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UNIT 4 – FEEDING MANAGEMENT

 Feeding of cattle and buffalo – Daily feed allowances

 Fodder based dairy farming for profitable dairying
 Introduction of feeds and fodder for milking and replacement stock
 Feeding animal for maintenance and production
 Techniques of TMR (Total Mixed Ration) preparation techniques

Feeding of cattle and buffalo – Daily feed allowances

Feeding is the act or process of giving or supply or providing of food to the animal. Food is
primary or basic need to the living organism to exit. Generally animal feeding is based as 2/3
roughage and 1/3 concentrates of total amount feed provided. On the basis of nutrient
composition of feed, animal feed is generally classified into:

A. Roughage: Both green and dry are also known as bulk feeds or roughages, as they are
voluminous due to high fiber content. They contain fewer nutrients per unit weight. Their
classification is given in the below. By cultivated feeds and fodders we mean all those
main and by products obtained via cultivation of crops by farmers, whatever may be their
nutrient quality.

 Green or Succulent forages or fodders

 Fodder Crop
 Legumes: Berseem, Lucerne, cowpea
 Non-Legumes: maize, bajra, sudan, napier
 Fodder Tree: epil-epil, badahar, tanki, kutmiro, kavro etc.
 Dry forages or fodders: Hay, & Straw (straw like oat, rice, wheat, barley and hay
of Lucerne, sorghum etc.)

B. Concentrated: It provides important high value nutrients in small quantities.

 Energy rich: Cereal crop and grains like maize, wheat, rice bran, wheat bran. Rice
police etc.
 Protein rich
 Animal protein: bone meal, fish meal, blood meal etc.
 Plant protein: mustard cake, soybean cake, linseed cake, ground nut cake
etc.
C. Minerals and vitamins mixture: there are some nutrients that are added to feeds or
supplemented to the ration for providing some specific nutrient or group of nutrients. For
example; calcium, potassium etc.

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Average rate of feeding/day of green fodder, concentrated and dry fodder for different
categories cattle and buffalo:
Categories of animals Rates of feeding per day(in KG)
Green concentrates Dry fodder
A. Cattle
1. Cross breed(milch) 20 2.75 6
Improved cows(milch) 10 1.2 6
2. Females over 3 years of age: Other milch cows and 3.5 0125 3.16
not calved once
Young stock- 10 1.5 2
3. Males less than 3 years of crossbreed
age Other young stock 1.5 0.016 1.47
4. Males over 3 years of age 4.96 0.17 5.65
B. Buffaloes
Improved buffaloes 10 1.5 6
1. Females over 3 years of age Other milch buffaloes 5.72 0.41 5.08
and not calved once
1. Males over 3 years of age 6.51 0.109 5.43
2. Male less than 3 years of age 159 0.01 1.64

Fodder based dairy farming for profitable dairying

The main objectives and goal of domestication of any animal is to get maximum output or
production from them. If there is no satisfactory output from livestock, our investment or input to
them will be waste. So for the profitable farming of any animal there should be sound
management and caring of animal in the term of housing, feeding, breeding other provisions.
Feeding of animal is primary and basic need for the desirable output from them, if we can’t
manage balance feeding to the productive animal, there is impossible to get profit from them. In
the case of dairy animal farming, feeding of animal is based on different way. There are different
types of feeding methods are in practice. But for the profitable farming, fodder based farming is
most suitable to maximize the profit from dairy animal farming.
Generally fodder means any plant based food given to the animal, which may dry or green. If
there is no any fodder to feed animal, it may almost impossible to provide balance feeding. The
common classification and types fodder are;

A. Green fodder
i. Fodder crop
a. Legume: Berseem, Lucerne
b. Non-legumes: maize, bajra, sudan
ii. Fodder tree: epil-epil, badahar, tanki etc.

B. Dry fodder: Hay, Straw

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Introduction of feeds and fodder for milking and replacement stock

Amount and requirements of nutrients and feeds for every animal is different. There is different
amount feeding requirement of feed and fodder of animal is depends upon various factors:

 Species and breed of animal

 Weight of animal
 Age of animal
 Stage of animal
 Availability of feed and fodder
 Digestibility and palatability of feed
 Purpose of production
 Environmental factors
 Temperature
 Humidity
 Climate and seasons

Feeding the milking cow

A good feeding programme for a milking cow should:

• Achieve a high peak yield early in lactation and a high total lactation yield
• Prevent too much weight loss
• Enable the cow to go on heat, become pregnant and produce a healthy calf
• Make best use of the feeds available.

The amounts of the different nutrients required will depend on which of the above applies to the
cow. Immediately after calving, the cow has a low appetite and will not eat as much feed as the
body may require. In addition, the cow needs a lot of nutrients to recondition the body as well as
to support milk production. If the cow is not given adequate feed during early lactation, it will
not produce as much milk as it could, even if the feed supply is improved later in the lactation.

In order to make milk production more economical, feed cows with as much forage as possible
before offering concentrates because forage is cheaper than concentrates. Ensure the milking
cow has constant access to water and regular access to a good quality mineral mix.

At early lactation
Forages:
Always provide the cow with as much good quality forages as possible, such as young, dark
green Napier grass.
With good quality forage, it is possible to produce five to ten litres of milk per day from forage
alone. Large breed of cow, such as a Holstein Friesians, can eat more than 100 kilograms of fresh
forage each day. Lighter breeds, such as Jerseys, can eat 65 to 85 kilograms of fresh forage a
day. When supplementary forages, such as lucerne, desmodium or leucaena are available, these
should be mixed with the basal forage, such as grass or Napier grass, ideally at a ratio of one part
fresh supplementary forage to three parts fresh basal forage.

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Concentrates:
It is much better to feed eight kilograms of concentrate per day for the first twelve weeks of
lactation and then just good quality forages alone.

At mid to late lactation

During this time the milk yield drops gradually. Supplement the diet depending on the quality
and quantity of forage. Feed the cow as much good quality forage as it will eat. At this stage the
cow should produce up to five litres of milk on good quality forage alone and concentrate should
be given according to the milk yield. For every one kilogram of concentrate fed, one to one and a
half litres of milk should be produced over and above the five litres produced from the bulk
forage. Alternatively, under the targeted feeding requirement, no concentrates will be fed during
this period.

Feeding the replacement stock/Feeding in dry period

Around two months before the expected date of calving, the cow should be ‘dried off’ – this
simply means stopping milking. This is done to allow the cow time to prepare for the next
lactation. The dry period should be between 45 and 60 days.

The aim of the feeding programme for the dry cow is to:
 Ensure that the cow is in good condition at the time of calving and gives birth to a healthy
calf
 Enable the cow to produce as much milk as it is capable of during the next lactation
 Avoid health problems around calving (e.g. milk fever) or in early lactation (e.g.
ketosis).

During the dry period the cow requires nutrients to:

 Maintain the body
 Support the unborn calf
 Repair milk-producing cells of the udder in preparation for the next lactation.

The dry cow should not gain excessive body weight; cows that become too fat are more likely to
have problems at calving time and over-feeding dry cows is wasteful and does not make
economic sense. The amount of concentrate should be decided according to the quality of forage
available and the body condition of the animals. Good quality forage, such as one meter tall, dark
green Napier grass, can be fed alone. However, lower quality forage, such as dry maize stalks,
requires supplementing with concentrates.

Dry period (60 to 14 days before calving)

During this time the cow can eat a lot of forage. To allow the cow to dry off, do not feed
concentrates during the first two weeks of the dry period. After this, and depending on the body
condition and quality of forage available, start with half a kilogram of dairy meal (or equivalent)
per day.

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Preparation for the next lactation (14 days to calving)

In addition to the maintenance forage, feed concentrates increasing the amount gradually so that
by the time of calving the cow will be getting at least four kilograms per day – this is called
‘steaming-up’ and is done to ensure a healthy calf and prepare for the next lactation. Stop
offering mineral supplements for the first week of this period - that is between 14 and seven days
before calving. This will stimulate the body’s mechanism for drawing on calcium stores in the
bones which can help avoid health problems in early lactation (milk fever). Resume feeding
minerals one week before calving is due.

Feeding animal for maintenance and production

Dairy animal needs different amounts of nutrients (energy, protein and minerals) at different
stages in their lives. For dairy animals, depending on how much milk they are producing.
Nutrients are needed for:
Maintenance: Animals require nutrients, especially those that supply energy and minerals, to
remain alive and keep their bodies working properly without losing weight.
Growth: Apart from maintaining the body, young growing animals require additional nutrients,
especially protein, energy and minerals, in order to develop and grow normally.
Reproduction: A pregnant cow requires additional nutrients, especially protein and minerals, to
support the development of the calf growing inside it.
Milk production: A lactating cow requires more nutrients in order to produce more milk – the
more milk produced the more nutrients, especially protein, energy and minerals, it will need.

On the basis of stage and purpose of animal production, feeding practice is generally classified
as:
1) Maintenance ration: This is the minimum amount of feed required to maintain
the essential body system at their optimum rate without gain or loss in body
weight or change in body composition. In maintenance ration, it should contain
concentrate mixture which will provide at least 20% protein (14%-16% DCP) and
68-72% TDN.

Daily maintenance requirements of dairy stock

Body weight DCP(KG) TDN(KG) Ca(g) P(g)

250 0.168 2.02 6 6
350 0.277 2.7 8 8
400 0.254 3.03 9 9
450 0.282 3.37 10 10
550 0.336 4 12 12

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2) Gestation ration: in the case of pregnancy, further allowance from the fifth
month of pregnancy onwards must be made for proper growth of the fetus and to
mother fit for optimum milk production on calving. For this, in addition to
maintenance ration, a further amount of 1.25 and 1.75 kg concentrate mixture is
recommended for indigenous and cross breed cow/buffalo respectively.
3) Production ration: production ration is the additional supply of ration for milk
production over and above the maintenance requirement. For indigenous small
breed 1 kg additional amount of concentrate is required for every 2.5 kg of milk
over and maintenance requirement while the same amount of concentrates is
required for every 2.5 kg of milk for cross breed.
Requirements for production of 1 kg of milk (given amount to be added to maintenance
ration)

Fat % content DCP(KG) TDN(KG) Ca(g) P(g)

of milk
3 0.04 0.27 2 1.4
3.5 0.042 0.29 2 1.4
4.5 0.048 0.34 2 1.4
5.5 0.051 0.36 2 1.4
7.5 0.063 0.46 2 1.4

Techniques of TMR (Total Mixed Ration)

The term TMR (total mixed ration) may be defined as process of modifying all feedstuffs into a
complete ration which provides all kinds of nutrients to meet needs or requirements of animal. In
this process all kinds of feed and fodder are weighing and calculating the total available nutritive
value and converting into different form i.e. pallet, power, small packed etc. on the basis of rate
of animal requirements. All forages, concentrates, protein supplements, minerals and vitamins
are mixed and prepared as a single feed. Each bite of TMR consumed contains the required level
of nutrients (energy, protein, minerals and vitamins) needed by the animal.

Advantages

 The dairy farmer has more control over the feeding program and have less time in
feeding
 All forages, grains, protein supplements, minerals and vitamins are thoroughly mixed.
Therefore, the cow can get their requirement in small amount of individual ration
ingredients.
 Easy to feeding exact amounts of nutrients (energy, protein, etc.) to animal with more
accurately for their particular stage of lactation and level of milk yield.
 This system can save labour and reduce overall feeding costs.


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Disadvantages

 Cows should be grouped by production levels during feeding time so feeding and
arrangement of animal is quite difficult.
 Grouping cows is not feasible / possible in small herds (less than 50 cows).
 Grouping cows is not easy if the cowshed cannot handle various numbers of cows in each
group
 If not grouped according to production, cows in late lactation are likely to get too fat.
 Special equipment is needed to formulate feed and to make TMR.

UNIT 5 – DAILY CARE AND MANAGEMENT

 Care and management of pregnant and lactating animal

 Care and management of newly born calf
 Rearing of calf
 Management of breeding bull
 Care of diseased and sick animal
 Sanitation of dairy barn and equipment

Care and management of pregnant and lactating animal

The whole responsibility for a successful business in dairy farming goes to dairy farmer. If dairy
farmers take proper interest, care and management of animal, he may make the farming business
a profitable by increasing milk production. The following are the main care and management
considerations:

 Keeping record of conceive date and calculate tentative date of parturition, usually a
dairy cow carry her calf average period of 280 days and buffalo of 310 days.

 Separate the pregnant animals from rest and allow them to live in little isolated way.

 Regular physical examination and pregnancy diagnosis of pregnant animal

 Avoid mounting cows or bulls that are in heat as well as prevents from being injured by
slipping on stable floors

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 Regular exercise and leave for freely walking.

 Provided gestation ration with enough clean water and additional mineral mixture

 When symptoms of parturition occur, animals should shift to calving shed. Calving shed
must be well bedded, ventilated and lighted.

 Avoided contraindicated drugs and grasses and other toxic plants

 Proper care and management during the parturition such as, position of expulsion of calf,
provides technical and clinical management if there is any abnormalities in normal
calving

 After parturition sanitary measure and other care, such as washing the external genitalia
and udder should manage

 Proper management and dispose of placenta and aware of retain placenta. Avoiding the
licking and ingestion of placenta to the animals

 Balanced feeding and other nutritional requirement should provide to prevents metabolic
disorders such as milk fever, ketosis etc.

 Regularity of care and grooming of lactating cow

 Daily allowance of feed and clean water

 Follows control measures for mastitis and best methods of milking

 Drying-off of cow should begin at time (45-60 days before parturition)

 Control of bad habit such as: sucking, kicking, fence breaking

 Proper manage of manure disposal and bedding materials

 Control of flies, mosquito and other irritating insects

 Regular deworming and parasite control

 Protecting both pregnancy and lactating animals from poisoning

 Matting and breeding management at appropriate time and seasons

 Replacement and culling of non-lactating animals from herd

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Care and Management of Newly Born Calf

After calving the cow usually will begin to dry the calf, if for some reason the cow is unable to
get up then the calf should be dried with a towel or other suitable material manually.

1. Make sure that all mucus is removed from the nose and mouth. If the calf does not start to
breathe, artificial respiration should be used by alternately compressing and relaxing the
chest wall with the hands after laying the calf on its side.
2. Naval cord should be cut with sterilized scissors leaving 2" from the body and the entire
naval cord be disinfected by tincture of iodine.
3. Normally the calf will be on its feet and ready for suckling the mother within an hour.
Some kind of help is need in this stage. Clean the udder before the calf starts sucking.
4. Feed the calf with first milk i.e. colostrum at least for 48 hours. The colostrum should be
fed within half an hour after birth. The rate of feeding should be about 10% of the calf s
weight per day up to a maximum of 5-6 liters per day.
5. The calf is best maintained in an individual pen or stall for the first few weeks. After
about eight weeks it may shifted with a group.
6. Take body weight of the calf and identify the calf by tattooing.
7. Dehorn the calf preferably within 15 days after birth.
8. Teats of the udders of heifers in excess of four should be removed.
9. At the age of 3 months the calf should be vaccinated against Anthrax and fifteen days
there after it should be vaccinated against B.Q

The future of any herd depends upon how calves are cared and raised. So the calf rearing should
be taken upon scientific based.

Management practice up to six months:

1. Provide fresh, clean water all times, particularly when milk feeding is induced
discontinued
2. Giving of identification mark which is necessary for keeping proper records, proper,
feeding, better care and management.
3. Dehorning the calves: at the age of 2-3 weeks, bull calves should be castrated suitably.
4. Castration of bull calf: At age of 2-3 months, bull calves should be castrated suitably.
5. Removal of extra teat in female calves.
6. Housing: While housing the calves/ the following points to be noted.

 Calf pen should be close to cow shed.

 Pen should provide sunlight; good ventilation floor should not be
slippery.
 After 6-8 weeks, calves may be grouped according to age, sex.
 The feed boxes & watering equipment should be provided in the pen.

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Rearing of Calves

Care and management immediately after calving

 Cleaning the udder and hind quarters of cattle.

 Mucus removal from the face and nostrils of calf and induction of respiration.
 Allowing the calf to suck the colostrum.
 Naval cord ligation.
 Watching of cow for placenta expulsion.

Essential requirements in calf housing

 Dry bedding.
 Well ventilated environment.
 A specific minimum cubic air capacity per calf.
 A draught free environment at calf level.

Floor space requirement for calves

Age of calves(months) Covered area( m2) Open area(m2) No. of calves/pen

0-3 1.0 2 24 / pen
3-6 1.5 3 16/ pen
6-12 2.0 4 12/pen

Feeding schedule for calves

Age of calf Body weight Quantity of Concentrates Green fodder

(kg) milk(kg)
From birth to 25 2.5 Smaller rate Smaller rate
h
4 week
4 to 6th week 30 3.0 50 to 100 grams Smaller rate
6 to 8th week 35 2.5 100 to 250 grams 500 grams
8 to 10th week 40 2.0 250 to 350 grams 750 grams
10 to 12th week 45 1.5 350 to 500 grams 1.0 kg
12 to 16th week 50 - 500 to 750 grams 1.5 kg
16 to 20th week 55 - 750 to 1000 2 kg
grams
20 to 24th week 60 - 1 to 1.25 kg 3 kg
6 to 9th month 70 to 100 - 1.25 to 1.5 kg 5 to 8 kg
9 to 15th mont5h 100 to 150 - 1.5 to 2.0 kg 8 to 15 kg
15 to 20th month 150 to 200 - 2.00 to 2.25 kg 15 to 20 kg
Above 20 months 200 to 300 - 2.25 to 2.50 kg 20 to 25 kg

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Vaccination particulars for your calf

Age Vaccination
8 weeks before weaning Black quarter (1st vaccine)
2-4 months FMD first vaccine
6-8 months FMD booster vaccine
6 months Anthrax
Black quarter (2nd vaccine)
Hemorrhagic septicemia vaccine
4-8 months Brucella vaccine
Early once FMD vaccine

Deworming of calf
 Deworming should be started from the first week of calf.
 A single oral dose of 10 g piperazine is recommended for the calves preferably in the first
week of life to control neonatal ascariasis especially in buffalo calves.
 Deworming should be done every month for first 6 months, thereafter once in three
months.
 The deworming drugs and dose should be consulted with qualified veterinary doctor.
 Over dose and under dose of deworming drugs should be prevented to check the side
effects.

Care and management of Breeding Bull

The care and proper management of breeding bull is important for success of breeding
programme.

1. Selection: The breeding bulls should be selected from good genetic characteristics
2. Feeding:

 The properly balanced ration should be given which contains adequate energy,
protein, minerals & vitamins.
 Feed to male calf after discontinuation of milk, it should be provided with good
quality, legume hay and 2 to 2.5 kg of concentrate having 12-15% DCP.
 Feeding to mature bull: Should be fed adequately to keep it on good health but not
over fat, sufficient amount of green feed, 1 kg of good quality hay (DM) and 1.5
kg of concentrates per 100 kg of body weight per day will keep in good breeding
condition.
 The breeding calf if provided with good feeding practices it will develop in a
vigorous nature mature bull & reach sexual maturity of young age.

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3. Housing:

 The bull should be housed in a separate bull pen measuring 15' X 10' dimension.
 The stall should open into strongly fenced paddock into which the bull has free
access & movement.
 The pen should have stanchion to which the bull can be tied during cleaning time.
 The feeding & watering arrangement should be made in the pen and paddock.

4. Exercise:

 It is needed to keep normal appetite, retain breeding power and good health.
 Males which received plenty of exercise produce larger ejaculation containing
more sperms of higher activity.

5. Training: Bull should be trained to be lead with bull staff at an early age population is a
pressure on limited sources, so timely culling of the unwanted animals is desired.

Care and management of diseased and sick animals

Disease is the deviation of the body system or mechanism from normal. There are various types
of disease and causative agents of animals. Animals can sick or diseased at any age and stage of
life. At the time of diseased and sick condition of animal should need proper care and
management for recovery. Care and management of diseased and sick animals are as:

 Firstly diseased and sick animal should be separated from herd and shifted to isolated
room, if there is any communicable disease.
 Regular observation of normal behavior of animal, if there is any change any normal
behavior we should be aware and alert.
 Regular observation of physical and clinical examination (temperature, respiration, pulse,
heart rate).
 Checking of feed and water intake.
 Observation of sign and symptoms showing by diseased and sick animal.
 Try to diagnosis and find out the types of disease and its causative agents.
 Consult to the veterinarian technician to conform diagnosis and treatment of sick animal.
 Medication to animals with appropriate drugs and doses.
 If there is any surgical and other equipment, always use in sterilized condition.
 Proper management of sanitary measure.
 Provide digestible soft and palatable food to sick animal.
 Regular observation and monitoring of sick animal till complete recovery.

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Sanitation of dairy barn and equipment

One of the most important factors affecting the quality of dairy products is the cleanliness of
dairy equipment used for handling and storage of milk. Dairy utensils are the major sources of
contamination during milk processing. Therefore proper cleaning and sanitization of dairy
equipment and utensils is necessary.

Purpose
i. Helps to keep the building clean and the floor dry.
ii. Prevents contamination from the ground and from dairy equipment.
iii. Reduces sources of contamination of milk and increases self-life of milk.
iv. Supports clean milk production on farm.
v. Removes bad odour and chemical changes of milk.
vi. Necessary for maintaining public health.

Procedure
a. Dairy barn cleaning
 Remove the dung with shovel.
 Spray some water on the floor to make it wet and easily remove the dried dung.
 Clean the dung and disinfect the part attached to the shorter height of the wall.
 Clean the mangers with the help of brooms (large brush).
 Scrub the floor with hard broom and flush it with water.
 Drain out washed material from gutter by running the floor brush.
 Spray 2% phenyl solution and water evenly on the entire floor and barn area.
 Periodically remove spider-webs with wall brush.
 During rainy and summer season spray Malathion or any disinfectant to control fly and
vectors.
 Whitewash (lime water) periodically when wall and surrounding become dirty.

b. Milk room cleaning

 Spray water on the floor with pipe.
 Scrub the floor with washing soda solution.
 Wash the floor, lower part of wall with water and disinfectant.
 Drain the dirty water and dry completely.
 Spraying of chlorine solution for disinfection of milking room.
 Periodically also whitewash the wall when and where necessary.
 Disinfectants or phenyl solution or any other detergents must be used 3 hours before milking
to avoid the absorption of bad odour an off flavors.

Cleaning and sanitization of dairy equipment: (Follow the notes of Dairy and Dairy Products
Technology in unit – 6, which has exactly same contains you need in this topic)

Commercial Dairy Farming, Diploma III Year, Dr. Mani Raj Dhakal (B.V.Sc & A.H, 2018, IAAS, TU)