Hi
The main beneficiaries of dairy programmes are small/marginal farmers and landless labourers. A farmer can earn a gross surplus of about Rs. 12,000 per year from a unit consisting of 2 milking buffaloes. The capital investment required for purchase of 2 buffaloes is Rs. 18,223/-.
Farmers
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 recommended practices are as follows :
I. Housing:
1. Construct shed on dry, properly raised ground.
2. Avoid water-logging, marshy and heavy rainfall areas.
3. The walls of the sheds should be 1.5 to 2 meters high.
4. The walls should be plastered to make them damp proof.
5. The roof should be 3-4 metres high.
6. The cattle shed should be well ventilated.
7. The floor should be pucca/hard, even non-slippery impervious, well sloped (3 cm per metre) and properly drained to
remain dry and clean.
8. Provide 0.25 metre broad, pucca drain at the rear of the standing space.
9. A standing space of 2 x 1.05 metre for each animal is needed.
10. The manger space should be 1.05 metre with front height of 0.5 metre and depth of 0.25 metre.
11. The corners in mangers, troughs, drains and walls should be rounded for easy cleaning.
12. Provide 5-10 sq. metre loaf space for each animal.
13. Provide proper shade and cool drinking water in summer.
14. In winter keep animals indoor during night and rain.
15. Provide individual bedding daily.
16. Maintain sanitary condition around shed.
17. Control external parasites (ticks, flies etc.) by spraying the pens, sheds with Malathion or Copper sulphate solution.
18. Drain urine into collection pits and then to the field through irrigation channels.
19. Dispose of dung and urine properly. A gobar gas plant will be an ideal way. Where gobar gas plant is not constructed,
convert the dung alongwith bedding material and other farm wastes into compost.
Selection of Animal :
1. Immediately after release of the loan purchase the stock from a reliable breeder or from nearest livestock market.
2. Select healthy, high yielding animals with the help of bank's technical officer, veterinary/animal husbandry officer of State
government/ Zilla Parishad, etc.
3. Purchase freshly calved animals in their second/third lactation.
4. Before purchasing, ascertain actual milk yield by milking the animal three times consecutively.
5. Identify the newly purchased animal by giving suitable identification mark (ear tagging or tattooing).
6. Vaccinate the newly purchased animal against disease.
7. Keep the newly purchased animal under observation for a period of about two weeks and then mix with the general
herd.
8. Purchase a minimum economical unit of two milch animals.
9. Purchase the second animal/second batch after 5-6 months from the purchase of first animal.
10. As buffaloes are seasonal calvers purchase them during July to February.
11. As far as possible purchase the second animal when the first animal is in its late stage of lactation and is about to
become dry, thereby maintaining continuity in milk production vis-a-vis income. This will ensure availability of adequate
funds for maintaining the dry animals.
12. Follow judicious culling and replacement of animals in a herd.
13. Cull the old animals after 6-7 lactations.
Feeding of Milch Animals
1. Feed the animals with best feeds and fodders. (Feeding schedule is given in Anneuxre VIII).
2. Give adequate green fodder in the ration.
3. As far as possible, grow green fodder on your land wherever available.
4. Cut the fodder at the right stage of their growth.
5. Chaff roughage before feeding.
6. Crush the grains and concentrates.
7. The oil cakes should be flaky and crumbly.
8. Moisten the concentrate mixture before feeding.
9. Provide adequate vitamins and minerals. Provide salt licks besides addition of mineral mixture to the concentrate ration.
10. Provide adequate and clean water.
11. Give adequate exercise to the animals. Buffaloes should be taken for wallowing daily. In case this is not possible sprinkle
sufficient water more particularly during summer months.
12. To estimate the daily feed requirement remember that the animals consume about 2.5 to 3.0 percent of their body weight on dry
matter basis.
Regards
Ashwini
