Abstract

Thermal environment and structural characteristics of cattle shelters have profound influence on the overall welfare of dairy animals. A field study was conducted to examine the structural characteristics of dairy farms in four THI zones of Kerala during the summer months of February and March in 2020. Total 100 farms were selected from different THI zones for the study. Results confirmed the predominance of small and medium farms which has been a typical feature of dairy sector of Kerala. Most of the farms, irrespective of the size were having Galvanised Iron (GI) sheet and concrete flooring with rubber mat as major roofing and flooring material respectively. The mean dry bulb temperature and LPHSI recorded from all zones exceeded the upper critical point of thermoneutral zone indicating the thermal strain of dairy cattle. Thus the overall welfare and productivity of dairy cattle are under extreme stress which necessitates the need for advanced ameliorative strategies.

Keywords : Cattle shelter structure, microclimate, THI zones, thermal stress, roofing and flooring materials