MANAGING HIGH YIELDING DAIRY COWS Leave a comment

Every dairy farmer hopes to nurture their dairy herd till they can produce 30 – 60 litres of milk in a day. While this is not impossible, quite some work goes into achieving such levels of productivity. However, it should be noted that apart from the extra effort put by the farmer, there are many other factors that come into play to determine the actual volume of milk a single dairy cow can produce. These factors include the breed of the cow, stress levels, climate, health of the animal, feed, age, lactation stage etc. Some of the variables can be controlled by the farmer while others are inherent in the animal or the environment and as such cannot be changed on the fly.

It is to be noted also that the high yielding dairy cows are also high maintenance especially in terms of feeding. They are also susceptible to certain diseases if great care is not taken. But overall the high yielding dairy cows are superior in terms of turning profits.

The following sample programme will give a solid guide to raising high yielding dairy cows. While improvement can be done by following other proven practices, it is sufficient to guide in dairy farming on an end-to-end basis.

NUTRITION

 Feeding

For a healthy and productive cow, ensure it feeds on a balanced diet. The ration should bear the right amounts and quality of concentrates, protein, minerals and vitamins. A dairy cow ration should contain 70% energy source, 30% protein source and the required minerals (such as: 35% wheat bran + 35% maize + 30% cotton seed cake + 1% minerals).

Dry matter

This comprises of both dry and fresh fodder.

Fresh fodders are mainly green forages such as Napier grass, Lucerne and sweet potato vines among others. They normally contain a lot of water. Freshly cut grass should not be fed to the dairy animals. Cut fresh fodder and leave in a dark place for a day to wilt, then chop into 2 inch (5cm) pieces to make it easy for your cow to eat. This will avoid feed wastage.

A dairy cow consumes 15-20 kg of chopped forage per day; preferably, it should be in two splits i.e. one in the morning and the other in the evening.

Dry feeds include materials such as wheat straw; rice straw, maize stalks and other similar matter. They are best fed by first soaking in water or molasses in case of straw or poor quality hay. Mix one part of fresh fodder with one part of dry fodder e.g. 1 sack of chopped Napier plus 1 sack of chopped wheat straw.

Dry feeds may also include supplements with commercial feeds e.g. Unga Dairy Meal concentrates.

A dairy cow should consume1 kilogram of concentrates for every 2 L of milk produced above the first 5 litres. It is assumed that a cow can produce up to 5L of milk per day from good forage without giving concentrates as so long as the required minerals are present or available. Dairy cubes, dairy meal, maize germ, bran (wheat, rice or maize), cotton seed cake sunflower cake, Soybean cake etc.

For lactating cows, give concentrates after milking. When steaming up heifers, give concentrates daily for 2 months before calving. You need 2 kg /day /heifer.

Supplement with 1 kg of concentrates e.g. dairy meal for every 2 litres above 5 litres you get

This is extra feed of high quality concentrates (preferably compounded), which is given to in-calf cows and heifers at 2-4 kg per cow per day for two months before calving. However, it can vary depending on the condition of the animal. Particularly, growing heifers will need more.

Minerals

Milking cows also need minerals. Give about 1 glass of Maclik Super per day. For dry and non-lactating cows, give FUGO DRY COW MINERAL from Unga Farm Care. Granular mineral products should be mixed with feeds in a feeding trough while free lick should be allowed if it is in the form of a solid block. Give Maclik Super to lactating cows

Note: Calves and heifer should get Maclik Mineral Brick.

Protein supplements

Cows also need protein for a healthy calf and to increase milk production. Fodder like desmodium, sweet potato vines and lucerne are rich in protein. You can also supplement with feeds e.g. Kupakula Nutrition formula or Kupakula gold from Coopers.

PARASITES

Healthy herd gives more milk. Parasites can be either external or internal and they hinder optimal milk production in dairy cattle.

External Parasites

External parasites include ticks, fleas, lice and flies.

Regular dipping or spraying with approved and effective acaricides will keep your animals free from these parasites.

Ticks cause diseases like East Coast Fever (ECF). Dip or spray every 2 weeks with acaricides like Grenade or Triatix.

Internal Parasites

Internal parasites mainly include the roundworms, flatworms, liver flukes, etc.

To control worms, deworm your herd regularly. Dose calves with recommended anthelmintic at 4 months and every 6 months thereafter.

VACCINATION

Another way of controlling diseases is through vaccination. The table below illustrates some of the most common diseases to vaccinate against and at various ages.

Age	Vaccinate against	Application	Remarks
3-8 months for heifers	Brucellosis	S/C – Once in a lifetime	During threats of outbreak the whole breeding herd may be vaccinated. Use vaccine with care. S19 live vaccine can cause brucellosis in humans
3 months to 3 years	Anthrax and Blackquarter	S/C – Yearly or upon warning of impending outbreak	Vaccine is cheap, so use it. Anthrax is deadly for humans and animals.
2 weeks and above	Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)	Yearly in endemic areas. In other areas only upon warning of impending outbreak. Vaccinated through tail tip.	Consult your veterinary authorities. To be administered by trained veterinarians. Animals can lose their tails from this vaccination
1 month and above	East Coast Fever (ECF)	S/C under the ear.	Only to be used by licensed Veterinarians who are trained on Infection and treatment methods.
2 weeks and above	Rabies	I/M or S/C – Cattle can be vaccinated annually and must be vaccinated when there is an outbreak	This is the only vaccine that can protect already affected herds if it is done within maximum of a week after the outbreak. Report suspected cases immediately
6 months and above	Rift Valley Fever	S/C – Preventive after heavy rains or when there is a risk of outbreak.	Killed vaccine should be used in pregnant animals – they may abort if the vaccine is live. Some vaccines are live vaccines so HANDLE WITH CARE. RVF in humans can be deadly so control is very important
1 month and above	Lumpy skin	S/C – Preventive when there is a risk of outbreak.	If using live vaccine, separate cattle from sheep and goats, as the vaccine is derived from modified sheep pox virus which can cause pox in sheep and goats.

*****S/C – Subcutaneous

*****I/M – Intramuscular

 

DAIRY HOUSING

THE CUBICLES (RESTING AREA):

This is a place for the cows to relax and sleep during the night. Each cow has her own place in the resting area, called a cubicle. The cubicles must be covered with a roof made of iron sheets (Mabati), grass thatch or makuti. The roof must be high enough so that it cannot be eaten by a cow if it is made of grass or if hay is stored under it.

The cubicle should be constructed in such a way that the cow remains clean and dry all the time. One should construct the number of cubicles just enough to be occupied by the animals. Unoccupied cubicles are a waste of space and money.

For a given number of cows to a unit, extra cubicles are required to house young-stock (heifers)

For example;

• 1 cow 2 cubicles
• 2 cows 3 cubicles
• 3 cows 5 cubicles
• 4 cows 6 cubicles
• 5 cows 7 cubicles
• 6 cows 9 cubicles

Fix a mineral block to each cubicle to limit fighting between the animals.

A cubicle has a length of 210 cm (7ft) and a width of 120 cm (4 ft). Cubicles are separated from each other by wooden frames.

THE WALKING AREA

The walking area is about 3 meters wide i.e. between the resting area and where the feed and water troughs are located.

No roofing is required for this area except under very hot conditions like in the ASAL areas.

The floor of the working area should be made of concrete. This makes it possible to collect waste.

The surface of the floor should be rough so that animals cannot slip but should also be easy to clean.

The floor should slope from the milking place towards waste collecting pit located at one end of the walking area.

THE MILKING POINT

The milking place should be constructed next to the cubicles. It should also be of same

dimensions as cubicles i.e. 120 cm (4 ft) by 210 cm (7 ft).

THE CALF PENS

The calf pens are situated opposite the milking place. A calf pen has a floor surface of 120 cm by 150 cm (4×5 ft).

CONSTRUCTION OF A ZERO GRAZING UNIT

Materials Required

1. Strong Posts
2. Iron sheets
3. Round poles
4. Nails i.e. both wire nails and roofing nails
5. Cement
6. Sand
7. Ballast (kokoto)
8. Hard core
9. Consult your local fundi to know the various quantities.

Sample Housing Plan

 

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