Sustainable Managemental Practices at a Dairy Farm and use of Polyherbals

When a farmer begin to think of setting up a dairy farm a number of queries and confusions are there but the foremost aim of a dairy owner is to maximize its profits and grow the business. To achieve this aim, a farmer needs to have a number of establishing plans in his mind. Along with designing a proper strategy, he also need to have an approach that delivers him not only a huge profit but also a sustainable growth. When we talk of the word sustainable, we generally mean to have optimum production but sustainable refers not only to have production for the present generation but it should be utilised in such a way that our upcoming generations are not deprived off from our current resources. For a dairy farm, sustainable management requires a number of factors   that will add not only to the profits but also your business will flourish day by day setting up the aim of sustainability. Several practices that should be followed for this sustainable growth is explained briefly in this article.

 

 

While establishing a dairy farm one should make sure that the animal to be purchased should be from a genuine source and only authentic breeds are being selected for the farm. The advantages of having genetically pure breeds include germplasm conservation as well as higher margins of profits. 

 

 

Dirty and unsanitary barns lead to disease epidemics in dairy herds, requiring constant antibiotic treatment, which again is unsafe leads to failure of sustainability concept.” Proper sanitation and hygiene practices at farm will not only prevent the animal from a number of infections but also provide an ambience in which the animal will be realising maximum comfort and hence the farmer will get maximum production performance. Poorly managed and unhygienic barn or shed will tend to put the animal in stress and will become prone to number of bacterial and viral infections. A number of infectious diseases arises mainly due to transmission by various vectors which appear in shed due to these malpractices. Maintain sanitation in the farm so that the animal is able to perform at its maximum efficiency which inturn will lead to maximum profit to the farmer.

 

 

Make it a standard practice to keep the newly purchased animals under strict quarantine for at least 60-90 days. This is a preventive measure and the other animals in the farm are prevented from any unobvious infection from the newly purchased animals as well as ensure that the animals are free from any disease or ailment. Quarantine practices should be strictly followed in the farm as it is having long term benefits to the farmer. 

 

 

Nutritional management of the calf, heifer, lactating and pregnant animals should be done accordingly. Sufficiently balanced amount of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water should be supplied to the animals in its feed. The category wise as well as breed wise nutritional requirements can be consulted from any veterinary nutritionist and a balanced and nutrient rich diet should be provided for implementing best growth, production and profits.

 

 

Feeding constitutes single highest variable cost in a dairy farm therefore it need to manged in an excellent way. The pasture provided to the dairy animals should be high quality having better nutritional value and digestibility. Feedstuff provided includes roughages and concentrates. Roughages are relatively high in crude fibre content like fresh grasses, hay and silage. Good quality roughage makes the basis of a high milk production and should be fed to the cow at the right stage usually around plant flowering. For achieving maximum profits, a farmer should be encouraged to grow them on their own lands.

 

 

Avoid all types of stress to the animal especially those in the production or pregnant stages. The animal can go through a number of stress factors like environmental stress due to changes in the temperature, humidity, wind velocity etc. Always prefer to maintain ambient conditions inside the barn and sudden changes should be avoided. If required the provision of fans or coolers should also be done in summer season. Production stress may also be there in high yielding animals. In recently parturated animals, there are increased chances of stress due to reduced immunity. Give proper rest to newly purchased animals to avoid transportation stress. Abrupt changes in feeds also leads to stressful condition for the animals.

 

 

Air quality has an important role to play in the management of a dairy farm. Dairy farms affect air quality through emissions of gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide as well as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants, and odor and therefore it should be well managed. Proper manure management is must in a dairy farm to appropriately follow the sustainable practices. Anaerobic digestion in covered earthen basin or tanks can be followed. Proper ventilation and regular cleaning is suggested.

 

 

“Confining animals in crammed and dirty barns is inhumane.” The question actually is are we rearing a cow to take the advantage of its natural abilities or we are just taking advantage of a cow?? Overcrowding reduces a cow's ability to practice natural behaviors, but may improve economic returns of the farm owner. Overcrowding will also lead to fight for the space and feed that will ultimately decrease the milk production of the animals and affect negatively to the health of heifers or pregnant animals. 

 

 

There are different recommendations in this regard, but, Basic behavioral needs of a dairy cow needs 3 to 5 hours/day in eating, 10 to 14 hours/day to lie down and rest, 2 to 3 hours/day while standing or walking in the alley and nearly 1/2 hour/day in drinking, which makes a total of 20.5 to 21.5 hours/day. 2.5 to 3.5 hour/day will still be left for milking, medications (if any) and herd health checks, etc.

 

 

As the animal reaches the advanced pregnancy stage, it should be provided with sufficient and balanced amount of ration. It will ensure the excellent quality of colostrum. Along with this make sure that the new born has consumed it in sufficient amount because this colostrum is going to provide a large number of maternal antibodies which will make its immune system strong and prevent it from a number of infectious diseases immediately after birth.

 

 

In general the milk production is assessed as per the litres produced despite of judging it on the basis of its breed characteristic. Milk production level of a dairy animal should be as per its breed characteristics. If it is not there then it is a condition of poor farm management and the actual cause behind this reduced production should be assessed so that optimum milk production should be obtained. The most common infection that a dairy cow encounters is of mastitis, be it subclinical or clinical. To manage this most common and profit eating disease in a farm, Ayurvet’s Mastilep is recommended. MASTILEP is a non-antibiotic polyherbal gel containing ingredients like Curcuma longa and Cedrus deodara etc. for topical application on udder and teats indicated for prophylaxis and treatment of mastitis.  It acts as non-irritant protective emollient, checks the microbes and ensures hygiene, health and productivity of mammary gland when applied during different stages of lactation.

 

MASTILEP by virtue of its constituent herbs provides

• Anti-inflammatory and soothing effect
• Analgesic action
• Anti-microbial activity
• Strengthening of udder tissue defence barrier
• Boosting of local immunity

 

The formulation, through a series of research trials, has proved to control the infection and potentiate the udder immunity along with improvement in quality of milk.

 

 

The most common reason that leads to the failure of this objective is problems like retention of placenta and repeat breeding which amy be due to a number of etiological factors. Ayurvet offers its cure through its products like EXAPAR and JANOVA.

 

EXAPAR is an exclusive combination of standardized and highly efficacious medicinal herbs with a potent ecbolic activity. In addition, the drug induces an effective uterine cleansing action through activation of uterine secretions. It also helps in the improvement of uterine tonicity thereby, expediting the process of uterine involution. EXAPAR is an ideal herbal choice for both the treatment and prevention of retained placenta in cow, buffalo, mare, ewe and doe. The direct economic losses due to infertility, reduction in milk production, delayed uterine involution and postpartum anoestrus are minimized with the use of this formulation.

 

EXAPAR helps in expulsion of retained placenta; being herbal it has following benefits:

 

• Is non-Hormonal 
• Its safe 
• Has zero withdrawal period
• Do not interfere with milk secretion

 

JANOVA capsule contains the pulverized mixture of rare medicinal herbs encapsulated in hard gelatin capsule.  The constituent herbs and their phytoactive constituents present in JANOVA mimic the gonadotropin like action; synchronize the release of physiological hormones for inducing ovulatory oestrus. JANOVA capsule is non-hormonal formulation and unlike hormones and their synthetic analogues, does not interfere in normal reproductive cycle and lactation

 

The aim of a farmer should be to get one offspring in each reproductive cycle of the animal along with 300 days of lactation. If it is so, the farmer is considered to be following the standard practices and is supposed to be in the best of the profit margins as the money will come from the sale of milk and along with that a calf will also be produced which will help in increasing the sustainable growth of the breed as well as farm.