tailieunhanh - MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION

The vast majority (about 70%) of dairy farmers in Pakistan are smallholding farmers. Up to 43% of dairying households in Pakistan maintain herd sizes of one to two animals while another 28% of the households maintain herds ranging from three to four animals3. Some 90% of milk production comes from smallholding farmers. Many believe that only large mechanized farms are the solution to increased profitability and quality. While this is true for many US, EU and other developed countries having achieved a level of farm mechanization, the challenge is to achieve the goals of profitability and quality while. | MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION DAIRY FARMING HAND BOOK By S. K. Mosielele Principal Scientific Officer Dairy SECTION P Bag 0032 Gaborone Tel 3950517 Cell 72214732 E-MAIL lnthoyiwa @ Foreword Botswana is a net importer of dairy products from neighbouring countries. The government engaged consultants under NAMPAADD to come up with recommendations to enable Botswana to produce food for food security. This therefore means Botswana should make efforts to foster dairy development plans wherever the potential exists. In so doing the gap between production and consumption of dairy products in the country will be narrowed. Modernization of the dairy industry along the lines of large scale enterprises found in developed countries is the best strategy for assuring increased milk and dairy products. However this model may not be adaptable under our conditions. Rather consideration should be accorded to the peculiarity in our livestock production systems to determine how to modify and adopt the model in order to ensure its successful application under our condition. This dairy handbook tries to identify some of the fundamental issues in a profitable dairy enterprise Not all relevant information on dairying is contained in this handbook but that the farmer should source more detailed information from elsewhere. The Dairy Section - Ministry of Agriculture wish you enjoy reading this Dairy Handbook to better your dairy farm management and profitability in your dairy business enterprise. 2 Contents Introduction Dairy breeds Dairy farm workers Reproductive cycle Bull management Calves rearing Rearing of dairy heifers A Basic ration for bulling heifers Dairy nutrition Feeding Feeding incalf heifers Feeding first lactators Factors influencing milk production in lactating cows Number of milking per day Dry cows management Milk secretion Clean milk production The milking parlour