Major Problems observed in the College’s Dairy and

poultry farms and their solution for better

Productivity

December, 2013
Kombolcha, Ethiopia
Introduction
Animals are an important part of the agricultural production systems in Ethiopia. They are an
important source of food, income and other benefits, and they meet a number of traditional
needs. Livestock sector plays an important role in socio-economic development of rural
households. Livestock rearing has significantly positive impact in terms of income and poverty
alleviation in rural population.

Animal management practices are the various ways by which animals are kept and their
needs adequately provided for. This is done in order to get maximum benefit from them. The
management of animals requires some skills. Only proper management guarantees good
production. Health in farm animals is a condition where the entire animal body functions
properly leading to full production and productivity.

Raising a healthy animal is the stockman’s goal. This requires that he or she maintain a clean,
healthy environment by avoiding crowded and unsanitary conditions; provide adequate and
proper feed; make feed changes gradually; minimize exposure to and vaccinate against common
diseases; and avoid stress, which can lower resistance to disease.

Good farm management practices are based on good nutritional supply, housing, genetic
improvement and close follow up. To avoid health problems in farm animals’ routine health care
procedures should be followed. This can be done through attentive observation. This is an
important point to identify health problems in the herd/ flock and to take appropriate action on
time.

A program of preventive management is the best way to control poultry diseases

and parasites. Such a program involves sanitation, good management, vaccination, and control
of disease outbreaks.
Farm production output is the result of what we have gave input. If we provide adequate inputs
like feed, proper housing and management, we will get a maximum output. Farm management
is not a task for single individual/body, it is the responsibility and cooperative work of
different individuals having different task manner.
Therefore, the major objective of this short summary is to indicate problems encountered in dairy
and poultry farms of the college thereby forwarding possible solutions for better productivity.

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Types of farmers

& Cow-minded farmers are particularly interested in animals. They take particular care to
solve problems and make animal focused improvements. A cow-minded farmer has a feel
for cattle: he knows whether an animal is content or not, often without even having to
think about it.
& Techie farmers prefer to solve problems using technical solutions: equipment, buildings
and standard operating procedures. They need much more motivation in order to respond
to cow signals quickly and effectively.
& Cost-cutters avoid expenses and prefer not to invest. Their farm management is
conservative. They work reactively and have difficulty thinking preventively.
& Entrepreneurs view the cow as a production unit and think in terms of groups, figures,
and plans. An entrepreneurial farmer wants to work in a structured way and needs clear
criteria: that cow is doing well, that cow should be culled, and that cow needs extra care
Take our college as a single farmer and in which category is it??
Major Problems observed in the dairy farm
1) House design and floor management problems exposing to mastitis
2) High number of animals with low input
3) Feed shortage and accidental feed change resulting sudden change on milk
production usually decreased
4) Providing low quality feed like over dried hay and straw
5) Improper food storage exposing to toxicoinfection
6) Low cultivation of roughage/ green fodder
7) Calf rearing management problem (low number of replacement)
8) Lack of training for stockman’s and farm attendants
9) Lack of proper health management facilities like crush, clinic, etc…
10) Absence of routine vaccination program
11) Lack of record keeping on genetics, health cases and other issues
12) Lack of cooperative working/ team work

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Major Problems observed in the Poultry farm
 House design is not suitable and lacks ventilation thereby, creating stress
 Absence of training for the attendants
 Lack of vaccination program
 Record keeping is poor
 It lacks cost-benefit analysis
 Green feed supplement (alpha alpha) is very low
 Lacks proper disinfectants and disinfection
 Low biosecurity implementation
NB: In poultry farm management “Prevention is cheaper than cure!!!”

Recommended solutions for both poultry and dairy farm

problems
1) Work in team with integrated manner forming a chain/ Comities
2) Train and give advice for farm attendants, even its better to prepare manual written
both in Amharic and English
3) As much as possible adjust designs and operations to the standard
4) Collect and properly store quality feed in appropriate time
5) Minimize the number of animals and cull unwanted one for resource management
6) Cultivate more green feed on free areas and use alternatively
7) Proper disinfection on gates and strict biosecurity especially on poultry farm
8) Held Periodical/ annual vaccination program
9) Adopt good and computerized record keeping system
10) See inside the Ice berg of the farms i.e see it beyond teaching aid!!

Benefits gained from the advancement of both farms

 Trainee can easily assist their theoretical knowledge in to practice
 Motivate the staffs for further community services
 It earn income and support the college internal budget
 Provide quality milk and egg products for the college community and in broader sense
outside the college, hence it minimize high demand

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Recommended vaccination periods for different diseases in dairy cattle

Recommended team or committee

The recommended team is group of individuals having different professional

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variety like animal health, animal science, farm manager, plant science and others.

Farm
 Department of Animal Health
Weekly College’s Farm Attending Schedule for Animal Health Instructors
Name of Problems identified & solutions
No.

Instructor’s
1 Dr. Amare
Getu

2 Dr. Sileshi
Aregahagn

3 Mr. Demsew
Degfie

4 Dr. Temesgen
Bihonegn

5 Dr. Misaw
Kasye

6 Mr.
Mohammed
Zeynu

Signature of the attendant _________ Date_____________________