Animal Farm Health Problems

Livestock health is a major factor for dairy production but the problem is many smallholder dairy farmers have a lack of knowledge and awareness about the productive benefits of disease control. A minority of dairy farmers are known about animal health benefit but they have limited access to appropriate vaccines and therapeutic drugs. Animal production systems are affected by different diseases like as helminthiasis and tick-borne which is seriously affect milk production of animal (AGRIHUNT, 2011). To maintaining animal health is the basic need to prevent retarded of animal production. There are many veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in the Pakistan but dairy farmers do not get benefits of these facilities which offered by the government

The majority of smallholder farmers used oxytocin injection for lactating down the animal milk which is poor management practices that damage to reproductive organs and milk productivity (AGRIHUNT, 2011). Therefore, milk yield of cows/buffaloes at the national level has decreased (Khan et al., 2013). In rural areas, farmers prefer to traditional methods for the animal cure which impact negatively on animal health rather than improving health. Lack of diagnosis of animal diseases is a major factor of the lower productivity. Mastitis is the main problem in a lactating animal which declines the milk production (AGRIHUNT, 2011). Such kind of epidemic diseases are responsible for high mortality and morbidity in livestock sector which caused of high economic losses due to expenditure on treatment of disease, animal mortality and decreased milk production. Pakistani government needs to establish compulsory vaccination law for improving the health condition of the milk production animals (Khan et al., 2013).

External and internal parasites are caused by low milk productivity in animals. The internal parasites do not cause of mortality but decreased the overall milk production in the dairy animal. The main problem is poor husbandry and lack of awareness by dairy farmers about the parasitic problem. These diseases become a cause of economic

(Zia et al., 2011). These companies have started milk collection from smallholder’s dairy farmers by cold chain vans/trucks which are transferring milk to centralized processing units. They have established small milk collection centres in rural areas where milk is purchased from producers on the basis of milk quality. It is a good way by private milk companies to provide the reasonable price per litre to smallholder dairy farmers which helpful to improve the dairy farmers living standard, income leve, and also supply the milk to consumers in good quality (Zia et al., 2011; Farooq, 2017). 5. Climate effect on milk production

Climate is dominant factor which effects on milk production. During the winter season, milk production is increased due to favourable animal weather and regular fodder supply. On the other hand in summer, milk production drops due to high temperatures, lack of feed availability, and the on-set late lactation. The milk production is higher in winter as compared to summer season (Wynn et al., 2006).

6. Fodder availability/ shortage of