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.

_{Now more on milk and dairy products:}

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Chaufcutter shall be used to cut the fodder into tiny pieces which makes them an easy meal. Wastage is controlled efficiently here.

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.

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.