The Dairy cow’s environment has effects on her productivity:
The way in which the cow interacts with other cows
The interactions with the farmer and his worker’s.
The physical environment, which includes the farm’s facilities, Climate and weather.
Horns have no function on the head of a dairy animal and if present, MUST be removed. It is preferable to prevent them from growing, by means of an appropriate procedure (Dehorning) while the animal is still a calf. Just one cow with horns can completely dominate a feed manger otherwise adequate for ten. Group cows according to their production or stage of lactation. This is very necessary where total mixed rations are fed, since feeding economy dictates that cows should be grouped according to their feed requirements. In other situations too, feeding manually according to the needs or stage of lactation or dry cows or heifers, will fetch better results.
Jersey cows are more heat resistant than Holstein Fresian cows. This is a function of genetics, body size and colour. In Barns, water sprays (not mists, this merely increases humidity and reduces evaporative cooling), fans, adequate shade, and other techniques can be used to facilitate evaporative cooling. The normal respiration rate of resting cattle is 30 to 60 breaths per minute. Once this reaches over 60, the cow begins to feel the heat and at 180 per minute, cow feel severe stress, starts gasping.
Cow gasping means it breathes faster. It will look for water to cool down its body - to drink and also to take a dip. The dairy shed must be open on all sides to give them good ventilation. Its better to give opening in the centre for the hot air to leave the shed. Slanting roof with an opening in the midway towards the slope is better. But it depends on how many cows you are going to house. For small farms of 5/10/20 one shed with slanting roof with good height and sides open will do. Its better to provide water in front of the cow always by keeping a bucket in a ring and a valve to pour water in it when empty. For large dairy herds, see attached picture. Small herds see the second picture, its head to head arrangement. Third one back to back with a passage in the centre. While keeping cows, most of the job is at the back of the cow, like milking, dung removal, cleaning etc. So back to back is labour and time saving.
Water is a very important for dairy cattle. The total body weight of dairy cattle is 55 to 80% water, and water is the main component of milk and waste products. So, dairy cattle have a substantial daily requirement of water. Drinking water or free water intake / water contained in feed / water produced during the oxidation of nutrients are all important water sources used to meet the daily water requirement. Dairy cattle get the proportion of their water requirement from free water intake. On an average, a dairy cow will consume 100 - 125 litres of water each day. Providing dairy cattle sufficient supply of water is very important. Water consumption will decrease if poor quality water is offered. Decrease in free water intake is not recommended as it will limit milk production and reduce the cow’s health status, resulting in decreased farmer profitability. One must ensure that the cow consumes adequate quantity of water everyday.
The requirements will vary based on the intake of dry matter, milk production, environmental conditions and intake of salt. Milk is composed of nearly 85% water. An adequate supply of quality water for dairy cattle is very important. Farmers typically provide cows with free access to fresh water at all times. The water requirements of lactating cows will be related to the milk production, the moisture content in the feed and environmental factors such as air, temperature and humidity. The cow water intake increases when it takes more feed a day.
Water quality is an important issue in dairy cattle production and health. Water is necessary for maintaining body fluids and also for- digestion, absorption, and metabolizing nutrients, eliminating the waste material and excess heat from the body, and transporting nutrients to and from body tissues.
Cow gasping means it breathes faster. It will look for water to cool down its body - to drink and also to take a dip. The dairy shed must be open on all sides to give them good ventilation. Its better to give opening in the centre for the hot air to leave the shed. Slanting roof with an opening in the midway towards the slope is better. But it depends on how many cows you are going to house. For small farms of 5/10/20 one shed with slanting roof with good height and sides open will do. Its better to provide water in front of the cow always by keeping a bucket in a ring and a valve to pour water in it when empty. For large dairy herds, see attached picture. Small herds see the second picture, its head to head arrangement. Third one back to back with a passage in the centre. While keeping cows, most of the job is at the back of the cow, like milking, dung removal, cleaning etc. So back to back is labour and time saving.
Minerals and vitamins are very important thing in dairy farming activity. Minerals and vitamins play crucial role in reproduction, growth and immunity development. Less intake of minerals and vitamins leads to less feed intake, feed conversion ratio, less immunity. Cattle growth will be reduced or reproduction might take longer periods.
Minerals can be classified into two: Macro minerals like Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Potassium Sulphur, Salts which are required in good quantities and Trace minerals like Copper, Cobalt, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Selenium and Zinc in small quantities.
Phosphorous is needed for bone, teeth structure, and milk production and Copper is needed for immunity and fertility. Minerals should compliment the forage problem. Mineral usage changes from summer to winter.
Water is a very important for dairy cattle. The total body weight of dairy cattle is 55 to 80% water, and water is the main component of milk and waste products. So, dairy cattle have a substantial daily requirement of water. Drinking water or free water intake / water contained in feed / water produced during the oxidation of nutrients are all important water sources used to meet the daily water requirement. Dairy cattle get the proportion of their water requirement from free water intake. On an average, a dairy cow will consume 100 - 125 litres of water each day. Providing dairy cattle sufficient supply of water is very important. Water consumption will decrease if poor quality water is offered. Decrease in free water intake is not recommended as it will limit milk production and reduce the cow’s health status, resulting in decreased farmer profitability. One must ensure that the cow consumes adequate quantity of water everyday.
The requirements will vary based on the intake of dry matter, milk production, environmental conditions and intake of salt. Milk is composed of nearly 85% water. An adequate supply of quality water for dairy cattle is very important. Farmers typically provide cows with free access to fresh water at all times. The water requirements of lactating cows will be related to the milk production, the moisture content in the feed and environmental factors such as air, temperature and humidity. The cow water intake increases when it takes more feed a day.
Water quality is an important issue in dairy cattle production and health. Water is necessary for maintaining body fluids and also for- digestion, absorption, and metabolizing nutrients, eliminating the waste material and excess heat from the body, and transporting nutrients to and from body tissues.
One cow produces milk after calving which normally happens every year and it happens for the first time, when the cow attains 2 years of age. A cow is pregnant with the calf on its body for 9 months and when she is pregnant also, she gives milk for about 7-8 months. Then you must leave her dry to prepare her for the next lactation. One cow needs 50 to 70 hours - for her to turn grass into milk. The teat has a sphincter muscle which prevents the milk flowing out when the cow is not getting milked. The mammary glands present in the udder turns the nutrients from the grass to milk.
The milk from the mother cow must be fed to the calf. Colostrum milk – milk produced after calving must be collected in a bucket and then transferred to a calf bottle with a teat shaped nipple at its end and fed to the calf. That gives immunity to the calf.
Milking and handling cows should be in a calm, stress free environment, silent atmosphere, playing music is good for the cows,for the care takers and also for producing more milk.
Cow Mats 6 feet x 4 feet x 18 mm, bottom wide grooved, top with bubble design ensuring better grip for cows. Please contact us.
Cow mats are designed to provide all farm animals with a cleaner, more sanitary environment. Cow mats prevent calves from getting hurt when they fall on the ground in the barn. The insulating properties of cow mats also cut away cold and humidity from concrete floors to help safeguard animals against rheumatism and fatigue.
The specially-designed density and hardness of the dairy cow mats provide orthopaedic support that reduces potential joint deterioration caused by standing on hard and slippery floors. The dairy cow mats also protect concrete stables, while reducing ambient impact noises caused by the movement of animals and machinery. It protects the cow from knee and thigh injury.
Cow mats reduce the amount of bedding needed for stalls. Less bedding means lower costs; less time spent handling, spreading, and removing bedding; and less waste to dispose of. Dairy cow mats are easy to clean and resistant to the acid-based chemicals used to eliminate bacterial and fight infections. The dairy cow mats are normally seen with straight edges. It also come with an interlock design that lets you join multiple mats together to cover a large surface with no open seams. Using cow mats in stables and barns give cows better and longer resting periods, which can increase the quantity of milk produced! Now a days, installing cow mats in your stables, in stalls or/and in alleys, is a critical part of your farm production equipment investment. Yield of a cow can be made better if the conditions of housing, feeding, calcium and mineral supplementation, veterinary care are carefully administered.
Buying cow mats doesn’t mean that you buy some " soft bedding " for your cow. Remember that you wont buy cow mats every year. It must be reliable, anti skid design on top surface, bottom wide grooved. The difference is in the quality and comfort plus the life of the product.
Available in straight edge type.
Approximately 45 Kgs
Easy to Install
Made of Natural rubber for high durability.
Mats can be used in all size cubicles
Solid rubber provide the cows ultimate comfort.
Will not expand or tear like light weight mats.
Advantages of cow mats:-
It increases blood supply to teats and udder.
Preferred and liked by cows.
Soft lying area, protect them from cold floors.
Increased productivity and more profitability
Protects the skin texture, reduces chances of lameness and udder problems.
Good for leg, thigh, stomach region.
Helps to improve milk quality and yield.
Expenses on bedding material wont be there.
Easy to clean by just flushing and use barn scrapers.
Clean cows.
Motivates the cow to stand during urination and defecation
Anti bacterial surface
Acts as shock absorber.
Protects the knees, thighs from friction from the ground.
Continuous mats in rolls available. let us know your barn size. 2 mtr/ 2.2 mtr/ 2.4 mtr wide mats in rolls. Hoof dip mats also available.
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.
• Conduct De-worming periodically
Cows require energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to be in good health
It is of great importance for a dairy farmer to create an environment suitable for dairy cows. Physical comfort giving adequate space for their resting and movement, housing in good surface, effective protection from cold weather and hot temperature, clean and hygienic surroundings, good ventilation and most importantly they must be in a housed in a fear free location for example- sight of unknown persons or strangers, big noises, heavy vehicle movement etc should not be there. Cattle can survive in any region of the world provided they are housed with adequate protective measures from windy, dusty, hot or cold climate zones. It might affect the milk production levels if the temperature exceeds 24 degree C.Heat stress affect the comfort of cattle much more than cold stress. Please note that.
Cows require energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to be in good health.
For large dairy herd, free-stall barns recommended with loose housing system with one free stall recommended for each lactating cow. As per the requirements for feeding, different groups of cows can be fed differently according to their specific nutritional requirements. This helps farmers to make arrangements in the barn that permit division of milking herds into groups or stages of lactation. One free stall is recommended for each lactating cow. The stall flooring and the cow mats provide a nice surface for cow comfort and a clean and dry surface to reduce the problem of mastitis.
Blood flow to the udder, is directly related to the level of milk production. Milk production will be higher, when a cow is lying down than when a cow is standing. So giving them a good bedding to lie down is very important. Cow mats protects the cow from the cold and damp floors, protects the cow from infections due to resting on cold/dirty floors. Mats also saves lot of water used for washing the cows and floors. We deal with milking equipment’s as per ISO standards, and cow mats, straight edged, bottom wide grooved. If proper care and protection of your dairy herd are high in your farm then, you must ensure an efficient method to keep stalls clean resulting in better hygiene standards, free from bad smell and odour. Happy cows give more milk.
• Udder Cleaning and Wiping with a clean towel
• Attach Clusters
• Complete milking in 6-8 minutes
• Post milking routines to be followed, for eg. Teat dipping after milking.
• Clean dirty floors and remove manure if any.
The most important job after milking cows involves filtering milk. While doing this, milk is poured from one container to another. Usually the milker puts one can on the floor and pours milk from the other can, using a clean white cloth or a sieve to remove dust particles in milk.
We can think of putting a support pipe behind the cows for hanging the milking clusters at the top in tie stalls as it helps the milker from carrying the cluster, which will make his job easy.
Ventilation is very very important in dairy farms. Air movement through a barn actually serves to dilute the inside air. Dilution reduces concentrations of moisture and heat. Air dilution reduces concentrations of airborne disease organisms, harmful gases and dust, and bad odour.
Land selection for Dairy Farming, the required set up for starting a dairy farm
• Land with good water facility.
• Ideal construction of dairy sheds on elevated surface, little elevation than ground level.
• First step under 10-50-100 can be on tied up system. Provide slopes for entry and exit of cattle on both sides. Keep sides open. Roof must have 16-20 feet height in the centre,sloping to both sides
• Fodder cultivation a must. Every milking cow needs minimum 25 kg green fodder.
• 1 acre land needed for 8 cows – I mean fodder cultivation round the year.
• Plan for preparing silage.
• Machines for fodder harvesting, chaffing machine, milking machine. Plan for related money earning devices like vermi composting, organic manure production.
• Think of marketing milk directly to the end consumer as fresh milk.
• A marketing point in a nearby town locality or flats, housing colonies.
• Think of producing butter, ghee, curd, buttermilk apart from milk. It can also be sold through the same counter.
• Milk products will fetch more margins.
• Do not go after subsidies. Remember for subsidy, the giving agencies will attach conditions which will affect your freedom of operation.
• Anything that comes out of a cow is money. Please remember that.
• For the success in Dairy farming remote control won’t work. Your presence needed in the farm at least once or twice in a week.
• Accounting very important. Record each and every penny spent or earned.
• Be vigilant on the veterinary care side. Immediate attention needed in some cases. Have a good relation with the near by veterinarian in a 24 x7 basis.
• Appoint a very reliable person 24 x7 to manage the show in the farm. He must stay there.
• Do not go straightaway for 50 cows/buffaloes. First keep around 10 cows. Learn the art of dairy farming. It’s like a kid learning to walk before he starts running. Construct the shed for 50 and start with 10 or the shed for 10 must be expandable for 50. Leave land free for that.
• Plan for a feed store room, machine room to keep milking machine, milking can assemblies in hanger’s with ‘S’ hook, milk cans, feeding utensils, emergency first aid medicines for veterinary care, Dewormers, calcium and vitamin supplements, medicines for fever, diarrhoea, calcium deficiency etc.
• Breed selection depending upon the climate in your area
The milking unit is a part of the milking machine for extracting milk from the udder of a cow/buffalo or goat. It is made up of a claw, four teat cups in case of cows/buffaloes, stainless steel teat cup shells, or 2 in case of goats –teat cups made of plastic, rubber liners, long milk tube- transparent one, long pulsation tube, and a pulsator on top of the milking can. The milking claw consists of an assembly that connects the short pulse tubes and milk tubes from the teat cups to the long milk tube. Claws are commonly made of plastic and the shells having liners are mostly steel made, to make it heavy and shock resistant. In the milk claw you can see the milk flow from each teat. Teat cups are composed of a rigid outer shell that holds a soft inner liner. Transparent sections after the shell – milk sight glass in between liner and short milk tube- may allow viewing of milk flow.
Milking machines work in a way that is different from hand milking or calf drinking milk. Continuous vacuum is applied inside the soft liner to massage milk from the teat by creating a pressure difference across the teat canal. The vacuum produced by the vacuum pump using an electric motor attached to it, helps to keep the cluster attached to the cow in its udder. The vacuum applied to the teat causes congestion of teat tissues. Atmospheric pressure is admitted into the pulsation chamber about every second to allow the liner to collapse around the end of teat and relieve congestion in the teat tissue. The ratio of the time that the liner is open is called milking phase and in closed position is called rest phase and this action is called the “pulsation ratio”.
The four quarters releasing milk from the teat cups in case of cows/buffaloes are usually combined in the claw and transported to the long transparent milk tube falling finally to the milk can, made of stainless steel,capacity 30 litres, by means of vacuum.
Provide cows with clean housing, enough space, balanced diets, good bedding, and enough care lowers their milk’s Somatic Cell Count as well as their incidence of mastitis and other infections.
A milking machine installation consists of a vacuum pipe line with vacuum taps connected in that line which lets the operator tap the vacuum produced by the electrically driven vacuum pump in the milking machine to the milking can. Normally the vacuum line length varies with the number of milking cans to be used. The diameter of the vacuum line -PVC pipes - will also differ depending on the milking cans to be used at a time. Similarly the motor size will vary depending on the number of milking cans to be used at a time. In the bucket machine the milk enters the teat cups and it travels through the short milk tubes to the claw where air is admitted and the milk and air travel to the long milk tube to the can where milk is stored finally. The milk remains in the bucket and the air goes to the vacuum tube, finally to the vacuum pipeline. The pulsator which is usually fixed on the bucket lid admits air intermittently and this passes along the long pulse tube to the teat cup chambers. For controlling the vacuum at a predetermined level, air is also admitted to the system through a vacuum regulator which is fitted on the vacuum pipeline near to the milking points.
Milking Parlours are technologically advanced system for milking cows in Large Dairy Herd Farms, which shows milk yield per cow using milk meters, milk getting collected in a Dump Tank or Bulk Milk Cooler, milk stored in these units as milk untouched by hand, keeping quality will be much better and automatic Clean In Place systems. For small farms Tie stall barns are a simple and effective system where mobile milking units play a major role and, bucket machines with 1,2,4,5,8,10,12 units do the job.
In comparison to cow’s milk, buffalo milk contains less water, more total dry substance, more fats, proteins and lactose. And in milk industry it is preferred to cow’s milk for its highly nutritious nature. Buffalo milk constitutes a valuable input in the production of all sorts of dairy foods like cheese, milk cream, milk-based desserts, yogurt, curd and butter. India is the largest producer of buffalo milk in the world. Per litre cost of buffalo milk is higher than that of a cow milk.
A milking machine installation consists of a vacuum pipe line with vacuum taps connected in that line which lets the operator tap the vacuum produced by the electrically driven vacuum pump in the milking machine to the milking can. Normally the vacuum line length varies with the number of milking cans to be used. The diameter of the vacuum line -PVC pipes - will also differ depending on the milking cans to be used at a time. Similarly the motor size will vary depending on the number of milking cans to be used at a time. In the bucket machine the milk enters the teat cups and it travels through the short milk tubes to the claw where air is admitted and the milk and air travel to the long milk tube to the can where milk is stored finally. The milk remains in the bucket and the air goes to the vacuum tube, finally to the vacuum pipeline. The pulsator which is usually fixed on the bucket lid admits air intermittently and this passes along the long pulse tube to the teat cup chambers. For controlling the vacuum at a predetermined level, air is also admitted to the system through a vacuum regulator which is fitted on the vacuum pipeline near to the milking points.
Tie Stalls:-
Cows are restrained in parallel rows with a feeding manger and feed distribution alley for feed delivery in front of the cows and manure collecting gutter and one service alley behind them. Cows position in a tail to tail or head to head system. For ease of milking, normally tail to tail system is preferred as farmer’s can watch the rear end of the cows standing on both sides, from one point. The most important area in the shed from the cow’s point of view is the tie stall area. The cow will spend most of her time resting, eating and drinking and being milked here. A properly designed and built tie stall area provides a comfortable, productive living and working environment for milking cows and their caretakers. The size and surface of this standing area should be clean, dry and comfortable resting and standing area for the cow and allow her to easily rise and recline. Allow enough space for the worker to move beside the cow and perform milking duties easily.
Prevent selective feeding by cows. Mix all ingredients in small pieces, mix it and feed. Use best forage available to maintain required fiber levels. Forages generate more heat than grains during digestion. Add more fat to the ration to boost energy intake. Feed consumption is generally expressed in terms of Dry Matter Intake (DMI) - the weight of feed material consumed excluding the moisture it contains
A cow’s health is important to a dairy farmer, because proper animal care leads to the production of high-quality milk. Nutritious diets, healthy living conditions and good medical care are all essential for a disease free and healthy herd.
. Prevents lameness
• Improves heat detection due to enhanced foothold and comfort
• Improves milk yield and fertility
• Excellent for young stock and bulls
• no bedding and therefore savings and reduced labour costs
• Increased animal confidence giving more comfort and welfare
• Increases profitability
• Keeps cattle cleaner
• More milk production
• Less falls and injuries
• Less lameness and hoof problems
• Rubber surface reduces the disease occurrence due to bacterial attacks
• Opportunities for mastitis and udder contamination very little.
• Heat loss resistance
• Thermal insulation rejects cold and dampness from concrete. Keeps cow’s body heat from dissipating.
• Tests show that increased milk production results from improved comfort - lying and standing. Mats provide a pleasant lying surface and a comfortable cushion when standing.
• Rubber compounding and design gives solid footing and added protection against udder injuries and abrasions.
• Up to 75% less bedding required.
Blood flow to the udder, is directly related to the level of milk production. Milk production will be higher, when a cow is lying down than when a cow is standing. So giving them a good bedding to lie down is very important. Cow mats protects the cow from the cold and damp floors, protects the cow from infections due to resting on cold/dirty floors. Mats also saves lot of water used for washing the cows and floors. We deal with milking equipment’s as per ISO standards, and cow mats, straight edged, bottom wide grooved. If proper care and protection of your dairy herd are high in your farm then, you must ensure an efficient method to keep stalls clean resulting in better hygiene standards, free from bad smell and odour. Happy cows give more milk.
We deal with milking equipment and cow mats.
Cow mats, straight edged, 6 feet x 4 feet x 18 mm thickness, bottom wide grooved enabling water/urine to drain underneath
Approximately 45 Kgs
Easy to Install
Made of Natural rubber for high durability.
Mats can be used in all size cubicles
Solid rubber provide the cows ultimate comfort.
Will not expand or tear like light weight mats.
Hoof dip mats available, hollow mats too available.
The hands of a person handling milking cows can become contaminated with mastitis-causing organisms either from handling dirty equipment or when he/she comes in contact with contaminated milk from infected dairy cows. Some microorganisms lives or grows on skin, whether it is the cow’s teat skin or the milker’s hands. Today, many milking operations will have the milker’s wear disposable latex gloves which should be replaced periodically in every shift.The teats are prepared by cleaning the teat and teat-ends with some solution that removes dirt and provides some sanitation to the teat skin. Many people these days use a pre-milking germicide dip iodine based solution. This enables the teat to be wet and provide sufficient moisture to wipe off the teat and get it cleaned and it sanitizes the teat skin. The act of massaging the teats while wiping them off will also stimulate the oxytocin release which causes milk ejection.
Getting the udder wet using spray hoses to spray germicide on the teats can get the udder hair wet, resulting in the contaminated fluid draining down the teat to the teat end even after wiping off the teat. Long udder hair should be removed as it is not desirable and it is usual for many dairy producer’s to remove the hair from the udder.
Dear sir,
I want to start Dairy farm in Patna, Bihar.
I need your sageation how can i start. 1. much area needed for 10 cows, i need layout of farm, What is the prosess bank give the loan, What is the prosess of take sabsidy from Gov, Where i purchese best breed of cow in bihar.
Dear sir,
I am based in Guwahati and looking for a dairy farm project with 10 Australian Cow. Kindly send me the detailed feasibility report, cost of project, structural and management information with consultation fees. If everything seems fine than it will be implemented within no time.
