most animals reveal a promiscuous behavior where any male within the social group mates with any female. This is exhibited by herbivores, but a slight fight would erupt between competing males and mating would proceed but stronger males would have an upper hand.

Recent developments in courtship indicate that mating in animals depends on the seasons of mating that are influenced by many factors. These factors include genetic make up of animals, environment and availability of partners. Many animals depend on sensing ability of the male and from how far it can sense the pheromone hormone that is produced by females. Some animals like dogs can sense from far when the bitch is on heat. Mating actually involves many males but the strongest would be able to mate after a fight in polygynandly relationship. Dogs are good in sniffing.

Some omnivorous such as zebras would mate when the female is on heat. Mating causes a fight between mating males. The strongest male who fights the others would mate successfully after overcoming the female by biting her at the back of the neck. There also erupts a fight between the male and female on heat. After the birth, the male confirms that the offspring born is his. If the offspring is not his, the ass ensures that the offspring born does not survive by killing the newborn if it senses that it is not his. There erupts a fight between female zebra and the male as the female tries to protect the newborn. Most of these animals don't engage in rearing the young ones after weaning unlike their counterparts in cat family who hunt for young ones. Mating systems differ greatly between domesticated, wild animals, man and invertebrates.

Mating in animals occur through out their life but with a certain direct control mechanism caused by either male or female and nature. Cat family animals have mating behavior that involves use of males to seduce females. Fighting in male cheetahs for example makes the female to become on heat after some time. After conceiving and giving birth, the female usually takes care of the young ones by suckling, hunting for preys and protection Protections involves hiding cubs in a safe place from enemies. The female will carry disabled cubs to a safer place by holding it at the back of neck using its mouth; most animals of cat family will do this to their offspring.

Parental care in cat family will also include killing of other competitors e.g. lion would try as much to kill young ones of other cats and even hyenas cubs to reduce competion since all are carnivorous and compete for herbivores together. All carnivores depend on meat from herbivores. Males in this family will only protect the pride when there is extreme enemy or danger. The female is always active but the male is not. A great discrimination and selectivity is exhibited by females during copulation. Many females in cat family would allow strong and robust males to mate them but the weak males are sidelined. This enhances continuation of genetically strong generation. In this factor, the survival of the fittest is established. A lion sometimes would seduce the lioness if he realizes that she has stayed for long without showing symptoms of heat after last birth, this happens to many animals of cat family.

Leopards which are not swift like cheetahs would protect the young ones by hiding them in cafes. When they grow up she trains the cubs to climb trees. When she hunts she would let the cubs to eat the fresh and she usually hides the remains on top of trees where no other fresh eating animal can get unless vultures. The leopard would mostly hide the meat from the predators like hyenas. Leopards are lucky that they hide on trees where most enemies cannot climb the trees. Most cat family animals are very jealous such that when they have poor mothering ability, they tend to destroy other animals family. For example a leopard would eat their counterparts young ones or when her young one dies she just consume it. This is a queer behavior that is associated with almost all carnivorous.

Copulation among wild animals usually mostly occurs when animals are safe from enemies, when environment is conducive and when females are on heat, unlike man. Mating in herbivores is highly determined by estrus cycle in females. The presence of pheromone hormone in the female's urine would make the male to be sexually active and to start mating. Usually detection of this hormone occurs during normal gracing periods whereby the males would accidentally sense the hormone or when licking the genitals of female.

Mating in gazelles usually occurs during the day when their predators cannot attack them and involves strong males that fight other males during copulation. The stronger male would succeed to the female. Jealousy is highly exhibited by strongest male whereby he cannot allow other males to mate the female on heat. After birth the mother would protect the lamb against some hawks that attack small life lambs, vultures, cheetahs, hyena, leopards and other possible predators. It is possible that some animals would come on heat after mating, especially when mating was not intended e.g. hares would mate and the sperms would induce the female to be ready to conceive not necessarily when mating.

This happens because female hares have got that capability of storing sperms for a while after mating. Hot weather does not favor mating of animals since most are exhausted. Animals like giraffe would kick its calf after birth to alert it on danger ahead. Parental care would involve protecting the calf against lion and hyena and other possible predators.

When it comes to human, sexual behavior is unusually flexible and it is not influenced by hormonal changes in females since their estrus cycle is usually hidden. In most animal species, one mating system dominates according to the estrus cycle. There is close analogy between animal mating systems and human marriage behaviors that is exhibited by birds. This is so because in human societies, marriages typically have to be recognized by the entire society in some way, and there is no equivalent process in animal societies. The temptation to draw conclusions about what is normal for human sexual behavior from observations of animal mating systems should be resisted: a zoologist observing the kinds of behaviors shown by humans in any other species would conclude that all known mating systems were natural for that species, depending on the prevailing circumstances or on individual animal differences.

In amphibians, mating highly occur when there is plenty of water i.e. during rainy season. Males' frog would fawn to attract females and communication is done through hearing of specific sounds.



Animals would continue giving birth until they become sexually inactive. The number of offspring brought forward depends on the types of animals, gestation period, easiness in mating, weather condition i.e. too hot weather does not favor mating seasons, lastly availability food, water and of course mating partners would greatly affect the reproduction among animals.

All the above is controlled by nature and competition among predators and preys. Less advantaged animals, mostly herbivores have short gestation period that can enhance them to give birth frequently, in order to replace those young ones that don't survive due to hunger, predation by enemies or due to disease and other natural calamities. Gestation periods for elephants take long due to genetically make up and that chance of survival for the calves are high since elephants don't have many enemies.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, mating systems and parental care are adaptations to wild life. Mating systems in animals differ greatly and this difference is brought by the body structures and conformation of these animals plus the body mass, weight, height of specific animals, flexibility which is determined by weight and body mass, genetically makeup, environments and the fitness of the animal.

Animals with high chances of survival have long gestation periods since their young ones can survive. Those animals that have many enemies have short gestation period such that they can give birth to many young ones so that even if others don't survive some would to facilitate survival of the species.

It is apparent that herbivores are born and after some time they can run very fast to escape any predator around. This is because herbivores have many enemies which include almost all carnivores and some omnivorous. Parental care and mating systems go hand in hand.

Water Requirements For Animals

Factors effecting water utilization

Water requirements of a crop are determined by various factors like soil moisture, texture, wind velocity, humidity, rainfall, temperature solar radiation, crop species, variety of as crop, cropping season, & other known and unknown factors both biotic and abiotic. Rice crop utilization is estimated at 640 mm per hac in Pakistan. The similar study estimates for wheat are lower than rice 330 mm. Thus a rice- paddy rotation in Lahore, Punjab is estimated at 970 mm of water. One wonders what the essence e of 970 mm of water is and how mud quantity of water is needed per hectare or per kg of grain. Few reports of Johl, 2002 & others have given different estimates which will be discussed under following heads.

(a) Water requirements per hectare of land for producing various crop variety

(b) Calculation of water requirements- how they are made

(c) Water requirements of animals & a comparison with crops

The water requirements are measured by various methods. We have to consider soil profile, soil moisture stored in the root zone of the planted crop, evaporation rate, humidity, temperature & all those factors described in preceding pages. On an estimated basis different crops need water at following rates (Johl, 2002) table I

Table 1. Total water requirement per hectare

Crop water required in liters/ hac

Rice 60,20,000

Wheat 35,00,000

Cotton 78,50,000

Sugar cane 1,60,00,000

Sunflower 65,00,000

Kharif Maize 46,00,000

Kharif Moong 41,50,000

Gobi Sarsoon 34,50,000

Winter Maize 61,50,000


Herian quoting Johl, 2002, reports the conversion of water in terms of kgs of grains as follows:

Table 1. Water requirement per kg of grain harvested

Grain /Crop water required in liters/ kg

grain produce

Wheat 781

Rice 1131

Kharif Maize 1691

Gobi Sarsson 2851

Suflower 5672

Cotton 6217

Kharif Moong 8645

Summer Moong 10,246



For calculating water requirements of crops, the calculatio0ns are made on the presumptions & a study of NSW department of primary industries as follows; for rice.

The duration of crop growth varies with the variety used. Some of the Australian rice varieties mature in short time. However water requirements differ during different stages of the crop growth. Thus the varietal gestation days & days taken from planting to flowering & from flowering to physiological maturity needs to be taken into consideration.

Water requirements of rice depend upon variety and temperatures around the fields duration of growth is describe as panicle initiation to flowering & from flowering to maturation. For medium grain rice this panicle to maturity cycle duration is around 70-80 day ( white worth, 2006). This period can be broken into panicle to flowering 30-35 days in short & long grain varieties grain in Australia. However it is 5 days less (25-30 days) in whorl season varieties Jerrah. Flowering to physiological maturity days ranges from 35-45 days in all the varieties. The total days of watering rice thus depends on the stage of development and the gestation days of the varieties. We have most of the varieties maturing in 70-100 days in India. These days exceed in temperate climatic conditions. Sometimes cold waves & frost bites hinder ripening and the days of gestation get extended. Therefore it is recommended to have on evaluation pilot study if exact requirements of water by each crop are intended.

Beginning of the planting season in rice starts with requirement of water rice field preparation fill, needs water. This initial requirement differs with type of soil, paddock history & seasonal conditions.

The weather and the ecosystem play a significant role due to different evaporate transpiration rates existing at different locations even within a given ecosystem. Here water transpiration from leaves and stagnant field surfaces has to be considered. Temperature, solar radiation, wind, relative humidity of the air and rainfall play a role in determining water requirements of any crop. Deep percolation is another factor to reckon with in this direction. This is water passing into the soil below root zone. Thus a knowledge base on root zone. Area, percolation percent only gives a true estimate of water requirements by a crop. Drainage losses, rice field permeability and many other factors need to be considered. On a rough estimate NSW department uses 1 mm/ day allowance for deep percolation. A ten days evaporate-transpiration average for less through evaporation water use for paddy cultivation is often measured in mega liters. A 10 cm dept of water in a hectare measures about 1 mega liter of water used. This can be expressed as 100 mm water dept to/hectare. An hectare has 2.47 acres,. So we may decide it by 2.47 i.e. ½.47 cm or 100 mm. The average water use cultivation of rice between 0ct- November is around 5-47 ml per acre. Generally an area of 8 acres is utilized for dairy sheds, had it been under rice, we would need annul 2.5 = 20.0 ML of water for rice cultivation.

To raise 100 cows with a profit of around 2.5 lac per annum needs comparatively much less water than if the same land is used for crops.

Therefore so far water utilization is concerned water requirements of animals are far less than those of crops, vegetable or fruits. The water requirements of dairy animal & other livestock species has been reviewed (Wani, 2009). On an average beef heifers weighing 500-9000 liters or around 200-400 kgs require 4-7 gallons of water per day. This requirement for beef cows is 7-12 gallon of water. Cows with calves need more water than dry cows. (12 vs. 10). Calves need 2-3 gallons of water. Dairy cows in milk need on an average 30 gallon per day. Dry dairy cows need 10 gallon & their calves 3 gallons. Sheep & goats need 2-3 gallons of water. However exact water requirements depend on the exact weight of the animal.

Horse, bison and mules on are average need 10 gallons, poultry needs 0.05 gallons, deer, lames, alpacas need 2 gallon ELK and donkeys 5 gallons, ostrich 1 gallon & human house hold needs are around 60 gallons per day. Thus the comparative use of water favors livestock, who pro0duce a liter of milk on less than ½ a gallon of water, which is comparatively lower than rice, wheat & other crops describe. A liter of milk even if needs gallon of water would be much less than 1 kg of rice or wheat.

Animal body also losses water during evaporation Process. Sheep transpose 725 water taken, goat transpose less than sheep 70%. However with increase in environment temperatures the normal change. The above figures were corroborated when temperature ranged from 21-390C & relative humid ranged between 13-67 5 water intake of sheep & goats is 2-3 gallons. So a goat yielding 2-3 liters of milk will need 10-15 liters of water. This is the minimum required water in comparison to other livestock and crop species. Thereby, goats are preferred viable and sustainable livelihood options in water deficient areas.



Calculation of water requirement (animals)

Ration ale (a) for every kg dry matter we need 6 kgs of drinking water

+

(b) For every liter of milk provide 1 liter of water

+

(C) Give additional allowance as per needs of weather & winds or radiation etc as discussed.



Example: for a cow consuming 18 kg of concentrate feed per day we will need 108 kg of water d18 * 6 = 108 liters of water. This basic maintenance requirement on DM basis, If she produces 20 liters of milk, we will need addition 20 liters of water. If weather is favorable on an average a 20 liter yielder (cow) will require 128 liters of water per day which roughly equals 30 gallons as discussed. Generally thumb rule is 100-150 liters of water per cow per day. In case of temperature crossing 350C we need 200-250 liters per day thus comparing 5 month crop cycle or 120-30 day gestation of paddy- rice crops or paddy-rice rotation for the year make it full location for 8 months, we will need 200 * 200 = 40,000 liters of water for the entire 10 month period for cow in a paddy-rice rotation, a requirement of per liter of milk. A thousand liter estimate incorporating bathing, washing and other uses too put it around 26000 liters of water per 1000 liters of milk thus the figures came to around 26-30 liters of water per liter of milk, which is roughly 0.026 cm2 per liter of mile or 26 cm2 per 1000 liter of milk.



How to calculate water requirements in dairy farms

Surface area

Suppositions 60 * 80 m water level equals 4800m2 of water or say 10m * 10 m water pond can have around 10m2 of water stored in its. If the surface is sloppy and uneven, we generally give conversion factor allowances as: for surface areas of 25,000 – 5000 m2 multiply by 0.6. For a water dept of 1000 – 25000 m2 multiply be 0.45 & for surfaces less than 100 m2 by 0.3.

The depth of the pond is to be calculated by multiplying with depth a pond of 60 m wide, 80 m long equals 4800 m2 of water. Multiply depth it will become 4800 * 5 = 24000 m2 if depth is 5 meters. In case of a circular pond, we have to measure depth and calculate surface area as:

(a) Measure diameter of the pond & divide by 2 to get radius

(b) Square the radius and multiply by a factor of 3.1416 to get the surface area of the pond.

If the pond is not even but has a slope, the surface area calculations shall be made as follows:

(a) If the radius is between 25-50 m2 multiply by factor 0.6

(b) If pond radius ranges between 15-25 meters 2 multiply by 0.45

(c) If pond radius is less than 10m2 multiply by 0.3


Water requirement of paddy-wheat rotation

(a) Traditional Rice-Wheat cropping system will breed 60,20,000 liters of water for paddy and 35,00,000 liters for wheat per hectare. Thus for a Paddy-Rice rotation system in a year total water requirement is 95, 20,000 liters of water. If a hectare produces 3t of paddy (against 2.4 t national average) and 3t of wheat/hectare. We will thus have 6 t / hectare production. This will mean 1000 * 6 = 6000 kgs. Dividing 9520/6 we need 1587 liters of water per kg of Rice-Wheat or paddy- wheat rotation.

(b) Water table decline figures

It is said over a period of few years a decline of water table by 2 ft / annum has been registered (water table decline) needs further data collection. The water recharging process per annum has to be evaluated.

(c) Requirement of rice per annum per hectare is around 60 20 0000 liters. Or roughly 620 mm per hectare per year. The total rainfall in Punjab is around 800 mm. Thus with paddy-rice combination consumption of 620 + 330 mm comes to around 950 mm of water. Thus roughly we have a deficiency of 150 mm per years, which may be responsible for the decline of the water tables.



4. Index of diversification from Rice –Wheat combine. The net profit per acre of hectare is never more than 100,000-1.5 Liter under Paddy- wheat rotation. It still exists as remunerative, one because of its support price and FCI as its assured marketing link. More remunerative diversification options like see production, fruits, vegetable, sunflower etc could not sustain larger interest because of low marketing network. The advantage in dairy lies in firstly its low water use, second its profits going around 25 % (Wani, 2009) with very low requirement of water. Thirdly, the fodder (Maize) is new available as a contract farming option. Fodder maize just around flowering needs certainly half the amount of water than the grain production. Fourth important factor in favor of dairy industry goes due to assured marketing channels like Milk fed & other milk processing firm like JK industries, Johnson and Johnason etc.

1. Commercial dairy farming is gaining momentum because of:

(a) Low water need. A kg of milk needs maximum 50 liters of water as against 15000 liters of Rice-Wheat combination. The other crop needs are much higher.

(b) The economic benefits of 25% profits with daily income assured and marketing channels at door step gives dairy an added impetus.

(c) It has added a new social dimension, a dairy farmer is more or less an executive job with less on the farm engagement. This provides him a social impetus & clubbed with profits, he seems better off.

(d) the use of manure for fortification of soil & coupling organic vegetable or grain farming in the land connected to the dairy farms of Punjab shall help to further economize dairy farming. The housing pattern simplified it doubled with automatic rechanneling of urine & dung to the fields shall give rise to a rehabilitation of distorted soil profile with more marketing preference.

Interventions need are

(a) Feed block preparation. This own formulas to be improved

(b) Disease cover, initial testing and housing system need rechannalizaion & innovation.

(c) Water pond like swinging pool facility, sprinkle of water and other cooling options need study

(d) Make calf utilization as breeding stock or establishment of semen banks needs exploration. Private sector investment in semen * embryo collection needs incentive

(e) Vaccination, disease diagnostic using 3rd generation DNA Technolgy is recommended to assure quality milk production incorporating all necessary international zoo-sanitation measure. Checks and controls.

(f) The use of agriwaste, leaf biomass, preflowing crop yield as fodder supplements needing more water need trails.

(g) Cheap and effective innovative housing system are needed.

(h) Insurance cover is to be streamlined to the exact value of the animal.

(i) Pre –testing for communicable disease should be a must to avoid future losses.

(j) Interaction & export of high valued semen from aboard be allowed & the male born used to provide semen to the other states.

(k) A private- public policy & planning translate or centre be formulate in prepare policy papers, reports & data base.