Many people have doubts whether the COVID-19 virus can spread through cows or not. The webinar conducted by Krishi Jagran Kerala team talks about how to take care of cow calves.
The main guest of the webinar was Dr Haroon Abdul Rasheed, Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Kottakal. He is also the leading trainer in Animal Husbandry.
Dr Haroon shares that COVID-19 virus cannot be transferred to humans through animals, but there have been reports that the virus can be transmitted to animals through humans.
Important points dairy farmers should know about taking care of calves:
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Clean nostrils and mouth which helps the calf breathe better and help prevent future breathing problems.
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Tie the navel cord with a thread at a distance of around 5 inches from the base and cut the remaining cord with a clean instrument.
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A newborn calf should be given an ample amount of colostrum within the first half an hour of birth.
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Many calves do not nurse adequate amounts of colostrum from their dams within the first few hours of life, and thus they may not receive adequate immunity.
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Feeding colostrum after 24 hours of birth may not help the calf to ward off infections.
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After 4 months, if the farmers register himself under the government records then he will get good pasture for the cow with 50 per cent subsidy.
Dr Haroon made it clear that it is important to take care of the cows from getting any disease.Domestic cows have good immunity power as compared to foreign breeds. He also made it clear that keeping the animals in quarantine is important.
Dr Haroon says, “In the same way how we keep people who come from outside in an isolation ward, the same way we should keep newly brought cows in a self-isolated place. This is to protect the cows and to detect any diseases that occur in the newly brought cows.”
