Breed Diversity, Dairy Performance, and Husbandry Practices of Cattle and Buffaloes: A Preliminary Field Survey of Selected Dairy Farms in Fatehgarh Sahib District, Punjab, India

Abstract

This preliminary field survey assessed breed diversity, dairy performance, and husbandry practices of cattle and buffaloes maintained in selected commercial dairy farms of Fatehgarh Sahib district, Punjab, India. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on four purposively selected dairy farms comprising 82 adult lactating bovines (38 cattle and 44 buffaloes). Breed identification was based on external phenotypic characteristics using National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) descriptors supported by owner-reported breed information. Data on milk production, reproductive performance, feeding practices, and animal health were collected through direct field observations, structured farmer interviews, and available farm records, and were summarised using descriptive statistics. Six cattle breed groups and four buffalo breed groups were recorded. Holstein Friesian (HF) crossbred cattle constituted the largest proportion of the cattle population (42%), followed by Jersey crossbreds (28%), whereas Murrah buffaloes accounted for 68% of the buffalo population. HF crossbred cattle recorded the highest average daily milk yield (14.0 kg day⁻¹), while Murrah buffaloes exhibited the highest average milk fat content (7.34%). Feeding practices were primarily based on wheat straw supplemented with seasonal green fodder and concentrate mixtures, although mineral supplementation and silage utilisation varied among farms. Farmers commonly reported foot-and-mouth disease, mastitis, haemorrhagic septicaemia, and reproductive disorders as important health constraints. The findings indicate that the surveyed farms predominantly maintained improved buffaloes and exotic crossbred cattle, with comparatively fewer indigenous breeds. As this investigation was limited to four purposively selected farms and relied partly on farmer-reported information and farm records, the results should be interpreted as baseline observations for the surveyed farms only. Larger, randomly selected studies incorporating laboratory and genetic confirmation are recommended to validate these findings.