MANAGEMENT OF BREEDING CATTLE AND BUFFALO BULLS IN GAURADAHA MUNICIPALITY

The management of breeding cattle and buffalo bulls is considered crucial because breeding bulls play an important role in enhancing the productivity of both cows and buffaloes. A survey was conducted in Gauradaha Municipality during June and July, 2023 to study the management practices of breeding bulls. A selective sampling method was used to select 29 farmers from Gauradaha and quantitative analysis of the survey data was conducted using MS Excel and SPSS v. 26. Results from the study revealed that 43% farmers prefer Holstein Friesian bulls for breeding cows and 75% of buffalo bull rearing farmers prefer Murrah cross bulls for breeding buffaloes. The average age at which the first service was provided by cow bulls was found to be 21.36±5.73 months, while for buffalo bulls, it was 30±4.89 months. After being put into service, breeders typically retained the bulls on the farm for an average of 3.12±1.43 years. Approximately 52% of breeders use bulls for service 4-6 times a week. All surveyed farmers heavily rely on paddy straw as a feed source. As of concentrate, 86% used wheat bran and 52% farmers used rice bran. Regarding fodder cultivation, 64% of farmers cultivated Napier grass, while only 21% cultivated maize. To maintain the health and performance of their breeding bulls, 76% of breeders deworm their animals every 6 months. Only 34% of breeding bull rearers are found to maintain records of their breeding bulls. Supplementation of vitamins and minerals was also found poor in Gauradaha as only 38% of farmers supply vitamins and minerals to their breeding bull.