Growel Dairy Farming Manual
Growel Dairy Farming Manual
Growel Dairy Farming Manual
Farming Manual
Foreword
Contents
Introduction
Dairy breeds
Dairy farm workers
Reproductive cycle
Bull management
Calves rearing
Rearing of dairy heifers
A Basic ration for bulling heifers
Dairy nutrition
Feeding
Feeding incalf heifers
Feeding first lactators
Factors influencing milk production in lactating cows
Number of milking per day
Dry cows management
Milk secretion
Clean milk production
The milking parlour
Machine milking
The health of a cow
Mastitis prevention
Dairy herd records
Botswana Dairy Association
Conclusion
Introduction
Dairy farming needs a hard working, determined and patient
person. The aspiring dairy farmer must know there are no
holidays throughout the year. Dairy cattle have to be fed,
watered, cleansed, their health monitored continuously and milked
everyday at specified times. Milking intervals must be kept
constant (adhered to).
A dairy farmer must have basic training in bookkeeping and keep
records on the running of the dairy and artificial insemination
(A.I.). Dairy cattle have to be loved and treated carefully for if a
farmer treats them roughly, they will retain their milk, which will
result in mastitis.
The dairy manager or farmer should have a very good working
relationship with his farm workers. Where possible a dairy farmer
should produce his/her own fodder because 75% of the farms
income is spent on feed.
Unproductive cattle should be culled, as it would be costly to keep
them on the farm. There should be constant supply of milk,
therefore dairy cattle oestrus (heat) should be desynchronised and
75% of the herd should be in milk at any given time.
Milking machines must be serviced regularly to ensure efficient
and effective operations failing which the cows udder will be lost
through inflammation of the udder given the high pressures. Strict
hygiene should be kept at all times in the open cow sheds (kraals)
in the milking parlour and the cows should be kept clean.
After milking the cows udder should be disinfected and kept
standing for at least five (5) minutes to enable closure of the
sphincter muscle in the teat canal.
When hand milking is practiced, milkers should always be clean
and to wash hands thoroughly with soap before milking and after
using the toilets. Milkers should not have cuts on their hands and
should not be suffering from any contagious disease.
Dairy cattle should be stall-fed and not to move distances grazing
because the energy they use to move long distances grazing could
be used for milk synthesis.
Dairy Breeds
The term dairy breed is used to differentiate those cattle that are
bred primarily to produce milk against those that are used for
meat production. Dairy cattle may be defined as a particular
group of animals developed in a certain area for a definite purpose
and having the same general characteristics such as colour,
conformation and quality of product i.e. milk. A purebred dairy
cow is one whose ancestry traces back to the same breed. A
registered dairy cow is a purebred that has been registered by a
particular breed association. There are six (6) major dairy breeds
found in Botswana as follows: - Friesians/Holsteins, Jerseys,
Guernseys, Dairy Swiss (Braunveih). Dairy cattle not common in
Botswana are Aryshires, Dairy Shorthorn etc.
Holstein/Friesian Breed
Holstein/Friesian as it is commonly called. The Holstein/Friesian
breed was originally developed in the Northern part of the
Netherlands in the Province of Friesland and Northern Germany.
The breed has long been known for its large body frame and high
milk yield on average 20 25 litres/day, and butterfat content
3.5%. They are docile animals. Live weight 613kg. The colour
pattern is varying proportions of black and white. There are
occasionally red and white born from a black and white parents
that carry the red factor as a recessive gene.
Picture of a Holstein/Fries land cow
The horns incline forward, are refined and medium in length and
taper towards the tips. They are small and yellow at the base.
The Guernseys are alert but not easily excited.
Butterfat content averages 4.5% and is much yellow in colour than
other breeds. The milk is also yellowish. On average a Guernsey
produces 16 litre/day of milk. The Guernsey is a larger animal
with a live weight of 459 kg. Its colour is yellowish and white with
a white nose.
Picture of Guernsey cow
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11
Dairy Simmentaller:
Originates from Germany and was also bred over generations.
Produces an average 10 17 litres of milk a day under good
management. It is a hardy animal and performs well under
Botswana conditions. The colour is either yellow and white or red
and white. It has a refined dairy conformation unlike a beef
Simmental that is muscular and rectangular in conformation. The
Dairy Simmentaller has a developed udder and is triangular in
conformation.
Picture of Dairy Simmental cow and Bull
South Devon:
It is a dual-purpose animal with a live weight of about 713 kg and
milk yield of 10 15 litres/day.
Picture of South Devon Dairy cow and Bull
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vi.
vii.
viii.
Licking.
Disorientated mounting.
Standing to be mounted (the key sign)
ii.
iii.
15
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Proven bulls are seldom sold, and their frozen semen can
be distributed world-wide.
vii.
iii.
Bull Management
When selecting dairy cattle to be used for certain mating in a
breeding program a breeder usually rates a bull on the basis of
milk production of the dam of the bull type and pedigree. In
determining the overall value of the animal the importance
attached to each trait depends on the breeders experience and
what he is trying to accomplish. The only accurate method of
identifying superior bulls is by progeny testing. When purchasing
a dairy bull the rating of its progeny is evaluated based on;i.
ii.
iii.
17
18
Calves Rearing
Some of the major reasons for mortalities in very young calves are
disorders of the intestinal tract and the respiratory tract. The
casual organisms responsible for these conditions are pathogens
(organisms causing disease) bacteria and viruses. Such mortalities
can largely be prevented through natural immunisation of the
calves by consumption of colostrum.
The offspring of cattle and other livestock gain immunity through
ingestion of the first mothers milk immediately after birth. The
antibodies are taken orally and are transmitted from the calves
digestive tract to its bloodstream via the lymphatic vessels. This
transmission of the immunoglobulin takes place through the
intestinal wall and is closely related to the prevailing acidity.
Composition of Colostrum
The composition of colostrum (milk during the first 24 hours after
calving) makes it clear that it is a more concentrated liquid than
whole milk. The extra protein in colostrums is Gama globulin
which is the antibodies. Colostrum also contains nearly double
micro and macro minerals contained in whole milk. It is a richer
source of all vitamins particularly vitamin A and E and many of the
B group. In addition colostrum contains a variety of cell like
components some of which promote passive immunity i.e.
macrophages. Colostrums therefore has an antibiotic effect.
Although colostrum has a mild laxative effect with the initial
function of setting the calves digestive tract in motion, it only leads
to looser faeces if it is fed to older calves. It does not course
diarrhoea, colostrum must never be thrown away as this would be
19
eating some small amount of the mix should be rubbed onto their
mouths or a small quantity of the mix could be dropped in their
milk feeding buckets.
As calves normally start eating when they are a week old, good
quality hay could be introduced to them.
The feeding of good quality leguminous crops, Lucerne and or
Dolichos Lablab stimulates rumen development. Drinking water
should always be available.
Care of the Dairy Calf from Weaning to 3 Months
After calves have been weaned at 5 or 8 weeks old, calves can be
fed a maximum of 3 kilograms of calf starter a day and good
quality hay should be available ad-lib to stimulate rumen
development. Milk ration can be reduced correspondingly, this
eliminating growth breaks.
Housing of Calves
The calf box should be light, dry and draft free and if possible
separated from the cowshed in order to diminish the risk of
infection.
During the colostrums period i.e. 4-5 days, the calves are
preferably kept in littered single boxes which should be a minimum
of 120cm long and 90cm wide. The single box has its undeniable
advantage for the colostrum period. Only here the calves can be
individually taken care of during this important start phase.
However farmers become more and more aware of the fact that,
from the second week of life calves are by far suitably kept in
group boxes. The recommendations of the new calf keeping
regulation point in this direction.
21
Additional Advantages
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
23
24
27
first three months of lactation. From 120 days after calving the
body mass gradually increases until calving.
In order to exploit the potential milk production of a cow the
feeding of a dairy cow should be divided into four stages as
follows: (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
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Ayrshire
Dairy Swiss
Guernsey
Friesian
Jersey
Dairy
Shorthorn
MILK PRODUCTION
Milk/kg
3,475
3,506
3,980
3,379
3,052
3,271
BUTTERFAT
%
3.79
3.59
3.59
4.25
4.73
3.71
kg
132
126
143
144
144
121
Maintenance
Growth
Milk Production
Pregnancy
30
31
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and well kept hay crop silage of quality is palatable and will be
eaten by cows.
It is usually easy to provide a palatable concentrate mixture for
dairy cattle. Dairy cows enjoy common grains and its by products
concentrated. Feeds such as linseed oil meal, cottonseed cake,
molasses, bran etc improve the palatability of a concentrate
mixture.
Greater variety frequently improves the ration nutritive value and
the amount that the animals will consume. A combination of hay
and silage frequently results in greater dry matter consumption
than either one feed as the sole forage. A combination of several
concentrates is often more palatable than a simple mixture. If
cows eat normal amounts of forage bulkiness of the concentrate
mixture is not a problem. Bulkiness of the concentrates mixture is
desirable however the ration must also contain some forage.
Laxative feeds are desirable. Feeds such as linseed cake molasses
etc counteract the constipation nature of mature hay, corn stover
and straw. Liberal amounts of legume hay and good silage will
produce the desired laxative effect in a balanced ration.
DRY COWS MANAGEMENT
A dry period of approximately 60 days between lactation is
essential for fair milk production in the ensuing lactation. In short
the dry period is the time from the end of lactation until the cow
calves again. Many farmers have a tendency to neglect their cows
during the dry period.
During the dry period the cows udder gets the opportunity to
recover after the 305 days of the lactation period. This is essential
because if the cow is not allowed this rest period the next lactation
could result in a loss of at least 30% in milk production. It is
estimated that the calf (foetus) gains 60% of its birth weight
during the last six (6) weeks before calving. This therefore means
that the cow should be well fed during this critical growth phase
for the foetus. The feed conversion of a dry cow is less effective
than that of a lactating cow. When a cow is milking the cows
mineral reserves are depleted and cannot be stored unlike energy
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34
This contraction
Consequently the milk flows down into the tube system where it is
recovered by the milking process. A period of about one minute
expires from the induction of stimulation to the contraction of the
alveoli.
If the milking machine is attached without any effective
stimulation only, the little milk which is present in the teat and
udder cisterns is recovered (milked out.)
The sucking and
pressing action of the milking machine may also have a stimulation
effect on the hypothesis which expedites oxytocin secretion.
However after the first milk has been removed within 10 to 15
seconds, the vacuum and pressure on the empty teat cause pain
or irritation which causes the cow to keep back her milk.
Should a cow experience pain first before milking, be frightened
and or be restless the hormone adrenaline is secreted by the
adrenal glands and nerve ends. Adrenaline is also carried in the
blood through the heart to the udder where it narrows the fine
veins which should transport the oxytocin to the alveoli. This
narrows the small veins causing the oxytocin not to reach the
alveoli and consequently the contraction of the alveoli is
prevented.
If a cow has been frightened before milking and does not want to
let her milk flow, she must be allowed to rest for 15 to 20 minutes
during this period the adrenaline will disappear.
Contact stimulation such as massage encourage teat action, the
washing and rubbing of the udder for at least 20 seconds and the
drying of the udder with disposable paper towels stimulates the
necessary oxytocin secretion. Some cows react to secondary
stimulation such as noise made by the vacuum pump, milking
machines or the smell of concentrates fed during milking.
Some cows milk even flows from the teats before stimulation
through contact is undesirable as the oxytocin is wasted before
milking. Cows should be used to regular routine of contact
stimulation only.
36
Fly control: There are two major reasons for fly control:(i)
(ii)
(i)
39
untouched by
contamination.
(ii)
hand
and
free
from
air-borne
40
Cows tested negative for mastitis should have the lower third of
the quarter washed with clean running water from the pipe. A rag,
sponge or cloth/sack should not be used as the material transmits
mastitis bacteria from cow to cow. Milkers preferably should wear
smooth cloves, which are dipped in a disinfectant between milking
of different cows. A disinfectant such as chlorinated lime added to
water is useful for this purpose. Washing the udder, which should
last at least 20 seconds acts as stimulation. Very dirty udders are
usually washed a little longer.
After washing the udder is dried with a disposable towel. Removal
of the dirty water running down the udder to the tip of the teat
ensures hygienic milk with a low bacterial count.
The process of testing of mastitis, washing and drying lasts
approximately a minute, after which the teat cups are applied to
the teats. The claw piece and one teat cup should be held in
preparation to apply the teat cup to the teat.
During the milking process care should be taken that air does not
enter between the teat and teat cup liner. Any flow of air will
cause irritation and promote mastitis.
As soon as the milk flow decreases at the end of milking the teatcups are stripped (removed) by using the hand to exert slight
pressure on the front on the claw piece. Stripping (removing) the
teat cup should not last longer than 15 to 30 seconds. If the
process is not carried out carefully the teat canal will be injured
which can give rise to mastitis.
The vacuum is cut off as soon as the milk flow stops. Air is then
let into one of the teat cup linings by pressing the teat in such a
way that air can enter next to it. No force should be necessary
and the teat cups are then easily removed.
After the teat cups have been removed each teat should be dipped
into a gentle disinfectant (usually with either iodophor or hypo
chlorite solution). It is important the solution (disinfectant) is
replaced regularly and is not left in the open to the air between
milkings as it may go flat (lose effect).
41
normal
moderate
high
very high
43
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
DAIRY HERDBOOKS
It is desirable that dairymen and women use a dairy herd book to
maintain the necessary records on their cattle. Such books vary
from complex expensive types to inexpensive notebooks. A
substantial and fairly complete handbook is particularly useful for
the breeder of purebred cattle. It also can be used to advantage
by the breeders of grades (not purebred). Some breeders carry a
pocket size herd book, which is particularly useful in discussing the
records of animals with prospective buyers.
A good herd book should provide for recording such information as
the name and registration number of the animal, names and
numbers of sire and dam, date of birth, breeder, breeding record
including name, number, sire and disposition of each off-spring,
daily monthly and lactation period of (305 days) production of
milk, the age of cows at which the records were made, a health
record form and pedigree of three generations. Such records
when kept over a period of many years are of great help in herd
improvement.
BOTSWANA DAIRY ASSOCIATION
The Botswana Dairy Association has been formed by dairy farmers
in Botswana to serve as a mouthpiece for the farmers to negotiate
with government and or with other organization, thus protecting
the farmers interests.
Status of the Association
(i)
(ii)
(iv)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
48
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
CONCLUSION
The Dairy Section, Ministry of Agriculture will highly appreciate if
this handbook was worth reading given the endeavor by the
author to outline some of the basic management requirements for
a successful dairy business enterprise. Notwithstanding, aspiring
dairy farmers have to source more information from dairy journals,
workshops etc.
It is worth to note that dairy farmers should use expert advice
from dairy extension officers and veterinarians. A dairy farmer
must be a good manager who keeps records and manages his
finances amicably. Milk production is highly dependant on good
quality feed and therefore dairy cattle of good dairy genetic
potential should be fed well balanced rations to produce good
quality milk and good yields.
Dairy farming has no holiday and it is worth the farmers taking a
break but leave a good manager in charge of the running of the
dairy in his absence. A dairy farmer should have passion for dairy
49
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
practices
and
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51