Hello Sir
Modern and well established scientific principles ,practices and skills should be used to obtain maximum economic benefits from dairy farming.
Some of the major norms and recomondationtions are:
Care full selection of animals
feeding of animals
milking of animals
HOUSING OF DAIRY CATTLE
Selection of Site for Dairy Farm:The points which should be considered before the erection of dairy buildings are as follows :
1. Topography :
A dairy building should be at a higher elevation than the surrounding ground to offer a good slope for rainfall and drainage for the wastes of the dairy to avoid stagnation within. A levelled area requires less site preparation and thus lesser cost of building. Low lands and depression and proximity to places of bad odour should be avoided.
2. Soil Type : Fertile soil should be spared for cultivation. Foundation soil as. far as possible should not- too dehydrated or desiccated. Such a soil is susceptible to considerable swelling during rainy season and exhibit numerous cracks and fissures.
3. Exposure to the sun and protection from wind : A dairy building should be located to a maximum exposure to the sun in the north and minimum exposure to the sun in the south and protection from prevailing strong wind currents whether hot or cold. Buildings should be placed so that direct sunlight can reach the platforms, gutter and mangers; in the cattle shed. As far as possible, the long axis of the dairy barns should -be set in north- south direction to have the maximum benefit of the sun.
4. Accessibility : Easy accessibility to the buildings is always desirable. Situation of a cattle shed by the side of the main road preferably a distance of about 100 meters should be aimed at.
5. Durability and Attractiveness : It is always attractive when the buildings open upto a scenic view and add to the gradeur of the scenery. Along with this, durability of the structure is obviously an important criteria in building a dairy.
6. Water Supply : Abundant supply of fresh, clean and soft water should be available at a cheap rate.
7. Surrounding : Areas infested with wild animals and ‘daoits; should be avoided. Narrow gates, high manger curbs, loose hinges, protruding nails, smooth finished floor in the areas where the cows move and other such hazards -should be eliminated.
8. Labour : Honest, economic and regular supply of labour be available.
9. Marketing : Dairy buildings should only be in those areas from where the owner can sell his products profitability and regularly. He should be in a position to satisfy the needs of the farm within no time and at a reasonable price.
10. Electricity : Electricity is the most important sanitary method of lighting a dairy. Since a modern dairy always handles electric equipments which are also economical, it is desirable to have an adequate supply of electricity.
11. Facilities, labour and food : Cattle yards should be so constructed and situated in relation to feed storages, hay stacks, silo and manure pits as to effect the most efficient utilisation of labour. Sufficient space per cow well arranged feeding mangers and resting
areas contribute not only to greater milk yield of cows and make the work the operator easier but also minimise feed expense.
The most widely prevalent practice in this country is to tie the cows with rope on a Katcha floor except some organised dairy farms belonging to government, co-operatives or military where proper housing facilities exist. It is quite easy to understand that unless cattle are provided wit good housing facilities, the animals will move too far in or out of th standing space, defeating all round and even causing trampling an wasting of feed by stepping into the managers. The animals will be exposed to extreme weather conditions all leading to bad health and lower production.
Indian cattle breeds of cattle classified in to three types
a) Milch breeds / Milk breeds
b) Dual Purpose breeds
c) Draught breeds
Milch Breeds / Milk Breeds :The cows of these breeds are high milk yields and the male animals are slow or poor work animals. The examples of Indian milch breeds are sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Gir and Deoni The milk production of milk breeds is on the average
more than 1600 kg. Per lactation.
Dual Purpose Breeds :The cows in these breeds are average milk yielder and male animals are very useful for work. Their milk production per lactation is 500 kg to 150 kg. The example of this group are Ongole, Hariana, Kankrej, Tharparker, Krishna
valley, Rathi and Goalo Mewathi.
DRAUGHT BREEDS: The male animals are good for work and Cows are poor milk yielders are their milk yield as an average is less than 500 kg per lactation. They are usually white in colour. A pair of bullocks can haul 1000 kg.
The lactation yield in Indian breeds is ver;y low compared to exotic breeds. This is dependent on no.. of calving, frequency of milking, persistency of yield(Normally in dairy cattle 30 - 40 % increase in milk production from first lactation to maturity is observed. After 3 or 4 lactation the production starts declining.
Optimum lactation period is 305 day.
During lactation period the animal reaches maximum milk yield per day with in 2-4 weeks which is called peak yield.
The age o the animal at first calving is very important for high life time production. The desirable age at first calving in Indian breeds is 3 years, 2 years in cr ss breed cattle and 3 1/2 years in Buffaloes. Prolonged age at first calving will have high production in the first lactation) but the life time production will be decreased due to less no of calvings. If the age at first calving is below optimum,
the calves born are weak, difficulty in calving and less milk production in first lactation.
For cattle the optimum service period is 60-90 days.
It is the period from the date of drying (stop of milk production) to next calving When the animal is in pregnancy, before next calving. The animal should be given rest _period to compensate for growth of foctus. A minimum of 2 - 2½ months dry period should be allowed) If the dry period is not given or too low dry period, the animals suffer from stress and in next lactation, the milk
production drops substantially and also it gives weak calves. On the other hand if the dry period given is too high, it may not have that much effect on increasing milk yield in the next lactation, but it decrease the production in the present lactation.
This is the -period between two successive calvings. It is more, profitable to have one calf yearly in cattle and at least one calf for every 15 months in buffaloes. If the calving interval is more, the total no. of carvings in he life time will be decreased and also total life production of milk.
