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Indigenous breeds of cattle play a significant role in the livelihood of resource poor farmers in rural areas of India. Nattukuttai cattle are short and stout cattle reared under zero input system in North Eastern agro-climatic zone of Tamil Nadu. A qualitative tool consisting of four projective techniques, viz. Sentence completion test, Verbal projection test, Story completion test and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to measure the attitude of the farmers towards the conservation of Nattukuttai cattle was developed and standardized as per the standard protocol. The study was carried out for a period of one year 2021-22 in the selected districts of North Eastern agro-climatic zone of Tamil Nadu. Nearly two third of the respondents had favourable to most favourable attitude towards the conservation of Nattukuttai cattle breed. This study discusses the methodology of developing projective tools and their importance in measuring the attitude of farmers towards conservation of Nattukuttai cattle.

Inadequate waste disposal from an intensive piggery operation has resulted in community residents’ disquiet about the poor air quality. This study (I) assessed the air quality in the community and (II) quantified the extent of symptoms related to respiratory ailments among residents. Measurements, done in the experiment and control areas, included; aerial emission levels of hydrogen sulphide and ammonia and respiratory symptoms of a sample of 172 residents. Results showed that: the highest levels of gas were measured directly outside the farm and gradually decreased as measurements were taken further from the farm; hydrogen sulphide levels were slightly higher than that of the ammonia levels at all test times in experiment area; no gases were detected in the control area; the values for both ammonia and hydrogen sulphide in the experiment samples were significantly lower than that of the established NIOSH Time Weighted Averages; residents in the experiment area reported a higher severity of most symptoms. Recommendations included I) education for the community to enable them to understand the risks faced II) more frequent visits from government health officials and III) persuasion to have the owners of the piggery modify its farm practices and to engage industry best practices.

A study on the willingness to pay (WTP) of farmers in the Tamil Nadu State in India to improve the quality of livestock services delivery is presented. Among the aspects of the delivery that will be improved are geographical proximity, drug availability and staff attitude. The factors considered for the study include socio-economic status of farmer, livestock possession and accessibility of veterinary services.

The article discusses a study which examined the factors that influenced the prevalence of ketosis in dairy farms in Tamil Nadu State, India. This study was conducted in five milkshed districts in Tamil Nadu, viz., Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Vellore and Villupuram from 2005 to 2008. The study found the increasing prevalence of ketosis with the age of the animals, order of lactation and milk yield in both the species of the animal advanced.

The article presents a study on the availability and requirement of dry fodder for bovines based in Tamil Nadu, India. It stresses the importance of crops to animal agriculture in the country in which livestock productivity is compromised by feed scarcity. The study involves a survey determining grain-to-straw ratios in several cereals and pulses crops across the seven agro-climatic zones.