Hello Sir
Loan from banks with refinance facility from NABARD is available for starting dairy farming.
For obtaining bank loan, apply to the nearest branch of a commercial or co-operative Bank in their area in the prescribed application form which is available in the branches of financing banks.
Dairy farm business requires u to have ur own animals that would produce the milk for the dairy; u must also have a large land with lots of grasses where the dairy producing animals will reside and feed on for organic milk.
Proper machinery that is going to be used for producing the feed locally is also needed.
Murrah buffalo is a better converter of coarse feeds into fat-rich milk even under harsh agro-climatic situations.
The buffalo of Murrah breed, which is described as the “Asian tractor”, is in fact triple purpose animal — for milk, meat and work.
The Murrah buffalo is the finest genetic material of milk producing buffalo in the world.
This breed has beaten the best dairy cows of the world in performance.
It milk fat ranges from from 7.5 to 9 per cent.
In economic terms, therefore, the rearing of buffalo is advantageous than cow keeping.
The average milk yield per lactation is 1,500 to 2,500 kg, and the heritability of this trait is 0.2 to 0.3.
The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months in villages but in good herds it is 36 to 40 months.
The intercalving period is 450 to 500 days.
Lactation period : 300 days. (with minimum of ~230 days recorded under top quality Murrah)
Daily lactation in peak period : 14 to 15 litter but upto 31.5 Kg milk production had also been recorded.
The elite Murrah buffalo produces above 18-litter milk per day.
A peak milk yield of 31.5 kg in a day has been recorded from a champion Murrah buffalo in the All India Milk Yield Competition conducted by the Government of India.
Dry period : About three months. But less than three may be there.
Gestation period : 310 days (average)
Management of buffaloes shall include adequate attention for their exercise, supply of adequate clean feed, allowing bath and wallowing, sanitary management, regular vaccination programme and other regular care and attention as are practised in dairy cattle.
High buffalo calf mortality is one of the serious problems among farmers.
Exposure to draft and damp, wet bedding specially in rainy season and in winter leads to high incidence of pneumonia. Gastroenteritis is the second highest cause of buffalo calf mortality.
The disease may occur due to viral, bacterial or parasitic infections. All care must be taken to offer good quality feeds at optimum quantity.
Services are given before feeding, as bulls seems to perform more quickly.
If the interval between two successive services is long (7-10 days or more) the bull is allowed to serve a second time, since the first ejaculate may contain a number of dead spermatozoa.
The expression oestrus symptoms is also weaker in buffaloes when compared to cows which become still weaker during the hot dry months (April to June). This is known as silent heat.
Proper housing of the buffaloes is important as these animals are known to be affected by inclement weather.
The recommended paddock space for adult buffalo is 8 sq. metres, for a heifer 4 sq. metres and for calf 2 sq. metres.
Young calves should preferably be raised in individual pen or in small groups.
This helps to check their health periodically and immediately control disease incidence and outbreaks.
Per calf 1.2 to 1.5 sq. metres space is recommended, preferably with clean, dry bedding which is changed occasionally.
The calving boxes should be arranged at least 6-8 weaks prior to calving and should have dimensions of 2.8x4 metres, with water trough and feeding mangers in corners.
Manger space recommended in group housing is 0.25 to 0.35 metres for calves below six months, 0.35 to 0.55 metres for 1-2 years old heifers and 0.9 to 1.2 metres for bulls.
Length of Gestation
The gestation period varies according to breed and environment. It is generally quoted as being "six weeks less than a year" (10 months and 10 days). The average appears to be 316 -+ 5 days. Under the usual conditions of husbandry a female buffalo will produce its first calf at the age of 3.5 to 4.5 years and thereafter will average 2 calves in every three years up to the age of fifteen. Twins are extremely rare.
Feeding of Buffaloes
The correct feeds have to be given in correct amounts and at the right time to ensure maximum yield and profit.
Farm wastes do not contain enough nutrients for optimum rates of growth and production and maximum profit. Protein, vitamin A and minerals are usually deficient in the farm wastes.
The easiest and best way to supply deficient nutrients is in the form of a scientifically formulated concentrate mixture, roughages and accessory food factors.
Essential nutrients in buffalo feed
Buffaloes, unlike cattle, can tolerate a variety of coarse feeds I and fodders and they consume more dry matter also. A balanced ration consists of fibrous filling, concentrate mixture which is nutritive, and accessory food factors which help digestion, accelerate assimilation and maintain normal health.
1. Roughages: Roughages are poor in nutritive value but essential to supply the fibre and bulk requirements of a buffalo for efficient digestion. All grasses and fodders contain a fair amount of vitamin A (as carotene) and plenty of minerals. Some are rich in proteins and most of them contain plenty of water i.e. 70-80 per cent. Examples of roughages are straw, hay, silage, grass, green fodder and edible leaves. It is always advantageous to cut the fodder (roughages) into small pieces and feed them in order to minimize wastage and to help the cows to chew and digest easily.
2. Concentrate mixtures:Concentrate mixtures, as the name suggests, supply energy and protein in a concentrated and palatable form. The concentrate feed can be mixed and fed dry but the place will become dusty resulting in some available waste of feed.
To minimize wastage, the mixed feed can be made into a wet mash by adding a little water. Some important concentrate feed mixture suitable for buffaloes growth are groundnut cake, coconut cake, gingelly cake, cotton seed, maize flour, cowpea, bengal gram, rice bran, dal husk, etc. Ready made concentrate mixtures are marketed by many companies. The adult buffaloes can feed 8-10 kg of concentrate mixture even with the addition to the straw.
There are many kinds of mixed feeds sold in the market by reputed firms. One such concentrate feed mixture sold in the market consists of the following formulae.
Crushed maize or jowar -30%
Ground oilcake -20%
Tapioca flour -20%
Deoiled rice bran -10%
Gram husks -10%
Molasses -5%
Urea -2%
Mineral mix -2%
Salt -1 %
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u may make a visit to
Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu
Govt. Livestock Farms: Banavasi, Horesikullu, Kakinada, Karimnagar, Mamnoor, Reddipalli
