Impact of lightning strike on economics of sheep and goat rearing in Tamil Nadu under field condition

T. Chandrasekar, P. Karu, A. Varun, D. Balasubramanyam, M. A. Prakash
2021 Indian Journal of Animal Health  
Lightning is a high energy luminous electrical discharge mostly accompanied by thunder during rainy seasons. During rainy days, more than 70% of peoples or livestock are affected by lightning strike due to standing under the tree. The current paper reported the effect and economic losses of lightning strike in Tamil Nadu, India. The reported flock had 155 sheep and 32 goats. About 23 sheep and 5 goats died in the lightning strike. Other effects of lightning strike was total eye blindness,
more » ... eral eye blindness, fore legs in-coordination, hind legs in-coordination, edematous swelling on lateral abdominal region and anorexia. Highest mortality (34.78%) was observed in pregnant ewe. The total eye blindness and unilateral eye blindness in sheep were about 1.29% and 1.94%, respectively which were not recoverable. The hind legs were affected more common in comparison to fore legs in lightning strike in sheep and goat. The fore legs in-coordination, edematous swelling in lateral abdominal region and anorectic animals were mostly recovered within three days of post lightning period. The total economic losses were about Rs. 1,26,000/-(17.92%) in sheep and Rs. 34,500/-(18.75%) in goat flock. The total economic losses due to lightning was Rs. 1,60,500/-(18.09%) in sheep and goat flock. It concluded that the lightning strike caused severe mortality particularly to the pregnant animal, physical deformities which in terms affect the economics of sheep and goat production in field condition.
doi:10.36062/ijah.60.1.2021.109-112 fatcat:ea2tn4yx6bc73ebkfgpmdct6xi