The way we look at our COW today, Will decide our PLANET tomorrow is an old saying in Tamil.

Let us take it in a scientific sense. COW gives us MILK. Milk is the single largest commodity in India in terms of its commercial value. On the other hand half of the Methane emission comes from Dairy farming in the country. Good or Bad, It is a contributor as well as a victimiser.

Hence, we need to concentrate on COWS which offer lifelines for over 7 crore Indian farmers. Around 4.5% Indian’s economy runs on milk. We have 30 crore animals yielding milk in India.

Expert Opinion: If a farmer sells his milk below Rs.35/litre (2025, January), he needs to maintain at least 10 cows on his own (without any labour), to see any profit. Hence selling milk directly to the consumer only will help the farmer. If a farmer deputes labour and sells milk below Rs.35/ litre, he needs to maintain atleast 55 cows to earn a break-even and this needs a huge resource.

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Tamil Nadu produces 275 lakh litres of milk everyday (2024). Tamil Nadu stands eleventh in the country. The yield of milk/cow is just 7.2 litres per day which is very low as per international standards. Further the growth of Dairy sector is just 2.07 % in Tamil Nadu (2022 – 23) while the all India average is 3.83%. Karnataka (8.76%), West Bengal (8.76%) and, Uttar Pradesh (6.99%) are the top three states where the growth of milk yield is remarkable.

An average Israel cow yields 10,208 litres of milk per year while US cow yields 9,331 litres and, Indian Cow a pathetic 1,172 litres as its pregnancy cycle in delayed most of the times, ie US cows yield on an average 30 litres/day and Israel cows 35 litres/day.

Brazilians have developed a breed GIRLANDO which yields from 40 to 70 litres a day. This breed was developed by crossing Holstein Friezen with Indian GIR. The breed had a high resilience against heat through GIR and high milk productivity through Holstein Friezen. Proper policies with scientific implementation by the Govt. has lead to this development.

Feed, Breed and Efficient practices in reproduction matters for successful breeding of cows. Hump and Dulop (flap skin below the neck) are important identities of country breeds over cross breeds. Sindhi, Sahiwal, Gir and Deoni are better country breeds for milch animals. In buffaloes, MURRAH is the most prominent breed.

Milk is primarily composed of Fat, Lactose and Solid not Fat (SNF).

Contents: Protein: 3.2%, Lactose: 4.9%, Fat: 3.7%, Minerals: 0.3%, Vitamins: 0.4%, Water: 87.5%.

Uttar Pradesh is the leader in milk production (16%) in the country followed by Rajasthan (12.8%), Madhya Pradesh (8.6%), Gujarat (7.7%) and Andhra Pradesh (7.7%). Farmers resort to livestock because of the high prevalence of vegetarians in these states. Further, these states have much of buffaloes.

SURPRISING FACT: 48% of milk yield in India comes from Buffaloes which is in total contrast with Tamil Nadu. Lumpy Skin Disease did not affect buffaloes in India.

Livestock contributes to 34% income to the farmers in the country.

India is the leading producer of Milk in the world. It accounts for 25% of the global milk production. But, its yield per animal is very poor. (On an average, a cow should yield at least 15 litres per day if cow farm is to make any sort of profit given the peanut pricing offered by some state controlled milk cooperative societies. AMUL in Gujarat offers a good procurement rate and a percentage in Profit. Profit is assured every year unlike some of the poor performers in other states).

Dairy industry has an annual growth rate of 7.8%. Value added products have a better growth, 13 -14% per annum. Yet, only 37% of the milk is sold in a processed pack in this country.

Like humans, COWS too are affected by Climate Change. Heat stress impacts the nutritional level in feeds, increases its toxicity, affects fertility. Even an ill maintained cow shed will reduce the milk yield up to 30%.

There were 7,600 breeds in the country. Some 20% of them have disappeared. 200 breeds have become extinct. Hence, conservation of cows has to happen at farmers level. Jersey (brown), Holstein Freizen (Black & White) and Karan Swiss (Brown/Peach) are the popular exotic breeds raised in India.

Kumaraguru Institutions with support from Environmental Defense Fund is organising a year long training for farmpreneurs – CLIMATE SMART DAIRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) is also serving a major role in this venture aimed to uplift the small and marginal farmers.

The event was inaugurated on December 24, 2024 at Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore (The Hindu, Coimbatore coverage is displayed above). As a participant, Geetha Priya Jayaprakash of REDWOODS ORGANIC FARMS in Thadagam, Coimbatore records her learnings here from the master classes conducted by experts in the field and from her personal experience. Additional inputs from the classes conducted at Akshayakalpa Dairy Farm, Tiptur, Karnataka are also added in this article.

Disclaimer: The views and facts expressed in this blog are entirely that of Geetha Priya based on her learning curve. Kumaraguru Institutions or this blog site do not endorse them fully and shall not be responsible for this publication in any manner. Suggestions and Corrections are accepted from users and will be accommodated in due course.

Do's and Dont's in raising calves, cows:

Cows/Calves need water 24 x 7 hours. Hence access to water should be available all time. It depends on the feed available and prevailing weather.

Cattle feed offered in the form of PELLETS by commercial companies need to be offered in as it is condition. It should not be mixed with water. It should never be fermented in water.

Details of SIRE, barcoded injection/insemination to be maintained by the farmers to check the breed quality. Artificial insemination has become the order of the day. 90% calves are females in this costly procedures which helps the farmers to gain milking animals easily.

A mature cow shall be inseminated in 3 months after its delivery so that a calf a year format is established. But in India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the next cycle starts after 6 months and even after a year leading to a loss for the farmers.

An average sized cow (300 kgs) needs approximately 30 kgs of green fodder ( contains 80% water), 18 % silage and 4 kgs of dry fodder (highly important).

Dry feed should be offered at a ratio of 350 gms per litre of milk extracted.

Company feeds are found to have 11 -18% proteins while quality Oil cakes are likely to contain 20 – 45% protein. But any solid feed should be stored in a dry place to prevent Afflotoxin contamination.

The Carbohydrates: Fat: Protein ratio for a lactating mother shall be 40: 30: 30.

Average cost of a kg of Green fodder is Rs.2.5/kg. Yet, buying green fodder from outside and rearing cows wont yield any income for the farmers. 70% of the maintenance cost of a cow goes for feeds.

Ingredients of the feed:

Moisture: 11%, Crude Protein: 20%, Fat: 4%, Ash: 2.5%, Fibre: 10%, Calcium: 0.8%, Phosphorous: 0.8%, Urea: 1%.

Physiological features of a cow

Identifying the Age:

Cows can be identified by their teeth and rings formed in the horns.

A new born calf develops a pair of white, milky teeth in the lower jaw.

Two year old gets two pairs of well established teeth.

Third pair of teeth arise in 2.5 years.

In four years four pairs are developed.

Aged cows develop gaps in-between their teeth. This starts from fifth year.

One ring gets developed in the horns for every two years. But most of the cross breed cows have no rings or stunted rings making this type of age identification process an impossible option.

Measuring the weight:

A cows weight can be measured with an inch tape! Yes, without any weighing scale.

The length between the prime bones of front and hind legs shall be measured in inches. It shall be taken as L. The circumference of the body behind the front leg shall be taken as G. L x G square divided by 660 gives the approximate weight a cow.

Reproduction in Cows:

Pregnancy is cows is the biggest problem for Dairy farmers in India. Feed, living condition and timely identification of reproductive phase plays a major role here.

An ideal cow should get its first heat in 15 to 18 months. Only 40 – 45% of Cows in India gets conceived in this period. If proper insemination is done within a period of 60 days after delivery, the conceiving rate increases to 60%. Artificial insemination should be done within 12 hours after symptoms of ‘heat’ is identified.

Blood samples can identify pregnancy in 28 days and veterinarians by touching the inner parts can identify pregnancy by 45 days.

Pro estrus, Estrus, Metestrus and Diestrus are key stages in reproduction process.

Today (2025) Camera equipped Artificial Insemination scope is available around a cost of Rs.35,000 in India. Systema Biotech is offering such equipments. The scope is attached with a camera in the front end and semen straw is pressed from the back end. The camera is connected to the Mobile phone through Wi-fi and proper navigation can be done easily. Even the opening of the cervix during ‘heat’ period is clearly observed through this rechargeable handy device. Images and videos can be stored and shared in the mobile phones for future references.

High yielding cows in Dairy farms do not have their nostrils tied to rigid strings. These nostril strings are ideally used to control to open field cows to bring them back to their shelter. Cows develop enormous stress because of this procedure. Hence big farms do not practice puncturing the nostrils which is not an animal friendly activity.

To run a successful Dairy farm, a mature cow should conceive within three to four months after a delivery. Inter calving should not exceed 15 months. Else the gestation period increases leading to a loss in prolonged maintenance period.

A healthy cow can deliver calves even up to 10 times. But the yield of the milk starts decreasing after fourth delivery.

Artificial insemination plays a vital role in making the cows pregnant. Quality semen comes at a higher cost and sex determined semen comes at a premium cost. Identifying the right time is another tedious task for a Diary farmer.

Vitamin E and Phosphorus are essential ingredients for pregnancy.

Mucus flow at the vulva region indicates the mating cycle. The discharge shall be translucent with no puss or white coloured secretion. The walls shall be in mild pink colour.

BUN (Blood, Urea and Nitrogen) levels affect fertility in the cows. To overcome failures in insemination, cows shall be injected with Calcium solution (50 – 80 ml) just five minutes before sperm insemination. Calcium Myfex is one such popular commercial injection. The Calcium solution ideally contains Calcium Boro Gluconate. This results in 50% increase in fertility chance and 80% increase in delivering a female calf.

There is no need to insert two inseminated straws for pregnancy. Each straw contains around 30 million sperms. Hence the timing, nutrition and health condition of the cow matters a lot in conception. Quality of chilled semen is also an important issue in Indian environment.

Moringa leaf, Curry leaf, Horse Gram feeds promote oestrus in cows on time (21 days cycle).

Raising Calves:

First 100 days of careful feeding is very important in raising healthy calves. They can grow even up-to 700 gms a day. Calves and even grown ups need one tenth of its body weight amount as feed per day.

Concentrated feed can be offered to Calves from day 11 or from 15. It can be increased to 1.5 kgs in three months. Thus feed:growth ratio also scales to 2:1. Feeding of Collustrum milk within 30 minutes of delivery is important for a healthy individual.

An ideal 10 kg of Calf feed shall contain

6.7 kg of maize powder

2.5 kg oil cake powder

500 gms of mineral mixture

200 gms jaggery

100 gms of salt.

A 15 months old calf can ideally weigh 200 to 250 kgs.

Female Calves can be sold after 9 months growth or after pregnancy. Male calves can be sold during festive season for meat purpose.

Pedigree report of the semen can be obtained from the technician who artificially inseminates the cows. Mother’s pedigree can be availed from the seller or breeder. Maintenance of proper pedigree records like dogs are essential to sell the cows or calves in future.

Unconfirmed reports say that a couple of calves, aged just 3 months were sold for Rs.7 lakhs in January 2025 at Bengaluru because of its excellent pedigree. Hence raising calves for sales is another meaningful business in Dairy sector.

Calves need to be de-wormed in 15 days after its birth. Then monthly once until three months. For the rest of the first year they can be de-wormed once in two months. From second year they can be de-wormed once in three months. At least three types of de-worming medicines can be given in rotation to have an effective de-worming cycle.

Dis-budding of calves can be done before 25 days of its birth. Hot Nut and Bold method (with anaesthesia) and Chemical paste methods are practiced to dis-bud the horns which might turn out to be a problem after its growth, especially when raised in a loose house method.

Vaccination does not affect reproduction or milk quality. However 9 months pregnant cows shall not be vaccinated as they induce stress and fever.

Food consumption in Indian Cows:

An ideal Cow feed is to have 40% Carbohydrates, 30% each in Protein and Fibres.

Oxytocin induces milk secretion.

Mixed feed is better for cows all times. Chauf-cutter shall be used to cut the fodder into tiny pieces which makes them an easy meal. Wastage is controlled efficiently here. Leguminous greens contain much protein. Non legumes are rich in Carbohydrates.

Water needs to be kept ready for them all time.

Any change in feeding methods, portions, food materials need 21 days to obtain a change in the milk yielding or growth pattern.

Rumen is an indicator of the health status for a cow. Cow has 4 segmented stomach.

1. Rumen: Breaks cellulose into volatile fatty acids for energy.
2. Reticulum: Filters solid particles from Rumen and sends them back. Smaller particles are sent to omasum.
3. Omasum: Absorbs, Water, Nutrients and fatty acids .
4. Abomasum: Similar to human stomach. Secretes enzymes and acids to breakdown proteins and fats.

Maize is the prominent concentrate feed for cows. It contains 9% crude protein, Xanthophyll (Coloring agent) , Cryptosanthin (Yellow fat), 3310 calories of energy.

Groundnut and Coconut Oil cakes contains hefty crude protein, upto 48%. Soya (45%), Sesame (47%), Sunflower (28%) also contain adequate protein levels.

Roughage is the animal feed which is rich in fibre.

Concentrate feed is rich in protein and carbohydrates.

Supplements are mineral salts, Jaggery, Soda etc.,

Much of paddy straw feed affects fertility because of its high oxalate content.

Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is an app from NINAP (ICAR) which helps to calculate the right amount of feeds for cows.

Silage is an anaerobic method of storing greens without losing nutrients. They are fermented in concrete structures called bunkers.

Mineral Mixers increase the salt absorption rates of animals to convert them into proteins which in-turn aids in easy digestion. This process is called Chelation. Hence, some mineral mixers are branded Chelated.

Area specific Mineral mixtures are available in the outlets of TANUVAS and Aavin in Tamil Nadu. These mineral mixtures are prepared to tackle the deficiencies in soil and crops of specific areas.

Bye-pass Pellet: The feed easily moves to abdomen resulting in easy digestion, bye-passing the first stomach Reumen. Hence they are called as Bye-pass pellets. Reumen has less microbes, hence they cant absorb enough protein. As a result, high quantity protein feeds are are rushed to Abdomen which can deal with proteins easily.

SILAGE:

Silage can be made through Green fodders, Maize/Sorghum Stover (Thattu), Corn Cobs, Cottonseed hulls and Sugar cane bagasse too. They can be stored in air tight structures even for 2 to 3 years.

Silage is a natural pickling process. Lactic acid is produced in an anaerobic condition by fermenting the sugar present in fodder. Silage bags are also available in the market to make quality silage which can be stored for months and years. Once opened, the silage has to used completely, else it gets infected.

Initially cows may not like silage. Hence they can be mixed with dry fodder and later their levels can be increased.

Distillery grains (TDGS) can be used as a fodder, but not more than 10%.

Ideal offering of Total Mixed Ration (TMR) to cows will result in 12% increase in milk yield, 11 % increase in energy and fat and an ultimate 36 % increase in income for the farmers. Carbon foot prints will get reduced to 31.6% which is another mitigating factor to deal with Climate Change caused by Dairy sector which emits nearly 50% of the Green House Gas, Methane.

Milk extraction methods:

Cows secrete milk in abundance only for 5 to 7 minute after the milk extracting process starts. Hence milking machines are suggested. However, country species which yield less than 2 litres of milk can be handled by direct human fingering.

Calves, if not observed properly will consume more milk than their requirement. Hence it is suggested to feed them after extraction. Initial milk from the cow has less fat than the later portions of extracted milk.

A healthy cow to yield milk for 305/365 days.

Disease Management:

Feeding stocked oil cakes leads to Aflotoxin infection to cows and even humans who consume the milk. Aflotoxins create Cancer in the liver even if consumed in the form of milk or ice cream. To control Aflotoxins, Binders (2%) are used in the feed.

Body condition Score of a cow is measured from a scale of 1 to 5. Cows are assessed based on the appearance/partial appearance of hoof, sacrel, pin and vertebral bones. The soft and lustrous skins are an indicator of a healthy animal. Disturbed hair textures are called as rough coat and it occurs because of worms in its food track.

Swollen legs/knees shall be treated with Egg white and lime paste.

Mastitis is the biggest problem with milking cows. Its a management disorder rather than a disease. It should be identified in its initial stage to prevent a big loss. Swelling of udder, teets, red coloration, discoloration, yellow coloration, watery flow are initial symptoms.

Milk from the affected teets should be extracted out once in two hours to remove the infection.

Aloe vera, Lemon, Turmeric powder and Lime paste helps in treating Mastitis affected portions.

Ginger paste helps to treat bloated stomach.

Flies and mosquitoes can be controlled in the cattle shed by spraying a combined solution of Neem leaf, Thumbai leaf and Lantana Camara in the ratio of 2:1:1. Equal amount of water and a little of Coconut Oil shall be added before spray.

Milk as Food

Milk is a vital source of protein, calcium and other micro nutrients. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has identified the poorest 30% consume only 18% of milk. Only 50% of the milk is consumed at home, the rest goes to restaurants and offices. Urban households consume 30% more milk per capita than rural ones, despite milk being produced in rural India.

States such as Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana consume between 333 to 421 grams per capita at home daily while eastern states like Chattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal consume just between 75gms to 171 gms. National Institute of Nutrition recommends consuming 300gms per capita of milk for an ordinary adult.

MODEL FARM in INDIA: Akshayakalpa Dairy Farm at Tiptur, Karnataka is a reputed model farm in South India. Akshayakalpa delivers over 1.3 lakh litres of organic milk/day to its consumers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad (2025). Its likely to enter into Maharashtra soon. Its annual turnover crossed Rs.500 crores in 2024. 1700 farmers from 6 six districts in Karnataka offer milk through 180 Bulk Milk Collection Centres (BMC). 22 types of tests are done on the collected milk everyday. Even antibiotic residues are screened. Hence the cost of delivery to consumer is above Rs.90 a litre.

Farmers get Rs.35 per litre with additional support in the form of silage, TMR, monthly visit of veterinarians, loans to buy cows, installation of sheds, establishment of fodder farms etc., Another important practice of Akshayakalpa is they never reduce their procurement prices during high yield seasons.

More about this farm in www.akshayakalpa.org