Low Productivity of Dairy Animals: Challenges & Mitigation Strategies

Low Productivity of Dairy Animals: Challenges & Mitigation Strategies

1. N. Singh, Ranjana Sinha, Manmohan Kumar, G. D. Singh, Vivek Kumar Singh, Suchit Kumar & Sumit Singhal

Bihar Veterinary College,Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna-800014

 India is the largest producer of milk among the world, and a key player in the dairy industry having significant opportunities for growth. India is the world’s top milk producer and holds the top spot, producing 24% of the world’s milk production in 2021–2022. Between the years 2014–15 and 2021–22, India’s milk production climbed by 51%, reaching 221.06 million tones. Out of which only about 18 to 20% of the total milk produced through the appropriate organized sector with little innovation.  Indian dairy farming has taken great strides and evolved significantly, after the era of white revolution or operation flood. However, the Indian rural farmers are still less aware about technological intervention in dairy sector. However, owing to the proliferation of dairy-tech start-ups by dissemination of knowledge and digitalization, the Indian dairy sector is slowly and steadily transforming. Technological innovations leads to improve farming methods and the organizational supply chain, with improving milk production. India is the largest milk producer in the global dairy industry.

Good animals are always produced not purchased, so management plays a significant role in improving lactation efficiency in dairy animals. Management is the art and science of combining ideas, facilities, processes, materials and labour to produce and market a worthwhile product or service successfully (Banerjee, G.C., 2011).

Dairy farming is most important enterprises for sustaining livelihood of rural people in India as well as to maintain nutritional security. The livestock sector has emerged as a vital sector for ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable agriculture system. Evidence from the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) showed that more than one-fifth (23 per cent) of agricultural households with very small parcels of land (less than 0.01 hectare) reported livestock as their principal source of income. Farming households with some cattle head are better able to withstand distress due to extreme weather conditions. In this context, India is blessed with a huge biodiversity of 50 indigenous cattle breeds and 17 Buffalo breeds which have survived in respect of their suitability for specific purposes in the concerned local environment.

India is one among the fastest growing economics of the world. Dairy sector is emerging as the highest contributor to the agricultural wealth of India, surpassing even cereal. India ranks first among the world’s milk producing Nations since 1998 and has the largest bovine population in the World due to untiring efforts of the late Dr. Varghese Kurien, the father of the white revolution and milk man of India. Milk production in India during the period 1950-51 to 2019-20, has increased from 17 million tons to 187.7 million tones as compared to 165.4 million tons during 2016-17 recording a growth of more than 6.65 %. The per capita availability of milk in the country which was 130 gram per day during 1950-51 has increased to 374 gram per day in 2017-18 as against the world estimated average consumption of 394 grams per day during 2019-20. This represents sustained growth in the availability of milk and milk products for our growing population. The basic strategy is to enhance the average productivity of dairy animals from the present level of 4.85 kg per day to 6.77 kg per day per indigenous animal.

For improvement the milk production potential in India we should emphasizing to strengthen the four pillars of management viz. breeding, weeding, feeding and heading.

1. Breeding: To maintain the purity and upgrade breed characters we should allow to mate with superior individuals.
2. Feeding: Dairy animals should be fed with balanced nutritious ration for their maintenance as well as for production ration.
3. Weeding: It implies culling of unwanted or poor productive dairy animals.
4. Heeding: It includes good animal management and general supervision including housing, care & management of animals during different stages of life.

Management of Dairy animals at Different life stages

1. Neonatal Management

Calves represent expansion of the herd as well as substantial source of income. Rearing of calf most difficult because young animals are susceptible to environmental variation, however, the future of any herd depends on how calves are raised. It is said that “good animals are raised not purchased”. It is impossible to purchase quality animal regularly, so one has to raise its own calves to make a good herd. Ideal farm should have calf mortality less than 5%. Calf mortality leads to

1. Reduction in milk yield
2. Shortening of lactation length
3. Not getting proper replacement from own high genetic merit.

System of Calf rearing:         

1. Suckling system– In this a calf is allowed to suckle milk directly from its mother’s udder a little before and after milking.
2. Weaning system– In this system, the calf is kept away from its mother and fed artificially. There are two types of practices of removing calf from dam.
   1. Weaned immediately after birth
   2. Calf remains with dam from 2-3 days and removed to calf pen.

Colostrum feeding: The new born should nurse and thus get the colostrums within half to one hour of birth. In sow this may slightly be delayed, piglets are removed as they succumb to injury by mother and return after parturition is completed. Calf should be fed at the rate 1/10^th of its body weight, 4-5 times in 24 hours. Colostrum is rich in immunoglobulin and intestine remains permeable up to 24-36 hrs of life. It has laxative properties.

The calf should be dewormed and vaccinated periodically. The calf should be raises with minimum expenditure and put the identification marks of each calves for record keeping.

2. Heifers Management

The well grown and developed heifers are the best foundation stock of a dairy herd. The raising of heifers should be aimed for maximum growth and development, earliest maturity, obtaining good milk production in her first lactation. The heifers can be raised by two ways.

1. Outdoor Systems: Heifers are raised mainly on grazing land or Pasteur. Heifers should be grazed rotationally in grassland containing leguminous grass with less crowd. Concentrates and minerals may be provided through trough centrally located in the field.
2. Indoor systems: In this system heifers should be kept in yards with adequate shed. It should be provided with good quality hay/roughage along with good quality concentrates.

There should be provision of additional concentrates in form of pregnancy allowances to pregnant heifers in terms of steaming-up and challenge feeding.

1. Steaming-up:Provision of extra concentrate ration in form of good quality concentrates and forages prior to 6-8 weeks of expected date of calving. igh plane of nutrition 6 to 8 weeks before calving/ giving birth. The feed should be of a good quality concentrate plus some good quality forage. Steaming-up should be done for following reasons
2. Heifers continuously grow
3. She bears unborn calves

iii. To produce more milk after calving

1. To maintain good health during lactation period
2. To reduce the chances of calf mortality

1. Challenge feeding:Challenge feedingmeans the cow with high milk production potential are to be fed increase quantity of concentrate to ‘challenge’ them to produce to the maximum milk or achieve its peak yield as early as possible. It should be started two weeks before the expected date of calving by starting additional feeding 500 g of good quality concentrate mixture.

The other management practices should also give due importance for maximizing the production in succeeding lactation viz. udder massaging or moping of udder & washing with luke water, regular exercise, culling, deworming and vaccination etc. 

3. Management of Pregnant and Dry animals

Provides well nutritious ration with plenty of fresh water and comfort to the pregnant cows. Shifting of advanced pregnant animals should be done two weeks prior to expected dates of calving into maternity/Calving Pen. Take vigilant care to the pregnant animal regularly.

From the day the cows stops the giving milk to the day of next calving is called dry period. Dry period is necessary for repair & regeneration of udder tissues and to give rest to cows udder & recoup its normal condition leads to significantly improving the production potential during the succeeding lactation.

4. Management of dairy animals during Transition periods

Transition period is defined as time frame from 3 weeks before calving to 3 weeks after calving. It is characterized by tremendous metabolic and endocrine adjustments that the cows must experience from late gestation to early lactation. All the concepts of sound  nutrition  that are important in the pre-calving transition period are equally important in the post-calving transition period. Continued ruminal adaptation  to high concentrate diets is critical to control the  risk of  ruminal acidosis, careful attention  to mineral  metabolism,  as well  as energy  and  protein  metabolism, is  essential for  a successful  lactation. Again, the concepts of homeostatic and homeorhetic changes are crucial. Careful attention to minimize the depth and length of negative energy and protein balance are equally as important as the provision of adequate calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.  Apart  from  the  nutritional  aspects,  housing  is  also  very  important  for  effective  management  of transition  cows  especially  to  reduce  the  incidence  of  the  probable  complications  arising  out  of  metabolic disturbances.

5. Management of dairy animals before, during and after calving
6. Before parturition:The most important thing is to know the expected date of calving. The nutritional requirements of the animal will be changes with the progression of pregnancy. Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients should be provided in optimum quantity. When the gestation period is near to be completed, the cow should be examined regularly for the symptoms of calving. It includes swelling of the vulva, relaxation of sacro-sciatic ligaments, swelling of the udder, thick mucus discharge from vulva and uneasiness of the animal.
7. During parturition:Normally the parturition process takes around 2 to 3 hours. In the case of primi-parous animals, it may take 4 to 5 hours or more. During parturition, the animal should not be disturbed but should be observed from a distance.  Sometimes, the calf is presented in an abnormal condition which is termed as dystocia. In this condition, veterinary help is very much essential.
8. After parturition:After parturition, the genitalia and tail should be washed with warm water containing potassium permanganate or Neem leaves boiled in water. This antiseptic wash is very much essential to avoid contamination of pathogens. It is advisable to provide some warm water mixed with molasses to the animal.  The udder is swollen before calving. It should be protected from injury. The animal should be milked after parturition.

The placenta generally expels within 2 to 4 hours. Beyond 8 to 12 hours, the veterinary doctor should be consulted. Care should be taken to avoid ingestion of the placenta by the animal. It can result in excess protein intake that can cause a decrease in milk yield.  The diet should be formulated carefully after parturition. After parturition, the cow starts milk production and there is a huge physiological change in the body of the animal. So, the feed provided to the animals should fulfill all the need of the animal. It should also be remembered that the calf is totally dependent on its mother at this time. Care should be taken if we want the calf to be a productive animal in later life.

5. Management of Lactating animals

Dairy animals are usually tied up in byres, either by ropes or in stanchions, in most Indian dairy farms. Stall-feeding is much commoner than pasturing, especially for milk production. This practice appears to be quite sound, provided the animals are untied and released frequently for watering or for exercise. Most of the difficulties can be conveniently overcome under the loose housing system where animals are kept loose in a loose in paddock with sufficient manger space and watering troughs, so that the animals are given fodder, water, exercise and shelter ad lib. Animals are tied and washed or groomed only at the time of milking. This system is very convenient for maintaining large herds.

The grazing of dairy animals is not quite suited to India where one depends more on cultivated fodder crops, many of which have to be chaffed for better utilization. Under stall-fed conditions and intensive farming as many as adult cows or buffaloes per hectare can be maintained, but this appears impossible in case of grazing.

The feeding of cows should be according to their level of production. High producing milch animals needs special attention in terms of feeding and health management for persistent milk production.

Disease control through vaccination should be followed according to schedule is essential to maintain proper health as well as milk production. In summer, the animal should be kept in the open during the night, because building which have been heated during the day radiate heat at night. High producing animal also tend to eat more at night, and hence it may be better to give fresh cool fodders in the evening and early morning than during the hot day.

During all seasons, intake of nutrients through good quality forages should be maximized so that the intake of more expensive concentrates can be reduced, thereby reducing cost of milk production. For this purpose, various other stratagems, including group feeding, increasing the palatability of forage by spraying molasses etc., are often practiced by successful dairymen.

The common idea that ad lib feeding of forage means feeding as much forage as the cow will clean up needs revision. Well-fed cows will always waste some fodder especially when it became un-palatable from admixture with weeds or even when it gets stale in the manger. So always avoid wastage of feed to reduce cost of milk production. The best way of utilizing forage wasted by cows, under Indian conditions, appear to be to dry it in the sun and use it as bedding.

A cow should always be treated with kindness if she is to maintain production. The beating of a cow should never be allowed under any circumstances. If cows come under any stressful condition, then their milk production affect significantly due to release of stress hormone. So always handle the cow with kindness.

Grooming should be a part of daily routine in a well-kept herd. Grooming or brushing is essential as it removes dirt and loose hairs from the body. Regular grooming and removing manure or litter from their bodies not only help to keep the hide pliable but also make possible the production of clean milk. The clipping of the long hair from the udder and hind legs and the rear flanks will have to prevent accumulation of filth. Grooming and brushing will reduce the parasitic load and the blood circulation also improves. So this should be a part of routine work of a dairy farm.

1. Management of cows during milking

The milking should be done with actual milking procedure i.e. for hand milking dry, full hand method is considered to be best. Rapid milking is important, because the hormone, oxytocin, responsible for squeezing out the milk from the alveoli of a gland.

In machine milking avoid application of extra pressure on teat to reduce the chance of injury to the teat tissue and always-used clean and sanitized milking machine equipment’s before milking.

After milking the teat should be washed and disinfected by dipping them, in a suitable disinfectant solution, especially for reducing the incidence of mastitis.

1. Clean milk production

The milk which is obtained from healthy cow possess good flavor free from dung, dirt, dust, feed particles, insects, low bacterial count, free from pathogen is called as clean milk production. Clean milk production is profitable for producers, manufacturers and consumers.

 

8. Breeding management:

It is well said that “Without reproduction there will be no production”. So we should give due weightage on reproductive or breeding parameters to improve the breeding soundness in dairy animals. In India coverage under Artificial Insemination (A.I.) in cattle & Buffalo is hardly 35% due to less availability of good quality germplasm & semen straw. To improve breeding parameters viz. age of puberty, age of maturity, age of first conception, service period, calving interval there should be proper heat detection, training of A.I. workers, availability of superior germplasm, hormonal treatment and provision of breeding ration with mineral supplementation is utmost important.

9. Housing Management:

Animal Housing is required to protect the animals from inclement weather, provide clean, comfortable stay for good health of animals and for efficient management. Inadequate and improper planning results in additional labour charges and increased costs in maintenance of sheds. Adequate housing to animals is aimed at increased milk production, better labour utilization, better health of animals, disease control, better care and management of animals resulting in production of high quality milk resulting in a remunerative price and better profit of the farm.

Animal’s inability to dissipate sufficient heat to maintain homeothermy, which is caused primarily by high air temperature, high  humidity, thermal radiation, air movement and  by metabolic heat production.

Different housing system are available viz. loose housing, conventional barn system and free range system. Type of housing should be choosen depending upon the geographical and local conditions with likes and dislikes of the farmer keeping economics in mind. Loose housing system is more suitable to our Indian conditions.

10. Health management

Health management is one of the most important factors for obtaining higher milk production potential from dairy animals. We should also focus on teat and udder health on routine basis so that if any abnormality is found, corrective measures can be taken immediately.  To prevent the disease transmission and secure health condition we should strictly adopt the following practices.

1. Isolation:Segregation of animals which are known to be or suspected/affected with contagious disease, from apparently healthy animals. Such segregated animals should be housed in a separate isolation box or shed located away from the normal animal shed.
2. Quarantine:Quarantine is the segregation of apparently healthy animals or newly purchased animals which have been to be exposed to the risk of infection from those animals which are healthy and un-exposed to the risk of infection. A quarantine period depends upon the incubation period of diseases. A quarantine period of 30 days is sufficient for almost to observe the sign and symptoms of diseases.
3. Proper Disposal of Carcass & Placenta:Proper disposal of carcass of dead animals died due to contagious diseases and placenta of aborted animals is of utmost importance in preventing the spread of disease in other animals and also for human beings by using either burial or incineration methods.
4.  Sanitation & Disinfection:Majority of livestock is managed by illiterate and ignorant rural people, who ignore the basic principles of hygiene and sanitation. Animal house and surroundings. Hygiene means to make premises neat and clean while Sanitation is the process of adopting hygienic measures which nullifies the factors which deteriorate health and create condition to secure health and ensure production of qood quality products.
5.  Dis-infestation and Disinfestation: Act of destroying the cause of infection is termed as disinfection and the compounds which are used to kill bacteria and parasites are called disinfectant. Dis-infestation comprises of elimination of source of infection, preventing animals from ill health by.
6. f. Deworming:Killing of internal parasites by using anthelmentic drug is called as deworming, to reduce worm load and improve health condition.
7.  Dipping, Pouring, spraying:It is practiced to remove ectoparasites from animal body by using ectoparasiticidal drugs or chemical.
8. Vaccination:Vaccination is a practice of artificially building-up immunity in the animal body against specific infectious diseases by injecting biological agents. The animal should be vaccinated against FMD, HS, B.Q., T.B., Anthrax, Pox, PPR and enterotoxaemia etc.

11. Animal Waste management

Animal waste contains many beneficial constituents that if recycled effectively, can be used as fertilizer for crops, fodder for animals and to produce energy. Animal manure is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, provide supplemental nutrients for crop growth, manure has several beneficial effects on soil properties. Organic wastes also improves water filtration rate, water holding capacity and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil. All these properties of animal waste will be available only if they are carefully managed. If not they might cause detrimental effects on the environment.

12. Utilization of crop residues

The livestock owners should provide the balanced ration in form of good quality concentrates, roughages and green fodder. Provides concentrates with high quality proteins enrich with bypass fat and protein, 25-30 kg good lush green fodder and 4-5 kg dry fodder along with chelated mineral mixtures. Feeding of prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, anti-oxidants nutrigenomic and immunomodulatory herbal preparations.

The poor quality roughages should be treated with urea or NPN substances also plays a very significant effect on digestibility, productivity and profitability. Feeding of UMMB and salt lick also plays very

13. Biosecurity measures

Biosecurity and hygienic measures should be adopted strictly in a organized dairy farm to enhance milk production in current lactation as well as in succeeding lactation. Biosecurity means “Protection from exposure to disease”. Good biosecurity practices reduce the risk of disease in herd so the animals will be healthier, more productive and profitable.

14. Hygiene and Sanitation

Majority of livestock is managed by illiterate and ignorant rural people, who ignore the basic principles of hygiene and sanitation. Animal house and surroundings. Hygiene means to make premises neat and clean while Sanitation is the process of adopting hygienic measures which nullifies the factors which deteriorate health and create condition to secure health and ensure production of qood quality products.

The farm premises should also be neat and clean, there should be daily sweeping in the farm areas and washing of utensils. The cleaning of manger and water trough should be practiced regularly.

Besides the livestock management we should also emphasize and gives due wightage to improve milk production of India.

14. Women empowerment

The majority of the world’s food producers are women. Livestock production is largely in the hands of women. Most of the animal farming activities such as fodder collection, feeding, watering, and health care, management, milking and household-level processing, value addition and marketing are performed by women. Therefore, there is a urgent need to provide scientific training on dairy farm management.

15. Conservation of Indigenous germplasm

Germplasm conservation is the most successful method to conserve the genetic traits of endangered and commercially valuable species to maintain disease resistance, heat tolerance, ability to survive on diets with a very low nutritional value and adaptation to local environment. The milk of Indigenous animals are very good quality with high nutritional value. So it is very important to conserve our indigenous germplasm.

16. Co-operative system

Feeling of co-operation and support to each other should be present for successful and profitable dairy farming as well as other enterprises. The milk union societies or co-operative can be successfully operated by proper co-operation and co-ordination of villagers to each other.

17. Government Initiatives for Improving milk Production

Government of India is making efforts for strengthening infrastructure for production of quality milk, procurement, processing and marketing of milk and milk products through following Dairy Development Schemes

1. National Programme for Dairy Development(NPDD)
2. National Dairy Plan (Phase-I)

• Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme(DEDS)

1. Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)
2. Rashtriya Gokul Mission
3. AICRP on cattle & Buffaloes

• Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP)
• NationalProject for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB)

1. Disease surveillance & Monitoring center
2. Small Farmer Development Agency
3. Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT)

• Sex Sorted Semen Technology
• Central Fodder Scheme
• Farmers Visit and Training programme

The government should also provide more subsidies and interest free loan for dairy farming and processing so that they can earn more income by selling of milk and milk products. The government of India should also establish a well organized market and chilling centers for milk and milk products. So that we can nullifies the involvement of middleman from profit share of farmers and increase the shelf life of milk and milk products. Nowadays due to COVID-19 pandemic majority of youth in India have either lost their jobs or due to un-employment they have started agriculture farming and dairy farming as entrepreneurship. So, in this changing scenario, good management practices in dairy animals with government support are very important for successful entrepreneurship to improve the milk production as well as socio-economic status of the farming community or youth involved in dairy farming.

Conclusion:

Dairying is the main source of livelihood for our milk producers, majority of them either landless or marginal farmers. For making dairying a profitable and, sustainable venture, it is important for the dairy farmer to adopt scientific practices that would lead to increased productivity at optimum costs. For this to happen, the farmer should be aware of the basic tenets of animal health, breeding and feeding. There is also an urgent need to optimize the utilization of feed resources in order to reduce the cost of milk production through balancing the ration of animals. More importantly, preventive measures to control occurrence of diseases need to be put in place, which is pivotal in harnessing the full production potential of the animal. This handbook on scientific dairy practices has been designed keeping these requirements of the dairy farmers in mind. The handbook attempts to provide basic information on breeding, healthcare, management, nutrition, and fodder production etc, based on existing and new technologies, along with illustrations. Such information is usually not available from a single source to the dairy farmer. We sincerely hope that the handbook would be useful to the dairy farmer. By providing proper management, veterinary care, co-operation and Government initiatives and support we can improve the livestock health as well as the milk production efficiency of the dairy animals in India.