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CattleFeed

The Secret Lives of Cows, cows “can be highly intelligent, moderately so, or slow
to understand; friendly, considerate, aggressive, docile, inventive, dull, proud, or shy”.

In addition to having distinct personalities, cows are generally intelligent animals who can
remember things for a long time, according to recent studies. Animal behaviourists have
found that cows interact in socially complex ways – they develop friendships over time,
sometimes hold grudges against cows who treat them badly, form social hierarchies within
their herds and choose leaders based on intelligence. They are emotionally complex as well
and even have the capacity to worry about the future.

India’s Current Standards
The following are the standards for cities or towns with populations greater than 1 lakh
people:
• Every person with more than five cattle kept for the purpose of profit must be registered
with the veterinary department of the state government or a local authority
specified by the state government.
• Every registration application must supply full information about the number and
types of animals to be kept, the size of the area in which they will be kept, flooring and
ventilation, food and water supply, disinfection, drainage, waste disposal and any other
relevant details.
• If the registering authority is satisfied about the welfare of the animals, the registration
certificate will be issued.
• Every registration certificate is valid for three years, after which an application for
renewal must be made.
• Every registered premise may at any time be inspected by an authorised veterinarian
or public health officer of the local or state government.
• If the premises are not properly maintained, the registration can be cancelled.
• Wherever milch cattle are kept, the owner must display a copy (in the local language)
of Section 12 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which prohibits the use of
phooka and doom dev.
• It is illegal to keep cattle chained to the railing of sidewalks. Under the law, milch
animals are required to be provided with proper shelter (PCA, Section 11). Under the
Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1954, tethering cattle on any public street in the city
is prohibited. Such cattle may be confiscated under the Cattle Trespassing Act 1871.
Most municipal corporations have similar rules.
• Dairy owners must provide proper shelter with provisions to protect animals from heat,
cold and rain (PCA, Section 11).
• Owners must provide animals with adequate food (PCA, Section 11). Owners who
leave their cattle to forage in rubbish dumps can be fined and jailed for up to three
months. These cattle can be confiscated, and owners will have to pay a fine for their
release. Dairies should be checked to make sure there is a sufficient number of food
and water troughs.
• Under the State Cow Preservation Act, which is enacted by most states in India, it is
illegal to kill calves. Dairy owners who kill male calves may be fined, jailed or both. The
dairy may also be closed down.
• It is illegal to administer any injurious drugs to animals (PCA, Section 11) or to use
injections of any kind or to conduct any operation called phooka or doom dev to
“improve” lactation (PCA, Section 12). The use of Oxytocin (a Schedule H drug which
may not be purchased without a prescription) injections can be punished with a fine,