Given that milk demand tends to fluctuate in accordance with multiple market factors, starting and managing a profitable diary business can quickly become a rollercoaster. As a manager / a…
A grazing system is a particular way of managing the interactions between plants, soils, and grazing animals. The major smallholder diary cattle grazing systems in Africa are; Pastoral/communal Agro-pastoral Semi-intensive…
Record keeping is an important activity in any dairy enterprises. Farmers should therefore ensure that all farm activities are recorded promptly. Records are important to farmers because they can help…
Introduction Raising dairy heifers begins with choice of a bull likely to produce animals with high genetic potential for milk. A well managed dairy farm should have as many calves…
How to manage wounds and fractures A wound is a break in the skin, usually caused by a sharp object. Wounds are caused accidentally or by parasites and other animals…
Castration Male calves are castrated to prevent unwanted mating where male and female cattle are reared together in one herd. In addition, castrated males are easier to handle and they…
The management practices in a herd of dairy cows can be split into 4 periods. After first calving, a dairy cow at any one time will be in the following…
Introduction The dairy cow is like a as a machine that converts raw materials (feed and water) into milk. The raw materials are mainly plant materials which are not edible…
General Housing Requirements Dairy cattle will be more efficient in the production of milk and in reproduction if they are protected from extreme heat, and particularly from direct sunshine. This…
The common dairy cattle breeds include the following: The Friesian Purpose: Milk production Potential yield: 40-60 litres milk/day Average body size: Large (500-550kg) Description: Black and white short haired coat,…