Integrated Dairy Farm - experiences

Farm Questions
1

Hi All Farm loving persons, ; :smiley:D

Farming is a very vast subject. That to when we though to do some thing Green project ,without any expectations to return little our minute contribution back to our beloved nature…we decided and selected the Dairy Farming. :sunglasses:

Intially, we took it as very light as our other members of this forum mentioned on various titles and come to know…dairy farming is a one very very deep seperate subject in Live stock Farming and Live stock Farming itself a branch of Farming …Agriculture. >:( :frowning:

As a Engineering background, with very minimum childhood memories of our grandfather’s farm activities…we are started slowly to learn,understand,listen,studying about the …Dairy Farming. Such a small branch of this livestock itself having multiple branches like Genetics,Nutrition,Management,veterian(treatment) etc., endless…The hard part was…Very soon we started to understand…To become a Commercial Dairy Farmer (Enterpreunership) One should be a very serious activities than any other commercial activities/farming and tobe ready for multiple, difficult most tasks. Also, it demands/expects atleast to be knowledgable person in all inter related topics/subjects of dairy farming to become a achievable and successful. :astonished: :-\ :astonished:

(Ofcourse, All senior scientists,realistic advisers express, India is not for the commercial dairy farming-for that there are seperate reasons and issues are there,we will be keeping all those thing aside in this topic, now.)

We started to understand,learning,execute,operate and the process of same is still on…with very high committments,sacrifices, enthuiasims,interests,affections ofcourse little expectations.

So, now we would like to share one by one with all of Dairy farming enthuiastic /interested/experienced friends to make our young ,educated genuine peoples to think towards a progressive dairy farming… :stuck_out_tongue:

Keep watching,asking we will share/discuss slowly one by one realstic facts(generally the peoples never share the success/failure in this dairy farming,as per our experiences, either they will be vague/hurry/greedy/covered with glittery talks) of the integreated/progressive dairy farming. ::)

The efforts are to filter/fine tune the understandings…be genuine…kind…realistic…!! ???

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2

Dear Raju,

The setup of your dairy looks pleasant. it’s nice to see roaming and relaxing cows in the open space and the Shed looks very organised. Very Encouraging indeed.

Have you left some free space between the asbestos sheets on the roof or is it some kind of transparent sheets you have. please give some details about them.

Please, we need more pictures and more explanations about your Dairy farm, especially the various facilities available in your shed.

Good job,

regards,
Muneeb

3

Hi all…wish u all happy Deepavali…,

thanks muneeb for your reply,

Infact, when we started to think go for a dairy farming, we decided first to meet the peoples of all states to understand about the basic knowledges of the same. we were not convinced certain matters of most of the dairy farmers except very few countable dairy farmers.Hence, noted down certain good points of each one’s farm as well as to follow the dairyfarmers, who are in to this, quite long time.

Decided to adopt all our country’s conventional good methods together and started to implement as a concept of Model Integrated Dairy Farm instead of the fully mechanised dairy farm of western countries, which we thought will not be viable for indian conditions especially for 20-300 herds size dairy farmi.e.(small and medium size farms).

Since our moto was to start a dairy farm, we wanted to do a activity which sould zero pllution output to environment , to intiate our educated rural interested youngsters to make understand the agriculture is also a professional activity as compared to any other professionals (here , we always remember our beloved Dr. Kurian’s efforts/struggle/visions/inspirations of those days to give a shape and systems to develop the concepts of “hyginic milk to consumers”,“right price at right time”, “right value to right person” and NDDB…etc.,) dream to create one systamatic dairy farm…i.e…

Model Integrated Dairy Farm …Thought over to create with following considerations…:-

  1. User friendly shed for both cows as well as to engaged labourer.

  2. A good drainage system.

  3. Fresh air circulation and all weather suitable cow shed.

4)Intact all input materials well stack maintaining of feed,fodder,medicines,water,nutrients,siemen …etc.,

  1. Providing cow comforts …i.e. free stall, cow cubicle,milking machine, etc.,

  2. Alternative methods to maintain the regular green fodder feeding by creating silages…protected green fodder stack /chopping area.

  3. A small space with flour mill to make use of opportunities to pulverise the locally available ration,time to time.

  4. Taking care of calves as well as heifers by providing much attention to them by creating seperate shed as well as free stall to them.

9)seperate nearby compost stack area to digest it and to load the same to vermicompost beds,which are created under shadow roof.

  1. Bio-gas unit to generated bio-gas out of cow dung for heating purpose -a)labourer quarters and our farm house. b) 3 + 3 hours power back up by using bio-gas as fuel to genset.

  2. A digester to store the all liquid output of farm…i.e of daily cows washed water, urine,shed washed water and the bio-slurry (output of the bio-gas unit). Can be used this fertile liquid directly to cultivation fields/vermicompost/sale to surrounding local farmers.

  3. Rain water harvesting to collect the all rain water of the farm to charge the dairy farm’s borewell.

  4. Updating time to time the farm maintenance, facilities with new understandings/alternatives etc.,…up grading the cows genetics gradually…etc.,

  5. Minimise the mortality ratio to maximum extent, Infact which is more in breed cows compared to buffalo’s.

About your quiery, the shed you are seeing in photo is constructed both sides of open above 1.5 mtr wall ,covered the open space with mesh. Front and back gable walls and above trusses covered with mesh. Roof Asbestos corrugated sheet inserted with transparent lighting sheet to provide maximum natural lighting in day time.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

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4

Hi,

Good work.
I am also thinking of something on similar lines.A completely integrated farm.
Where are you located?I want to visit your farm.

How are you guys marketing the milk?
How much did it cost for the set up for sheds,digester,equipment,etc (not including cost of purchasing cows and land)

Please keep us updated.

5

hi, friend wish you happy diwali,

you have done very good job, i m impressed by your farm photo’s, i m also planning 2 start dairy farming by low level, plz guide me, i want 2 visit your farm, place? land mark? contact details?, i have bought 2 cows, one is yielding 25/ltrs per day another 15/ltr per day, totally i m getting 10-12k profit, i want 2 further improvements,

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6

Hi venkatesh gowda,

Good job and income of 10-12 K profit/month.

But, we can discuss only when you explain since how long you are doing this and when did you bought these cows.?..the economics of dairy earning sould be based on average of two lactation period of each cows i.e the expenditures incurred and output of that period. Even Milk yield of 25 ltrs and 15 ltrs… please explain/mention which day after calves birth is it giving to you. now who is taking care of the cows etc.,

The dynamics of dairy farming changes when the size or nos. of animals are more than 10 animals.

Before want to see our dairy farm we suggest all to first meet us, discuss at our bangalore office with prior information. After that if it is requiired, we can visit the dairy farm. Now itself, it has become too muc of problem/headache to us to controle the people and realy it is affecting us severely on our day to day activities. Since most of the peoples never respects the others difficuties and inconviniences,especially in visits to livstock farms . Also our experience indicates most of the people try to visit the farm as for their curiosity/picnic spot.

Hence, we started this forum to support and educate the real/genuine enthuiastic dairy enterpreuners. when we feel genuine to visit…we will look into that…please co-operate all. Till that time, we strongly feel , discuss on this forum and it will be reaching lots of people to understand and we too can understand the new lights on so many issues.

hope all will understand our concern.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.
our contact no. is 9845198966.

7

hi friend 1stly i m not much fluent in English,

25/ltrs day cow is 3rd lactn & its calve 3months back i have 2 inseminate this or next month
15/ltrs day cow is also 3rd lactn & its calve 4 months back & same i hve 2 inseminate this month

cows are caring my wife & her parents, now i m looking to extend & i m planning to shift permanently 2 dairy farming

in our place the feed cost is very high
Boosa is 850 per bag of 50kg
Peed is 750 per bag of 50kg

8

Dear Mr Kasturiraju
really your information is very good. Any one who reads your message, would be definitely tempted to visit four farm. Please tell me how are you going to handle the old cows in future.

9

Hi Hari,

sorry for the delayed reply,

At present the m/s Hatsun (Arogya) is collecting the milk in bulk at door step. Every 15th day the payment will be done through RTGS to our account. Every day’s milk report will be updated on mobile.

About construction cost with to-days material cost it may be reach 2lakh per cow (excluding land,cow,service charges,taxes extra if any.) . This is based on 100 cows dairyfarm facility. The nos. of cows or more than 100 it start to come down, if it is less than 100 start to increase in the infrastructure cost / cow will go high. ( But, as per the NABARD/KVK/Banks consider only max. Rs.50,000-00 as the cost of infrastructure cost. may be they will be consider only shed by excluding all other facilities).

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

10

Dear Vasudevan,

we have decided to keep new generation of our cows and replace them regularly to keep upgrade them irrespective of their performance.(hence, the list of animals for sale regularly in our farm with details given in advertisement section seperately in the farm nest.)

so, we have planned to keep list of animals to move out i.e for sale regularly in our farm after 2nd or 3 rd lactation not to the reason of problems.(Generally, now the practice is going on some of dairy farms is sell off the problamatic cows only) But, to upgrade our new generation cows and to develop the confidence in people who buys cows from us to understand that , the cow and its details are genuine. Actualy, it is not the market practice. But, we are giving a try to change that mindset and uncertanies.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

11

O.k Gowda sir,

No worry about language, even we too not perfect.

All the best for your plan,Anyway u can also compare your present work and future plan and the security of the earnings.

Please feel free to write to us for any clarifications or support. To the maximum extent our co-operation will be their.

If possible, try to prepare the feed ration on your own by procuring local material. Any day it will be better and you will be know what you are feeding to your cow.[quote=venkategowda2006]
hi friend 1stly i m not much fluent in English,

25/ltrs day cow is 3rd lactn & its calve 3months back i have 2 inseminate this or next month
15/ltrs day cow is also 3rd lactn & its calve 4 months back & same i hve 2 inseminate this month

cows are caring my wife & her parents, now i m looking to extend & i m planning to shift permanently 2 dairy farming

in our place the feed cost is very high
Boosa is 850 per bag of 50kg
Peed is 750 per bag of 50kg
[/quote]

12

Hello Kasturiraju,

First of all a big ‘thank you’ for the wonderful initiative you have taken to share your experiences with members on this forum. This is much appreciated.

It might be interesting for all the members to know more about the specifics such as your experiences with labour, fodder/feed management, veterinary support, artificial insemination, etc, etc. Though you have mentioned in your first post that you will cover each item/area in detail, we just can’t wait to hear from you.

Congratulations and all good wishes for the future.

Looking forward to your details posts. Thanks again for taking the initiative.

Cheers,

John

13

Thank you sir,

you’r correct sir, @ present i m not planning 2 prepare own feed, after reaching 5-10 cows i will plan,

where is your farm located? @ wt rate r u selling 3 or 4th lactating cows?

14

Dear Mr Kasturi Raju
Its really amazing to see the transformation from an oil technologist to fabrication specialist to a successful dairy man.It speaks very well of you since very few the
successful people have the desire to disseminate knowledge.
When are you taking me to the farm?
Regards
Ashok Gaonkar

15

Do you mean to say 25/l is the yeild thruout the lactation?
Did you feed more fatty feeds like cotton seed cakes? Check with your vet. Sometimes more fat contents will cause problems in next pregnacy, many times they dont concieve at all for a long time.

by the way is this your first batch of animals? What is the color of the hooves? is it pure white?

Happy milking

16

Dear sir,

Thanks for your appreciation …

In the month of December, we will go together,sir. we will intimate the date,surely.

We Remember all the time your kind , gentle and matured approaches …all these inspire us to do good things.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

17

Dear Sri

25/ltrs day is not through out the lactation,

i m not using oil cakes, just i m using Boosa & Feed & Green Fodder, cows are not too fatty, average body wieght, u can watch above black cow, this is my first batch cows, colour is not important for yield

18

Dear Mr. Gowda,
Generally It is a belief that the hooves are pure white then the Animal is pure HF breed , which is related to yeild. So I was trying to find out in your case about the yeild and co relate to breed.
Any way you have wonderful animals.

19

Thank you friend,

r u a dairy farmer?

20

Dear Kasturiraju sir,

What do you do with male calves? Have you ever tried female embrio?
I was told by my vet that in Gujarat it is available for 3000/-

There is a 100% gaurantee that you will get a female calf.