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 Proper cleaning and shelter facilities for cows and buffaloes are required for
humane farming, for the health of the animals and to produce clean milk as well.

 Animals require regular brushing to remove dirt and loose hair.
 They should be sheltered under well-ventilated roofed sheds that protect them

from rain, heat and cold.
 The floor of the cattle shed needs to be sloping to stay dry and to facilitate

cleaning.

 The shelter should be spacious enough for animals to stay comfortable and avoid
overcrowding.

 The shelter should have proper arrangement for clean drinking water.
Food requirement of dairy animals:

1. Maintenance requirement: The food which helps in maintaining normal

metabolic activities of the body.
2. Milk producing requirement: The food which is required during the lactation

period.

Cattle feed:

1. Roughage: It largely contains fibres such as green fodder, silage, hay and
legumes like berseem, cowpea.

2. Concentrates: It is low in fibres but contains relatively high proteins and other

nutrients. It includes cotton seeds, oilseeds, oats, barley, gram and their by-
products like wheat, beans and molasses etc.

3. Feed Additives – includes food that contains micronutrients that can promote
health and milk production.

Diseases in cattle
The disease-causing parasites in cattle can be following types: