Managing dairy farms
takes up immense efforts, time and resources, especially when you are
a naïve farmer who has just gotten into dairy
farming. There is a set of essential routine
operations you’ve got to perform almost every other day like
cleaning sheds, feeding, washing, and milking animals for production
and growth, identifying, segregating, and treating sick animals, and
supplying water for drinking. It seems difficult initially because
you have little knowledge and no experience with the herd and their
behavior. But you certainly want to be a pro at it and be one of the
most successful milk producers in the dairy industry. Albeit,
tackling the herd and devoting over 14-18 hours a day on the farm is
no child’s play, there are a few tips that can be potentially handy
to help you get through one with minimal trouble. Check them out!
Selecting a Site
Choosing a particular
farmland for dairy business is based on some important criteria that
must be well-adhered to before you get onto cracking the deal. First,
your farm should be nearer to the marketplace so as to cut down the
unnecessary transportation cost and minimize the production loss due
to spoilage of the produce while ferrying it. Second, your farm must
receive adequate and regular water supply. Third, the geographical
area must be high above the sea level with minimum slopes. You must
see that the soil on the farmland is fertile to produce enough grass
for grazing purpose. Fourth, the soil must be finely pulverized to
allow easy passage for drainage. This would help in keeping the farm
site dry. Fifth, the farm area must be within 1-2 hectares and
preferably square shape. And last, try to look for a farm which is
surrounded by trees to allow natural shade fall onto the farm and
block damaging winds.
Choosing Animals
Judging and selecting
cows for your dairy farm is an art in itself as the farm output
depends on the breed of animals you choose. It is recommended to
follow a few guidelines while selecting dairy cows. First, know that
each breed of cows possesses distinct characteristics. So choose a
particular breed which can be managed easily and has high milk
producing capability. Second, look for the pedigree sheet for each
animal to analyze its behavior, past diseases and medications, etc.
Third, lactation cycle of a cow is critical to milk production. Cows
produce more milk during the first five lactation cycles so
naturally, it is advisable to purchase cows which are in the first or
second lactation cycle. Cows yield the maximum amount of milk until
90 days after calving. Fourth, select a cow that is calm, tame, and
allows anybody to milk it.
Creating Animal
Shelters
Animal sheds must be
constructed in a well-planned manner as they play a vital role in
protecting animals from harmful sunlight, soaring and plummeting
temperatures, harsh and abrupt weather conditions, and dangerous
animals. First, build a floor that is hard, impermeable to water,
non-greasy, and easy to wash. Second, animal sanitation is
imperative. Hence, create a slope that would give passage to drain
dung slurry. Third, it should be seen that a proper ventilation
system is maintained to allow easy air-flow in and out.
Health Care
For the cows to produce
high-quality milk, it is necessary to keep a regular check on their
health and hygiene. First, sick cows must be grouped separately to
avoid passing the disease to healthy cows and must be given necessary
veterinary care. Second, all the cows must be vaccinated and
immunized at regular intervals and the routine must be strictly
followed. Third, make sure the floor is non-slippery to avoid any
physical injury to the cows. Fourth, effective sanitation and
disinfestation practices must be implemented to prevent diseases.
Last, the shelter and water troughs must be cleaned everyday inhibit
the growth of undesirable weeds and germs.
The Final Word
Dairy
farming is a challenging field. Today, there is an array of dairy
software available in the market that helps dairy farmers perform
activities with ease, convenience, and simplicity at the farm. These
milk software save significant amount of time of the farmers that
they can utilize in other productive tasks. We’re gradually
adopting the evolving technology in the dairy sector and shall soon
witness a future of automated dairy farming.
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