KOZHIKODE: Natural insemination for cattle is a thing of the past in Kerala. If the figures with the Animal Husbandry Department are taken into account, around 99 per cent of total insemination taking place in the state are artificial.
“With the new breed policy came into force in 2008, artificial insemination has almost replaced natural insemination. Natural insemination is now followed only by some private farms in nondescript breeds,” says Animal Husbandry Department assistant director Dr Jayasree.
The move to promote artificial insemination has been getting warm response from the farmers. According to the figures with Animal Husbandry Department, a total of around 11.5 lakh insemination were done in 2015 across the state while the number stood at around 12.7 lakh in 2014.
Various advantages like high-yielding draw dairy farmers towards artificial insemination.
“Calves produced through artificial insemination are more resistant towards diseases and they are more productive. Besides, diseases are not contracted to them from mother cow and breeding bull as sperm from only healthy breeding bulls are used for insemination,” says senior veterinary surgeon of Kozhikode District Veterinary Centre Dr PK Shihabudheen.
Besides, sperm collected from one bull for one time could be used to inseminate up to 400 cows while it’s used only in one cow in natural insemination. Easy transportation and averting inbreeding are also said to be advantages of artificial insemination.
“Sperm could be easily stored and transported while the cow has to be taken to the bull or vice versa in natural insemination. This needs time, money and effort.
Possibility of inbreeding is high in natural insemination.
Mostly, only one bull will be available for a vast area. This leads to inbreeding, the main cause for ailments,” says Dr Shihabudheen.
Animal Husbandry Department does not send sperm from same bull for the second time avoid inbreeding.