Dairy Farming - knowledgebase and resources

[quote=srivinayakatvm]
Azolla is a unique plant that can help reduce man-made climate change and it provides bio-fertilizer, livestock feed, food and renewable energy anywhere in the world. It is a unique freshwater fern that is one of the fastest growing plants. It is able to get its nitrogen fertilizer directly from the atmosphere. It is able to produce bio-fertilizer, livestock feed, food and bio fuel exactly where they are needed and it draws down large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, thus helping to reduce the threat of climate change.

Azolla has enormous potential as a livestock feed due to:

a). Its high content in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12, Beta Carotene), growth promoter intermediaries and minerals.
b). Its ability to proliferate without inorganic nitrogen fertilization.
c). Its high rate of growth in water without the need to displace existing crops or natural ecological systems.

It has been used for many years in all parts of Asia and Africa to feed pigs, ducks, chickens, cattle, fish, sheep and goats and rabbits. Azolla is very rich in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12, Beta Carotene), growth promoter intermediaries and minerals including calcium, phosphorous, potassium, ferrous, copper, magnesium. Its composition makes it one of the most economic and efficient feed substitutes for livestock, particularly as can be easily digested by livestock due to its high protein and low lignin content.

Murali Krishnan
dear sir
Where is available Azolla seeds… kindly tell tome ]

youtube.com/watch?v=6lGgt94QUJI
Kottur village, Bomraspet mandal of Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh

Good Luck.

Murali Krishnan

[quote=giri19kumar]

Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland and udder tissue, and is a major endemic disease of dairy cattle.

The three ways - how cows gets mastitis are:

• Contagious organisms spreading through the herd.
• Environmental organisms infecting milking cows
• Cows getting infected during dry period.

The economic effect of sub clinical mastitis is more severe than clinical mastitis.

Factors relating to mastitis could be:

  1. Transfer from infected cows and buffaloes
  2. Improper cleaning of milking equipments, use good brushes and alkaline and acidic detergents for cleaning SS cans and rubber parts.
  3. Housing – Dirty and Wet bedding
  4. Proper udder cleaning – Improper udder preparation – Use water spray systems to clean teats and after milking use teat spraying solutions,
    better use iodine based solutions after milking.
  5. Climate.

It is very important to understand which mastitis causing pathogens are found in a dairy herd, so that correct mastitis control measures or eradication procedures can be adopted.

The most important symptoms of clinical mastitis are the abnormalities found in:

• The milk will have a loose watery appearance with flakes, clots, & pus.
• The udder shows signs of swelling, hardness, heat, reddish, and pain.

[i]The signs also depend upon the intensity of the illness and how it relates to the system of the infected cow[/i]:

• Body temperature increases
• Reduction in milk yield.
• Signs of Diarrhoea & dehydration
• Caved-in eyes.
• Loss of appetite
• Less movement due to the pain in the swollen udder.

Treatment:

• Broad spectrum Antibiotics
• Narrow spectrum – if you know the disease causing bacteria.

Better to consult a veterinarian.

Washing of the teats and wiping it immediately after washing, use a disposable paper napkin recommended than using the same cloth piece for all cows. Avoid wet surfaces where cows lie down, better to use cow mats to provide warmth and it protects the cow from disease causing organisms when teats touch the ground, when they take rest. Ensure good air circulation inside the barn. Provide supplements with Vitamin E and Selenium, which is very effective in case of sub-clinical mastitis.

Minerals, Vitamins and trace elements are very important for healthy immune system in dairy cows & buffaloes. Wet and dirty stalls can be the breeding place for causative organisms. So please keep your stall and surroundings clean. Focus more on cleaning teat ends.

Murali Krishnan


Removing the Cluster after milking: The vacuum must be turned off before the cluster is removed and this is done normally by pulling down the valve plate, used for switching on/off position in a milk claw bowl . Otherwise, pulling the teat cups while the vacuum is still on may cause trauma to the teat ends, weakening the sphincter muscles that keep the streak canal closed. Normally it takes an hour after milking for the streak canal to re-close. Any teat end trauma may compromise the ability of the sphincter muscle to close the canal and prolong the exposure of the teat end to mastitis-causing pathogens. Most people milking cows tend to over-milk the udder. In an effort to collect the remaining milk, they physically push down on the claw or pull down on one or more teat cups. This is called machine stripping.

Murali krishnan
9447088234
srivinayakatvm@gmail.com

Milking Machines- Models available:-

1-5 buffaloes/cows: Trolley mounted milking machines.
5-10 buffaloes/cows: Fixed type milking machine with 1 can
10-25 buffaloes/cows: Fixed type milking machine with 2 cans.
25-50 buffaloes/cows: Fixed type milking machine with 5 cans
50-100 buffaloes/cows: Fixed type milking machine with 10 cans.

Please note that you should choose milking machines with oil free pneumatic pulsator, having opposite teat pulsation. Never go for very old technology machines.

Murali krishnan
9447088234
srivinayakatvm@gmail.com








• Milking machines milk the cows in the same fashion and rhythm everyday even if the person changes the next day. In Hand Milking when the person changes it affects the cow as the speed of milking of another person will be different and most of the milker’s smoke or chew tobacco while milking.
• Milking machines operate on electricity and it’s better to choose machines without oil as you need not incur recurring expenses.
• The heart of the milking machine is the Pulsator which helps in pressing the teats of the cow, and it must have alternate pulsation preferably pneumatic oil free type having 60:40 pulsation ratio. Alternate opposite teat pulsation means if a cow has 4 teats, it should press 1 & 3 first, then leave it and press 2 & 4 next, again leave it and press 1,3. It is like the alphabet " X", pressing opposite teats.
• The vacuum pump must be preferably oil free type which will help you to avoid recurring expenses having a capacity of 180 litre/minute, connected to an electric motor. It must have a vacuum tank if you need to milk more than 1 cow at a time. Today there are machines which can milk 1/2/5/8/10/12 cows at a time. The motor capacity and the vacuum tank size differ with the number of cows to be milked at a time.
• Irrespective of the number of cows to be milked, you can calculate @ 8-10 cows in one hour & the can capacity will be of 20/30 litres.
• Hygienic milking: Few steps are to be followed.

  1. Wash the udder of the cow first with clean water. Wipe it with a towel.
  2. Strip the cows using your hand just to ensure that cows are ready for milk let down.
  3. One towel may be used for wiping the teats of the cow. One towel for one cow. Small hand towel. Put it for washing after that. Single use teat wipes can be used, throw away type, similar to paper napkins.
  4. Attach the teat cups. You may leave the cow now. It takes 6-8 minutes to milk one cow irrespective of the yield.
  5. The milk from the 4 teats of the cow will end in 4 different times. There is no harm in the machine pressing the teats of the cow until you see that milking is over now from the 4 teats of the cow.
  6. Once you see that milk is over on all the 4 teats, just press the cluster using your hand just to give a downward pull. See that you don’t press too much. It will give the feeling like how we do normally with our hands when you are about to leave one teat after you finish milking- you press hard on the teat plus a downward pull.
  7. Once you complete milking and remove the cluster from the udder (you will have to remove only one teat cup by inserting your finger between the teat and the rubber liner used for milking the cow. This action will let the air from outside enter the teat cup and it loosens the grip of the teat cup resulting in other teat cups also loosen. You remove only one teat cup and the rest three gets automatically detached, just pull the cluster )
  8. It’s better to use Iodine spray on the teats after milking. Better than teat dip cups use teat spray or use non returnable dip cups to prevent infection from one teat to another.
  9. Make sure you clean the milking cluster using three brushes like Liner Cleaning brush having big bristles at one end and a narrow one at the other end, and a long milk tube brush, a thin brush to clean the milk passage holes inside the teat cup.
  10. Cluster assembly will have a top thick plastic and a bottom transparent piece where in you can see milk flowing out from each teat and milk will go to the can via transparent milk tubes to the milking can.

For placing orders & for more information, please mail to srivinayakatvm@gmail.com. We can also provide equipment and cow mats needed to establish Large Dairy Herd Farms with latest automation, mail us for more details with your contact details.

Murali Krishnan
9447088234






Advantages of using a milking machine

• Elimination of Labour
• Free from dependability on Labour force
• Milking Consistency
• Reduced stress for cows
• Fixed timings
• Complete milking
• Hygienic way

An efficient and effective milking routine is to leave the lowest possible amount of residual milk in the udder. Milk ejection can be stimulated manually or by a series of activities carried out by the person who is going to do milking or hearing the noise of the electric motor in a milking machine running. The amount of residual milk is inversely proportional to the strength of the conditioned stimuli signals, which are developed into a regular, repetitive milking routine, which includes activities such as feeding and udder preparation. The stimulation response is transitory and the maximum effect will decline in a few minutes of milk ejection occurs.Delayed milking will reduce the amount of milk removed. The internal pressure of milk within the udder peaks between one and two minutes after milk ejection and therefore milking must be completed as soon as possible after this activity happens. It is important to avoid any circumstances which upset or frighten them causing the release of adrenalin which will have adverse effects on the circulation and muscular systems, thereby restricting effective milk ejection and prolonged duration of milking.

Electrically operated Milking Machines is the modern way to milk cows– ISO certified and manufactured as per EU norms - . We buy machines to avoid manual labour, dependency on Labour, save time, maintains hygiene, and most importantly to get clean milk completely within the time frame.

Milking Machines with 25/30 litre SS cans. We have machines which can milk 1/2/4/5/8/10/12 cows at a time.

We welcome your valuable enquiries.

Sri Vinayaka Agencies
T.C.1/828(1), Opposite MCHS,
Medical College Post,
Trivandrum -11
0471-6547288
9446352007


• Milking machines milk the cows in the same fashion and rhythm everyday even if the person changes the next day. In Hand Milking when the person changes it affects the cow as the speed of milking of another person will be different and most of the milker’s smoke or chew tobacco while milking.
• Milking machines operate on electricity and it’s better to choose machines without oil as you need not incur recurring expenses.
• The heart of the milking machine is the Pulsator which helps in pressing the teats of the cow, and it must have alternate pulsation preferably pneumatic oil free type having 60:40 pulsation ratio. Alternate opposite teat pulsation means if a cow has 4 teats, it should press 1 & 3 first, then leave it and press 2 & 4 next, again leave it and press 1,3. It is like the alphabet " X", pressing opposite teats.
• The vacuum pump must be preferably oil free type which will help you to avoid recurring expenses having a capacity of 180 litre/minute, connected to an electric motor. It must have a vacuum tank if you need to milk more than 1 cow at a time. Today there are machines which can milk 1/2/5/8/10/12 cows at a time. The motor capacity and the vacuum tank size differ with the number of cows to be milked at a time.
• Irrespective of the number of cows to be milked, you can calculate @ 8-10 cows in one hour & the can capacity will be of 20/30 litres.
• Hygienic milking: Few steps are to be followed.

  1. Wash the udder of the cow first with clean water. Wipe it with a towel.
  2. Strip the cows using your hand just to ensure that cows are ready for milk let down.
  3. One towel may be used for wiping the teats of the cow. One towel for one cow. Small hand towel. Put it for washing after that. Single use teat wipes can be used, throw away type, similar to paper napkins.
  4. Attach the teat cups. You may leave the cow now. It takes 6-8 minutes to milk one cow irrespective of the yield.
  5. The milk from the 4 teats of the cow will end in 4 different times. There is no harm in the machine pressing the teats of the cow until you see that milking is over now from the 4 teats of the cow.
  6. Once you see that milk is over on all the 4 teats, just press the cluster using your hand just to give a downward pull. See that you don’t press too much. It will give the feeling like how we do normally with our hands when you are about to leave one teat after you finish milking- you press hard on the teat plus a downward pull.
  7. Once you complete milking and remove the cluster from the udder (you will have to remove only one teat cup by inserting your finger between the teat and the rubber liner used for milking the cow. This action will let the air from outside enter the teat cup and it loosens the grip of the teat cup resulting in other teat cups also loosen. You remove only one teat cup and the rest three gets automatically detached, just pull the cluster )
  8. It’s better to use Iodine spray on the teats after milking. Better than teat dip cups use teat spray or use non returnable dip cups to prevent infection from one teat to another.
  9. Make sure you clean the milking cluster using three brushes like Liner Cleaning brush having big bristles at one end and a narrow one at the other end, and a long milk tube brush, a thin brush to clean the milk passage holes inside the teat cup.
  10. Cluster assembly will have a top thick plastic and a bottom transparent piece where in you can see milk flowing out from each teat and milk will go to the can via transparent milk tubes to the milking can.

For placing orders & for more information, please mail to srivinayakatvm@gmail.com. We can also provide equipment and cow mats needed to establish Large Dairy Herd Farms with latest automation, mail us for more details with your contact details.

Murali Krishnan
9447088234
[/quote]


Managing Cows:-

For healthy and productive cows, please take care of the following:-

• Save cows from hunger, malnutrition and thirst.
• Keep cows away from fear and distress.
• Let them be free.
• Save them from pain, diseases and injuries.
• See that they are very comfortable, good shelter and resting area.
• Protect their health by timely vaccinations against FMD, HS + BQ and Theileriosis, where ever it is prevalent.
• Conduct De-worming periodically

Cows require energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to be in good health

srivinayakatvm@gmail.com
9446352007

Buffalo and Cow Milking Machines.

World over milking machines are same for cows and buffaloes. The difference is not with the machine or can cluster assembly. It a small modification done to the pulsating mechanism.

Any milking machine can be used for cows and buffaloes. The milk let down procedure in case of cows is instant - meaning you can see milk flowing out as soon as you attach the cluster assembly to the teats of a cow. Whereas in buffaloes, when you attach the cluster assembly, the buffalo has to get stimulated, and then milk flow starts. Normally in buffalo farms, milkers use their hands for stimulation or attach the cluster and wait for sometime for the buffalo to start milk let down.

Cow milking machine fixed type will cost more. Portable models costs less. Under 10 cows/buffaloes, portable model is enough. Good imported machines, ISO certified, having EU norms, which can be used for cows and buffaloes. Now a days most of the dairy farms have less than 10% buffaloes and they milk buffaloes with the same can cluster assembly used to milk cows.

Murali Krishnan


Hi all,

As we know that labour has become one of the big problem in the dairy industry. we are finding very difficulty to maintain our farm land and the crops. Initially we planned to grow maize as our main crop which has many advantages and even it has been found that its one of the good crop to make sailage. Since its a single cut crop for every 3 months getting the labours is the issue for me.
Can anybody suggest how to overcome this,if we swap to hybrid napier to make it balance with the good yield. What if we provide only napier as daily crop instead of napier sailage.

Regards,
Sheshaprasad

Mechanization is the only way. For small farmers small hand held devices is there. For big farms, see the link below:-

youtube.com/watch?v=hShj_OgWO0s

This will give you timely solutions, and freedom from tensions.

Murali Krishnan


Hello,

Planning to start up Cow farm, all is set except for workers. Need to people to take care of cows. How to get and is there any agency for the same?

Regards,
Rohit

Dear All

Can anyone share me the construction conceprt of “SAILAGE”.
Weather shall we go for each wall type tank and top covered with roof? or any other idea please share

Regards,
Sheshaprasad

I suggest you to visit Nikhil’s farm (near mysore). He has very good setup for Silage making. You will enjoy his hospitality as well !!..i visited his farm along with my friend couple of month’s back, we had a fantastic experience, fundoo lunch as well…thank you Nikhil…

Nikhil’s id in this forum is Niksnarayana.

Dear,

Is that one Oxygen Achres?

niksnarayana: farmnest.com/forum/farm-showcase … /#msg18864

hi ,

i want to setup dairy farm and i wnat to know which breed will be good region nera indore and satna or in madhya pradesh area.

i have visited some small farms , concluded marwadi buffalo will be suitable but i have not got many info about marwadi on net .

pleae suggest

Hello,

Please visit nearby farms to find out what breeds they rear there. Preferred breeds are:-

  1. Murrah
  2. Nili Ravi
  3. Surti
  4. Jaffarabadi
  5. Mehsana

Check for the availability in your area.

Murali Krishnan
9447088234


I have 8 aceres land in khamgaon dist -buldhana (maharashtra) interested in starting 50 buffalo farming please help