GOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL DAIRY FARMING IN INDIA : A PRACTICAL APPROACH

 

GOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL DAIRY FARMING IN INDIA : A PRACTICAL APPROACH

INTRODUCTION

The value for milk is among the highest in India’s agriculture and food sector, more than that of rice and wheat together. In India, the dairy sector plays a significant role in generating employment opportunities, providing a basic food source, improving the country’s economy, afford stable income to rural households and helps to combat poverty. The economic effects of the dairy industry are consequential in India due to its major contribution to the country’s GDP. The dairy and animal husbandry sector contributes 4.2% of the national GDP (National Accounts Statistics, GoI, 2019). However, the majority of the milk supply channel is informal and lacks maintenance of quality. Hence, there is an increased demand for hygienic milk production to prevent harmful disease transmission after its consumption.

Good management practices appear to tackle these problems and effectively overcome them. For the dairy farm to be successful, proper management becomes the chief area of concern for the farm owners (FAO, 2011). More emphasis must be given to introduce modern technologies and strategies to incur maximum profits.

India’s milk production is growing by 36% for the last five years to 187.7 million tonnes in 2018-19 (DAHD&F, GoI, 2019). Even the per capita availability of milk has increased to 394 g/day in 2018-19 (DAHD&F, GoI, 2019). To further strengthen the quality of milk along with the production quantity, the management aspect plays a key role. In this article, we have explained various good management practices to be conducted to become a successful dairy farmer in India.

DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL DAIRY FARMING

The management practices to obtain better results for successful dairy farming are:

1. NUTRITION MANAGEMENT (FEED AND WATER)
2. FORAGE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
3. HOUSING AND MANURE MANAGEMENT
4. HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
5. MILKING HYGIENE AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT
6. ANIMAL WELFARE
7. REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT
8. YOUNG STOCK MANAGEMENT
9. RECORD KEEPING
10. NUTRITION MANAGEMENT (FEED AND WATER)

Production levels of the dairy animals majorly depend upon the nutrition supplied to them. Nutrition management is the most important aspect in the success of dairy farming, as it constitutes almost 70% of total milk production cost. Feeding better quality and sufficient quantity of feed will enhance milk production in cows.

The nutrient requirement varies in cattle at different stages of life viz. during the stages of growth, lactation, pregnancy, physical activity and climatic changes. The dairy farm owners must fulfill these requirements to gain enormous profit from the dairy farm.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Enhance the milk production
2. Reduce the stress and discomfort
3. Maintenance of animal health
4. Cost-effective nutrient fulfillment
5. Improvement in reproductive efficiency
6. Increased growth rate
7. Control the potential effect of dairy feed production on the environment

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Adequate supply of green fodder everyday
• Provide fresh and clean drinking water
• Fulfill the nutrient requirements of the dairy animals
• Diet with adequate proportions of roughages and concentrates
• Conservation of green fodder as ‘silage or ‘hay
• Provide ‘Balanced Ration’ to fulfill the above objectives
• Slow and gradual introduction of new feed or fodder in the diet
• Provide the best quality of feed
• Chaffing of forage helps to increase surface area to enhance digestibility
• Feeding bypass protein helps to increase the efficiency of milk production
• Supplementation of diet with mineral mixtures
• Proper feed analysis before feeding
• Feed and water must be free from toxins, chemicals residues or other contaminants
• Storage of the feed under proper conditions to prevent their contamination or spoilage
• Low quality or mouldy feed must be rejected
• Feed supplied must satisfy all the quality assurance measures
• The register is maintained to enter the records of feed received on the farm
• To combat heat stress in summer, buffaloes and crossbred cows must be given a minimum 80-100 litres of water per day and be given a bath twice daily

 

1. FORAGE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

In the Indian context, forage production plays a vital role in dairy farming as it contributes more profit to the business. Forage is the cheaper source of nutrients that is highly relished by animals. Local cultivation of different varieties of fodders has increased tremendously in India. Even poor farmers are able to cultivate certain forages beneficial for the animals. Hence, it is necessary to look after the proper management of fodder production.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Ensure year round forage supply
2. Utilisation of on-farm forage in major proportion
3. Excess fodder stored properly for use in scarcity

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Assurance of year-round fodder supplies-
• Utilize certified seeds of improved variety forage crops
• Follow proper forage production practices
• Cultivation of cereal forages (E.g. Maize, Sorghum) along with legumes (E.g. Cowpea, Lucerne)
• Prefer multi-cut perennial forages as they are high yielders (E.g. Hybrid Napier)
• Appropriate use of chemicals and fertilizers
• Choosing the best forages suitable for cultivation in that particular area
• Feeding and harvesting the fodder at the appropriate maturity stage
• Enforce irrigation and pest management strategies during forage production
• Perform better agronomy practices to enhance the fodder quality and increase its growth
• Enrichment of forage to increase palatability and digestibility – E.g. Urea-Ammonia treatment of Straws
• Conservation of fodder as ‘Hay’ or ‘Silage’
• Usage of automatic fodder movers and pick up devices for better management and reduction of forage wastage

ADVANTAGES OF FEEDING GREEN FODDER:

• Increases milk production
• Economical and cost-effective
• Highly digestible and palatable
• Improves digestibility of crop residues
• Improves breeding efficiency
• Reduce the cost of milk production
• Maintains good health

 

1. HOUSING AND MANURE MANAGEMENT

In India, the most neglected aspect in dairy farming is the proper housing of the cattle, which poses a prominent challenge to maintain the comfort of the animals. The animals under comfortable shelter conditions show increased productivity. There is a negative impact on the production levels of cattle due to various environmental stressors. Hence, these stressors must be considered for efficient housing management. The most common stressors in Indian climatic conditions are heat stress, lack of drinking water supply, improper ventilation and unconventional stalls for feeding. The type of housing indirectly influences feeding, reproduction efficiency, disease control, manure waste management, production parameters of the dairy animals.

Cow dung is considered a “precious” waste product in Indian dairy farms. It is often used as a natural fertilizer that improves the fertility of the soil. Sometimes it can be used as a source of energy. Improper waste disposal may cause certain diseases and fly menace. Therefore, manure and waste management are certainly essential.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To protect animals from various stressors
2. To prevent the entry of predators and organisms possessing health hazards
3. For clean milk production
4. Enhance the productivity of animals
5. Protect milch animals from extreme heat, cold, winds and direct sun rays
6. Efficient collection and utilization of manure and urine
7. Prevent fly menace

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Floors must be clean and non-slippery
• Dairy sheds must be well-designed
• Follow standard heights and length of the building while construction
• Construction of shed by using locally available materials
• Zero-grazing housing and feeding system is carried out
• Proper lighting and ventilation facilities
• Sufficient space for adult animals for lying
• Bedding must be soft
• Feed mangers must be well placed
• Walkaways and resting stalls
• Maintenance of temperature
• Equip modern technology and devices
• Proper cleaning of the shed
• Dairy farm should have well integrated waste management system
• Principles such as Reuse, recycle or reduce farm waste
• Manage the disposal of manure and other wastes to minimize their impact on the environment

MANAGING HEAT STRESS

• Enough water supply for drinking
• Wallowing pits for buffaloes
• Maintain maximum shade during summer
• Install fans, blowers, foggers and misters to improve ventilation
• Roof is painted with white colour
• Feeding of animals during cooler hours of the day
• Wet gunny bags kept on the animal body
• Automatic sprinklers helps to reduce body temperature
• Barriers to protect from hot winds
• Remove excess hair
• Include mineral mixture rich in Potassium
• Electrolyte and antioxidants included in feeds

 

1. HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT

Health of the cattle is of utmost importance for successful dairy management for well-being of the farm. Animals free from diseases save the cost of production and management of the dairy farm. In India, due to improper management practices there is a chance of entry of pathogens causing many diseases in animals. Hence, it is essential to follow proper health-care management techniques to save the cattle from diseases.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Protect animals from diseases by keeping them healthy
2. Eliminating inefficiency in production due to health issues
3. Improve disease resistance in herds
4. Early disease diagnosis
5. Clean and safe milk production
6. Forbid transmission of diseases among farm animals
7. Assurance of traceability

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Regular supervision of animals to monitor their health
• Early detection of diseases and appropriate treatment
• Deworming and Vaccination of herd at scheduled time period
• Quarantine recently bought animals
• Biosecurity of the farm is maintained
• Prevention of disease occurence by efficient herd health management programmes
• Isolation of sick animals
• Secure storage of veterinary medicines and proper disposal must be done
• Maintain case sheets of unhealthy animals and the treatment provided
• Zoonotic diseases should be effectively managed
• Equipments used in the farm must be clean to prevent the spread of infectious agents
• Implementation of parasite control programmes

 

1. MILKING HYGIENE AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT

The sole purpose of the dairy farm is efficient milk production and to earn profit by the sale. Maintaining hygienic conditions in the farm play a significant role in improving the quality of milk produced. Such high quality milk free from contaminants proves to be highly profitable for dairy farm owners.

Milk being an easy medium for the entry of microorganisms has a prominent role in the public health perspective. Risk of such disease transmission is high during milk production, its handling and during the supply for marketing purposes. Therefore, to prevent economic loss of the farm it is essential to manage milk hygiene.

OBJECTIVES

1. Clean and hygienic milk production suitable for human consumption
2. To reduce losses during sales and marketing
3. Minimize milk spoilage during storage and transport

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Cows must be kept clean and dry, free from stress
• Fulfill nutrient requirements and maintain shed for clean milk production
• Proper washing of the teats, udder, and flank of the animal with water before milking
• Washing the utensils used for milking with water and disinfectants
• Keep the udder dry by wiping the water by a clean cloth
• Examine the udder and teat to check for mastitis before milking
• Correct milking techniques must be practiced
• Machine must be thoroughly cleaned before milking
• Milker must follow hygienic practices
• Milking must be done for 5 to 7 minutes
• Animals must be free from stress and be in a comfortable position
• Clean milking environment
• Animals suffering from mastitis or other disease conditions must be milked at last and the milk should be disposed
• Milk must be stored in a clean cold storage chambers/ tanks at specified temperature
• Delivery of the milk must be done as soon as possible
• Carry out certain tests to detect milk adulteration

 

1. ANIMAL WELFARE

Animal welfare is majorly related to the maintenance of animal well-being. It is highly complicated and many-sided subject, involving scientific, ethnic, social, economic and political dimensions. Animal welfare is defined by OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) as, “the physical and mental state of animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies”. Animal welfare standards must be integrated in the animal farms to maintain safety of the animals. Most of the animal welfare codes consider the “five freedoms” as the ultimate considerations for successful farm management and overall welfare of the animals.

The Five freedoms for animal welfare are:

• Assure that animals are free from hunger, thirst and malnutrition
• Assure that animals are free from discomfort
• Assure that animals are free from distress and fear
• Assure that animals are free from injury, pain and disease
• Assure that animals participate in comparatively normal behaviour

OBJECTIVES

1. Maintain healthy and productive animals
2. Maintain secure environment of animals and people
3. Proper treatment of diseases and injuries
4. Humane actions to be performed
5. Maintain social behaviour and other aggressive behaviours

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Sufficient feed and water supply daily to all the animals
• Prevent toxicity of feeds
• Proper housing, ventilation and suitable flooring must be provided to all the animals
• Injuries must be treated immediately to prevent animal distress
• Efficient herd health management and regular check-up of animals
• Poor milking methods must be avoided
• Animal behaviour must be observed to maintain herd management practices
• On farm equipments and facilities should be utilized
• Skilled workers must be kept in the farm
• Farm management practices must be carried out without pain and discomfort to the cattle

 

1. REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT

Reproductive management is mostly ignored in the Indian dairy farms. However, better reproductive management facilities are decisive in enhancing the efficiency, sustainability and profitability of the dairy farm. It includes proper heat detection, calving at right intervals, timed artificial insemination, efficient service and normal parturition.  Therefore, it is evident that following the correct management practices would definitely help in the growth of the dairy farm.

OBJECTIVES

1. To ameliorate productivity of dairy herd
2. To produce sufficient alternative
3. To maintain progeny for the future

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Efficient Utilisation of heat detection aids along with night-time observations
• Appropriate nutrient supply for reproduction
• Effective breeding stock identification
• Artificial insemination must be done at appropriate time of estrus
• Records must be maintained of individual animals regarding their reproductive parameters
• Sufficient feeding of lactating cows to rebreed, to prevent infertility problems
• Periodic checking of the herds
• Artificial Insemination must be conducted properly
• Appropriate treatment of problems related to anestrous, infertility and repeat breeding
• Implementation of mating plans
• Sufficient energy supply to the recently parturated cattle
• Enough space must be provided for pregnant animals

 

1. YOUNG STOCK MANAGEMENT

Calves are the future of the dairy farm, so it is essential to maintain good management practices of the young stock. This would help to avoid the purchase of new animals from the market. It decreases the risk of disease transmission in the farm, which in turn increases the sustainability and lucrativeness of the farm. Respiratory and intestinal tract disorders are the major causes of mortality in very young calves. Improper care of calves may increase the rate of mortality during the first 2 weeks; hence, it is necessary to look after the young stock to protect them.

OBJECTIVES

1. Rearing of young heifers to replace old dairy cows
2. Decreasing average age at first calving
3. New born calf management to reduce mortality up to 2 weeks of age
4. For better future maintenance of herd

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES:

• Calves should be born under good hygienic conditions
• New born calves must be wrapped with clean gunny bags to keep them dry
• Umbilical cord must be applied with Povidone Iodine solution (7%) immediately after he birth
• Feeding of colostrum within 30 minutes-1 hour of birth
• Provide sufficient amount of clean drinking water
• Separate calf pens with enough space must be constructed to protect from severe environmental conditions
• For better growth of calves special concentrate feed known as ‘Calf starter’ is fed
• Calf must be provided with milk at the rate of 10% of the body weight
• Ear tagging is done in calves as a permanent identification method, with better record keeping that helps in farmer’s benefit in the future
• Weaning of heifer calves at 8 weeks of age and provide balanced ration for their growth. Such heifers would show early signs of estrous.
• Deworming of the calves is done within a month of birth

 

1. RECORD KEEPING

In India, to be successful in dairy farming record keeping plays a vital role. The major element cannot be disregarded is Record keeping. Conventionally records were maintained in registers but now-a-days even computers can be used for the same. The absence of records creates problems for the owners to schedule future management programmes, which would impair the production levels further resulting in severe losses. Hence, it is most important to maintain records in a dairy farm.

TYPES OF DAIRY FARM RECORDS:

1. Animal Identification Record
2. Breeding Record
3. Feeding Record
4. Milk Production Record
5. Animal Health and Treatment Record
6. Deworming and Vaccination Record
7. Young-stock Record
8. Financial Record

REASONS FOR DAIRY FARM RECORDING

• To obtain the performance of animals and their evaluation
• For better herd supervision and their management
• Helps in precise decision making regarding the farm at various stages
• Assists in estimation of milk production quantity and its economic impact
• Helps to inform owners about the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in their farm operations
• Helps the farmers to set future goals to succeed
• Helps to determine the input and output expenditure of the farm
• To compare herd performances of previous years

CONCLUSION

For the dairy farm to be successful, proper management becomes the chief area of concern for the farm owners. The various management practices mentioned above are helpful for the prosperity of the cattle farms and their owners. A comfortable housing system and management help in this regard. Feeding better quality and sufficient quantity of feed will enhance production levels in cattle. Forage production plays a vital role in dairy farming as it contributes more profit to the business. It is essential to follow proper healthcare management techniques to save the cattle from diseases. Hygienic milk production increases the sales and production of milk. Record keeping is essential to keep balance and for analysis of various parameters of the dairy farm. Hence, good management practices lead to the success of the dairy farm in India.

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Dr. Nitish. A. Kulkarni

PhD Scholar, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana-132001

*Corresponding author- kulkarni.nitish97@gmail.com

REFERENCES

• Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHD&F), Government of India (GoI), 2019.
• Dairy Farm Management, Dairy Training Centre (DTC), SNV Ethiopia, 2017.
• Guide To Good Dairy Farming Practice, Food and Agriculture Organization,
• Handbook of Good husbandry practices, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), 2018-19.
• John Moran and Philip Chamberlain, 2017. Blueprints for Tropical Dairy Farming, CSIRO Publishing.
• Mohd Nor N, Steeneveld W, Mourits MC, Hogeveen H. The optimal number of heifer calves to be reared as dairy replacements. J Dairy Sci. 2015 Feb;98(2):861-71. doi: 10.3168/jds.2014-8329. Epub 2014 Dec 12. PMID: 25497803.
• National Accounts Statistics, Central Statistical Organisation, Government of India (GoI), 2019.