Housing system

1) Loose housing system :

• System of housing in which animals are allowed to graze free in open areas.
• Common in semi-arid and sub-tropical region where rainfall is not excessive.
• More practiced in beef breeds rather than milk breeds.
• Herds of 500-800 cattle upto 1200 goat , sheep are allowed in single group.
• The area is generally naturally or cultivated pasture land with watering point (Sources)

Advantages of loose housing system

• Animal will move freely , so get enough exercise.
• Cost of construction is cheaper.
• Larger animal can be reared in single place.

Disadvantages of Loose housing system

• oestrus detection is not easy.
• Required large space.
• Not suitable for humid and rainfall area.

2) Conventional housing system / intensive :

• In this system , animals are confined together on single area.
• Animals are fed as well as milked in same .

Types of conventional housing system :

a) Tail to tail system

b) Head to head system

a) Tail to tail system :

• It is the system of ruminant rearing in which animals were placed opposite direction.
• Two different managers are placed in each side.
• Middle passage is provided for advantages.

Advantages of tail-to-tail system :

• Cleaning and milking process is easy
• Super vision of animal is easy.
• Animals gets fresh air flow from outside.
• Less chance of transmission of disease among animals (mainly respiratory disease)
• Any sort of minor disease or change in hind quarter of animals can easily detected.

b) Head-to-head system :

• Animals are placed facing their head to each other.

Advantages of head-to-head system

• Cows/ animals feels easy to get into stalls.
• Provide better showing for visitors.
• Sun rays in the gutter region where they needed most.

Animal housing consist of following compartments ( intensive system )

I. Feeding passage

ii. manger

iii. Gutter or drainage channel

iv. Milking baths and passage.

v. Standing space

vi. Milk room

vii. Store room

viii. Isolation/ quarantine shed

ix. Bull shed

x. Dry animal shed

xi. Heifer shed

3) Semi-loose housing system :

• It is the system of animal rearing in which animals are allowed to gaze freely in day light and reared during night hours.

Advantages of semi-loose housing system :

• Small amount of feed supplement is required for rearing.
• 25-40 cows can be reared at single time.
• Beneficial for average investment farmers.