author(s)
AR Madkar, Triveni Dutt, Prasanta Boro and MR Verma

abstract
Present study was conducted in 4 districts of Western Maharashtra viz. Sangli, Satara, Solapur and Kolhapur. Data were collected from individual farmer on livestock health management. A total of 600 (150 from each district) livestock owners were selected. Out of that 492 and 108 were large animals and small ruminants owners, respectively. At least one animal per farmer were randomly selected. Farmers were interviewed by a presented structured interview schedule. Two tahsil were selected and from each tahsil three villages were selected. Respondents (25 nos.) were selected randomly belonging to different categories of farmers. Majority of the respondents in Kolhapur (97.21%), Sangli (96.58%), Satara (91.60) and Solapur (56.00%) housed their animals separately away from their residence in tie stalls/ conventional barns. Mostly farmers in Kolhapur and Sangli (>50%) follow north-south long axis orientation of the animal house. East-west long axis orientation was observed in >50% of animal houses in Solapur and Satara. They varied significantly between the districts. Majority of animals shed in Kolhapur (53.44%), Sangli (33.33%) and Satara (43.70%) had cemented floor. However, in Soalpur area majority (52.22%) animal sheds were with Kuccha/mud floor (60.80%) followed brick floor and rest with cemented floor. The Chi square value indicated highly significant (p<0.01) difference in type of animal house floor between different districts. Half-walled animal shed was predominant in Kolhapur (59.54%) and Sangli (55.56%). Full wall was predominant in Satara (57.98%), but in Solapur, 60.00% animal houses were without any walls. Wall materials of animal houses varied in different districts. So, there is future scope for improving better management practices for gradation in dairy animal production Western Maharashtra.