The present study was undertaken to understand the present status of adoption of TANUVAS SMART mineral mixture, viz, complete adoption, partial adoption, discontinuance and rejection and its perceived attributes, namely, relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability and trialability using the schedule developed for the purpose and the economic impact. Partial budgeting was done to assess the economic impact of adopting TANUVAS SMART mineral mixture. Personal cosmopolite and personal localite communication channels had contributed majorly to the awareness of the dairy farmers followed by mass media. Majority of the dairy farmers (78%) discontinued the adoption of the innovation. Sixty six per cent of them had medium level of adoption behaviour followed by high (28%) and low (6%) level of adoption behavior. The reasons attributable were that the technology was perceived relatively less advantageous and not observable. However, it was perceived as highly compatible, less complex and trialable. Net income of the dairy farmers had increased by Rs. 2,216.80 per dairy animal per lactation due to the adoption of TANUVAS SMART Mineral Mixture. The status of adoption of TANUVAS SMART Mineral Mixture, its adoption behaviour and change in net income were found to be significantly associated with land holding, area under fodder cultivation, dairy animal possession, extension agency contact and mass media exposure of the dairy farmers.

Test day milk yield data of 81,653 Jersey crossbred cows reared under farmers’ production system in Tamil Nadu state, over a period of 24 years (1999-2022) were utilised to determine the effects of non-genetic factors viz. agroclimatic zone, period of calving, season of calving and parity on lactation traits.  The production traits considered were 305-day milk yield (305DMY), total lactation milk yield (TMY), 180-day milk yield (180DMY), peak yield (PY), days to attain PY and lactation length (LL), the least-squares means of which were 2458.82 ± 7.02 kg, 2470.77 ± 7.04 kg, 1657 ± 4.71 kg, 10.69 ± 0.03 kg, 73.22 ± 0.56 days and 298.09 ± 0.17 days respectively. The agroclimatic zone had significant (P<0.01) influence on all the lactation traits studied with Western zone having the highest mean (2763.08 kg) for 305DMY followed by North Western zone and Cauvery Delta zone while North Eastern zone had the least (2066.85 kg) milk yield. Both period and season of calving significantly (P<0.01) affected all the traits. The estimated means of 305 DMY, TMY and 180DMY of 2960.99 kg, 2987.38 kg and 1934.75 kg respectively in period P2 (2004-2007) were significantly higher compared to other periods while period P1 (1999-2003) had the least milk production. Cows that gave birth in Northeast monsoon and Summer seasons produced more milk comparatively. Parity also had highly significant (P<0.01) influence on all the traits studied with cows above third lactation producing higher milk yield. The influence of non-genetic factors found on milk production of cows, revealed in this study will be useful in planning future breeding and management interventions for improving the milk production of the Jersey crossbred cattle under farmers’ production system in Tamil Nadu. 

The study on the assessment of body weight gain in three indigenous chicken breeds viz., Aseel, Kadaknath and Siruvidai chicken were conducted in five poultry farms of Vendhoni village, Ramanathapuram district. The body weight gain both between the breeds and farms were statistically analysed for a period of 20 weeks. All the five selected farms were distributed with day old (0 Day) Aseel, Kadaknath and Siruvidai chicks (Each 10 Nos) and about 50 kg each of commercial chick mash (Nutrikraft®). The body weight gain was recorded and assessed every week until 20 weeks. Among the three breeds analysed, a highly significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) existed with Aseel breed having higher body weight gain (1.441 kg) followed by Kadaknath (0.887 kg) and Siruvidai (0.737 kg) at 20 weeks of age.  The weight gain recorded during fourth and eighth weeks of age showed a highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) change among all the three breeds. The weight gain of Kadaknath and Siruvidai were highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) during 12th and 16th week of age. Whereas the weight gain in Aseel was found to be non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) in the same period of study. During 20th week, Siruvidai showed highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) change in weight gain and Aseel and Kadaknath showed non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) change.  Overall, Aseel had higher body weight gain than Kadaknath and Siruvidai breeds. All the three breeds were found to be well adapted to the hot and humid climatic condition of this district.

Lice infestation is one of the major problems to the duck farming, causing irritation that lead to lowered feed intake, retarded growth, reduced weight gain and decreased egg production. The present communication deals with occurrence of different species of lice in a desi duck from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu. A farmer from Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu brought five dead two year old native ducks for necropsy at Dept. of Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary College and research Institute, Orathanadu, Tamil Nadu. External examination of ducks revealed presence of 13 lice specimen in one bird. They were examined and identified as Trinoton querquedulae (n= 8), Anatoecus dentatus (n= 4) and Anaticola crassicornis (n= 1) morphologically. This study is the first to establish the presence of mixed lice infestation in native ducks from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu and also first repot of Trinoton querquedulae in ducks from India.

Uterine prolapse in cats of twelve clinical cases brought to the Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital with a history of cats queened recently, severe straining, anorexia, pyrexia and round red swollen edematous mass protruding through the vulva were used for the present study. Based on the clinical examination, the cases were diagnosed as uterine prolapse either unilateral or bilateral horns. Ovariohysterectomy (n=6) was performed in six delayed cases and manual reduction (n=6) was done in six fresh cases. Cats that underwent surgery recovered uneventfully after one week of postoperative management. Manually reduced cases also recovered after one week of medical management. 

A 2  month old male German shepherd dog was presented to Veterinary Clinical Complex, Small Animal Surgery Unit of Madras Veterinary College, Chennai with the history of persistent regurgitation for 15 days. Plain and positive contrast radiographic evaluation revealed the dilated oesophagus cranial to the heart and tracheal deviation with constriction at the base of the heart. Surgical correction through resection of persistent ligamentum arteriosum around the oesophagus under general anaesthetic procedure. Post operative plain and contrast radiographic procedure revealed no evidence of barium stasis in the course of oesophagus and complete resolution of regurgitation. Recovery was good and normal feeding habit noticed 14th post operative day.

A study was conducted to optimize the level of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) powder as a thickening agent in the chicken soup prepared with no added oil. Whole finger millet (FM) was powdered finely and used as thickening agent in chicken soup at 0 (control) 5(FM5), 10(FM10) and 15(FM15) parts levels. The pH significantly decreased with increase in the finger millet level where it was highest in control and lowest in FM15. In the sensory evaluation, appearance, flavour and mouth feel scores significantly decreased with increase in finger millet level. The consistency scores were significantly higher for the treatments with finger millet compared to control. The overall acceptability scores were comparable among the control, FM5 and FM10 treatments and significantly lower for FM15. Hence, from this study, it can be concluded that finger millet might be efficiently utilized as a thickening agent in chicken soup up to 10 parts level, which would fortify the nutritive value.

Chicken nuggets prepared from spent hens’ meat by incorporating fermented bamboo shoots at 10 per cent, beet root at 10per cent and cabbage at 15per cent levels were evaluated for different physicochemical, microbial and sensory qualities under frozen (-18±1°C) storage condition. The pH of all nuggets increased significantly (P<0.05) during the storage period. The hardness, redness (a*), yellowness (b*) and chromavalues of all the nuggets decreased significantly (P<0.05) during storage period. The ΔE values of all the nuggets increased during storage period. There was no growth of microorganisms in all the nuggets during the period. The beet root incorporated nuggets recorded better sensory qualities compared to other nuggets in the study under frozen (-18±1°C) storage up to 90 days.

The study was conducted to find out the effect of age on carcass, meat quality characteristics and nutritional composition of Nandanam Turkey-II. Totally twelve birds were separated into two different age groups viz., young (20 weeks) and adult (40 weeks). The birds were slaughtered and breast muscle was obtained. The carcass, meat quality characters, proximate composition, amino acid, fatty acid and cholesterol content of meat of two age groups were analysed. The carcass characteristics viz., edible offal weight, in-edible offal, blood weight, feather weight and head weight had significant difference (P<0.01) between two age groups. Meat quality characteristics viz., pH (P<0.05), muscle fibre diameter (P<0.01) and myofibrillar fragmentation index (P<0.01) of young turkey meat were significantly lower than adult turkey meat. The young turkey meat had significantly higher moisture content (P<0.01), while it showed significantly lower protein, fat and total ash content than adult turkey meat. The significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in lysine and phenylalanine and highly significant difference (P<0.01) was observed in arginine, isoleucine, threonine, valine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and glycine contents of meat from young and adult age groups of turkey. The meat of young turkey had significantly lower total saturated fatty acids (P<0.01), mono unsaturated fatty acids (P<0.05) and higher poly unsaturated fatty acids (P<0.01), P/S ratio when compared to adult turkey meat. The cholesterol content of young turkey meat was significantly (P<0.01) lower than adult turkey meat. Based on the results it was concluded that the meat of young Nandanam Turkey-II had the superior meat quality characters and nutritional composition than the meat of adult birds.

Obstructive urolithiasis is a serious and potentially fatal condition in male small ruminants. It is caused by obstruction of urethral lumen at the distal portion of the sigmoid flexure and at the urolithic process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of surgical tube cystostomy in the management of obstructive urinary calculi in male sheep and goat. A total of 6 animals were studied (sheep-2 and goat-4) that were referred to Large animal clinics - Out Patient- Surgery Unit of Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital with a history of anuria, dysuria and stranguria. In Tube cystostomy, the animals were positioned in right lateral recumbency. The bladder was approached in left paramedianregion cranial to the last pair of rudimentaryteats. The urine was drained and calculi in the bladder was removed with the forceps. The catheter was fixed in the urinary bladder by meansof purse string suture pattern using 3/0 or4/0 polyglecaprone. Then the abdominal muscles and skin were apposed. Biochemical analysis revealed significant increase in BUN & Creatinine pre-operatively and decreases post operatively. Postoperatively normograde contrast cystourethrography on day 1 revealed filling defect of contrast agent showing obstruction at the level of Sigmoid Flexure. Ultrasonographic examination after normal urination revealed presence of calculi and also the site of obstruction in the bladder. The time period taken to return for normal urination in Tube Cystostomy was (10.66 ± 0.06 days) and the wound healing of the surgical site was better in tube cystomy.