Page 16 - Think Grain Think Feed - Noc 2025 Issue

www.benisonmedia.com INTERVIEW antibiotic use? Factors that contribute to That is no good for

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 12 | Issue 1 | Nov 2025

rumination, saliva
AMR are human antibiotics,
When I began my career,
effluents from pharma
production, rumen health
broiler flock size was around
500 to 2,000 birds which now industry, antibiotics used in
and milk fat/SNF.
increased to 10,000 to
poultry. It is inappropriate to
20,000. Contract system of
in indigenous cattle. In
blame poultry alone.
rearing (integration) agriculture, livestock and There's a renewed interest
your view, what is the right
introduced around 1995. You've seen India's dairy balance between
Earlier, we produced 1.8 to 2 sector evolve from both indigenous and exotic
kg in 60 days. Today we field and policy genetics for India?
produce 2+ kg in about 35 perspective. How have milk Pure indigenous breeds
days whereas the FCR yields changed over time, produce excellent-quality
improved from 2.2 to 1.4–1.5. and what role has genetics milk but their average yields
Layers, once kept for 70 played? are not enough to meet the
weeks now keeping upto100 The average daily yield of country requirements. On
weeks producing >300 eggs cross-bred/exotic cattle was the other hand, exotic
per bird per year. Thanks to around 4–5 litres/head and animals (90%+ Holstein)
improvement genetics, that of Indigenous cattle was demand an environment and
management, and nutrition. 1.5–3 litres/head. Today, our diet that most Indian farmers
In my opinion putting more national averages are above simply cannot provide. So, a
animals in less space 10 litres and 4 litres, balanced admixture is more
(stocking density) may be respectively. suitable. 50:50 to 70:30
good for economics, but it is Again, thanks to frozen exotic: indigenous, moderate
not good for animal, its semen technology, artificial body weight like 400- 500 kg
welfare or the environment insemination (AI) and sexed with 15–20 litres/day. More
(One Health). In layers, I sorted semen have emphasis should be given to
would still prefer three birds dramatically improved the fertility, adaptability, and
per cage with a little more genetic potential of the longevity than on record-
height and width of the cage, animals. However, we also breaking production
so that, birds can exhibit need to be honest about two Most Indian dairy
their natural behaviour. 4 issues: producers are smallholders
bird/cage is acceptable but 1. Excessive foreign blood: with less than five animals.
not 5-6 birds. The original idea was to How can their dairying
On antibiotics, it's important cap exotic blood at become more cost-efficient
to distinguish Therapeutic around 50 to 70%. Today, and sustainable?
antibiotics and Antibiotic many animals carry 90%+ Yes, even today, > 60% of
Growth Promoters (AGPs). exotic genetics. It is Indian dairy farms have <5
Therapeutic antibiotics like difficult to manage under cows, 25–30% have 6–15
penicillin, tetracyclines, Indian smallholder cows, 8–10% have 16–50
aminoglycosides, situations without cows, and only < 2% have >
cephalosporins and advanced infrastructure - 50 animals. For most of
quinolones are used for housing, cooling, and these, dairying is subsistence
treating sick animals for a high-quality forages. farming and livelihood.
brief period (3 to 5 days) at 2. Feeding imbalance: Owning a productive animal
clinical doses. AGPs like BMD, Earlier, cattle used to be is an asset at the same time
zinc bacitracin, avilamycin, fed on plenty of home- owning a non-productive
enramycin and halquinol are grown forages and a little animal is a liability.
used at sub-therapeutic concentrate at the end of Keep only productive
levels to modulate gut flora the day. Today, many animals (pregnant and
and to enhance the growth. systems have flipped — lactating). Dedicate land for
The AGPs are not employed lots of compound feed fodder production. Adopt
for therapeutic purpose. and very little true forage. high yield fodder varieties

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