GENERAL DAIRY FARM PRACTISES

The general management practices that help the animals to be active, healthy, clean and
comfortable are:

1) EXERCISING
Minimum exercise is necessary for all animals. It keeps the animals thrifty and active. It
helps in normal metabolic process and maintenance of good health. Too much standing at
one place weakens the leg muscles, causes the toes to over grow and put abnormal strain
on legs and feet. Outdoor exercise by exposure to sunlight helps in supply of vitamin D.
Breeding bulls is provided with exercise to avoid obesity in animals.

2) GROOMING
Grooming comprises of brushing the hair coat of animals. It is done for cleanliness,
improving appearance, massage and stimulates cutaneous blood circulation and the
removal of waste products like skin secretions, lose hair and parasites. It helps in keeping
the skin pliable and brings out natural oil in the hair. Cows are regularly groomed before
milking to avoid falling of dust in milk. Before milking, brushing of rump, sides of thigh,
and buttocks should be done. Start grooming at the neck behind the ears and carry it out
in same directions as the flow of hair to remove dirt sticking to hair.
3) BEDDING
During winters suitable bedding should be provided to young calves to provide warmth. In
tropical countries like India provision of bedding is not important as is in the western
countries. Bedding is used primarily for keeping animals clean and comfortable. It also
makes manure handling easier.
4) DEHORNING/DISBUDDING
Dehorning is removal of horns of animals. Disbudding means arresting the growth of
horn buds at an early stage. Horns serve no useful purpose on dairy cattle. They can cause
many body injuries on the animals. Horned cattle require more space.
Dehorn the calf when it is four to ten days old or as soon as horn buds can be easily
detected. Dehorning is done mostly in spring or post monsoon season to avoid flies. There
are several ways of dehorning- by using chemicals, saws, clippers, hot iron etc.
 a. Chemical method
Chemicals like caustic soda (NaOH) or caustic potash (KOH) are the commonly used
chemicals available in form of sticks or paste. Clip the hair around the horn bud of calf and
surround the area with grease or vaseline to protect eyes from chemicals. Rub the chemical
over the horn bud until blood appears resulting in arrest of growth of horn buds.
b. Hot iron method
A specially designed hot iron rod is applied on horn buds of young calves. This method is
bloodless and used in all season of year for young calves only. Electric dehorner is also
available.
c. Dehorning saw or clippers

Clippers are useful for removing horns of young cattle whereas dehorning saw is used to remove
brittle horns of adult cattle.

d. Elastrator

It is an instrument of specially made rubber ring for dehorning cattle with horns of 5 to 10
cm long. Smaller horns drop off in 3- 6 weeks, whereas longer horns may take two months to
drop off.

5) CASTRATION

It is the removal of testicles which produce male germ cells. Male cattle and buffaloes used for
work are castrated so that they are docile and amenable. Male calves are castrated at one year of
age. Under Indian conditions the best method for castrating cattle and buffaloes is with pair of
Burdizzo castrator. Burdizzo method of castration is bloodless in which the testicles are made
functionless by destroying nourishment to them. When using Burdizzo castrator, see that the
spermatic cord does not slip out and one cord is clamped at a time for few seconds. A simple
castration knife can also be used for the purpose. The knife as well as the operators hand should
be clean and disinfected. Grasp the tip of scrotum and hold it tight while cutting off the lower
end. Draw out the exposed testicles together with the surrounding membranes with hands and
tear off.

6) WEIGHING OF ANIMALS
Weighing of animals is an important operation in a dairy farm to know the growth rate of calves,
to calculate the amount of feed and fodder to be offered to animals and for calculation of drug
dosage of animals. Weighing of animals can be done by two ways.

1. Direct method

2. Indirect method

Direct method- The animals are weighed on the platform balances. Allow the animal to stand
for a while on the platform before recording the weight.

Indirect method- Obtained by measuring the girth and length of the animal using a measuring
tape. The length is obtained by measuring the distance between the points of shoulder to the
point of pin bones. The girth can be obtained by measuring the circumference of the chest of the
animal just behind the elbows.

Shaeffer’s formula

Live weight in (lbs.) = Length* (Girth)2

300

Length and girth in inches

To convert lbs to kg divide by 2.2