dairy farming mannual - help foundation...ensure record of daily sale and domestic consumption of...

1 DAIRY FARMING MANNUAL Project Livelihood and Education LIVED An initiative to revive Dairy farming as means of livelihood for underprivileged and flood affected families of Pulwama district Presented by Funded by HELP Foundation, J&K TATA Relief Committee

2 Contents Page No. A. Objective and scope 3 B. Introduction 3 C. Good dairy farming practices 6 1. Animal Health 6 2. Milking Hygiene 9 3. Nutrition( feed and water) 10 4. Animal Welfare 11 5. Environment 12 6. Socio-economic Management 13 7. Other Terms 13 D. Annexure-A 15

3 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE The guiding objective for good dairy farming practice is that safe and quality milk should be

Produced from healthy animals using management practices that are sustainable from an animal

welfare, social, economic and environmental perspective.

To achieve this objective, dairy farmers should apply good practice in the following areas:

Animal health.

Milking hygiene.

Nutrition (feed and water).

Animal welfare.

Environment.

Socio-economic management. INTRODUCTION Dairy farming needs a hard working, determined and patient person. The aspiring dairy farmer

must know there are no holidays throughout the year. Dairy cattle have to be fed, watered,

cleansed, their health monitored continuously and milked everyday at specified times. Milking

intervals must be kept constant. A dairy farmer must have basic training in bookkeeping and

4 keep records on the running of the dairy and artificial insemination. Dairy cattle have to be loved

and treated carefully for if a farmer treats them roughly, they will retain their milk, which will result

in mastitis. Where possible a dairy farmer should produce his/her own fodder because 75% of

the farms income is spent on feed. There should be constant supply of milk, therefore dairy cattle

oestrus (heat) should be desynchronized. Strict hygiene should be kept at all times in the cow

sheds and the cows should be kept clean. When hand milking is practiced, milkers should always

be clean and to wash hands thoroughly with soap before milking and after using the toilets.

Milkers should not have cuts on their hands and should not be suffering from any contagious

disease. Dairy cattle should be stall-fed and not to move distances grazing because the energy

they use to move long distances grazing could be used for milk synthesis. Animals should have

access to feed and water on a daily basis, in a consistent manner, on a regular schedule, and

according to their specific requirements. Rations should provide the required nutrients for

maintenance, growth, lactation, and pregnancy (based on an animal’s life stage). Even with the best prevention programs, animals can become sick or injured. Observation is key

to identifying health issues early in order to provide effective treatment.

Animals should be observed daily to assess the following items:

• Hair coat

• Behavior changes (includes vocalization)

• Abnormal respiration

5 • Feed and water consumption

• Nasal or ocular discharges

• Abdominal fill

• Manure consistency

• Locomotion

• Milk abnormalities

Proper sanitation and waste management keep animals dry and clean and free of manure and

provide them with comfortable, healthful surroundings. In contrast, poor sanitation contributes to

many animal health problems. The goals of sanitation for animal facilities are to:

• Minimize animal disease through clean facilities.

• Minimize generation of odors and dust

• Minimize pests and parasites

• Minimize spread of pathogens

Basic sanitation practices include keeping the interiors, corridors, and storage spaces of animal

facilities clean, cleaning waste removal implements frequently, and emptying waste containers.

Facilities should be free of standing water, excess manure, unnecessary farm items. Sanitation

may be achieved by heat, chemicals, or high pressure washing, or by manually scrubbing

equipment and surfaces in the facilities with appropriate detergents and disinfectants.

6 GOOD DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES

The guiding objective for good dairy farming practice is that safe, quality milk is produced from

health animals using management practices that are sustainable from an animal welfare, socio,

economic and environmental perspective.

To achieve this objective, dairy farmers should apply good practice in the following areas:

Animal Health

Milking Hygiene

Nutrition( feed and water)

Animal Welfare

Environment

Socio-economic management

1) Animal Health

Cow health is a key factor in dairy profitability. Cows must be in excellent health to provide high

quality milk and superior reproductive performance – and high-production cows are particularly

susceptible to disease. Mastitis, ketosis, calving problems, lameness and other disorders reduce

7 production and demand costly veterinary treatment. Thus, to remain profitable, dairy farmer must

ensure the prevention, early detection and treatment of sick cows.

Cow production, milk quality, body condition and behaviour provide early indications of health

related changes. By closely monitoring these factors, the farmer ensures cow health and farm

profitability. The suggested good dairy farming practices for animal health are as under:

Ensure the cow shed should be properly insulated, ventilated and lit.

Strict hygiene should be kept at all times in the cow shed and the cows should be kept

clean.

Ensure the cow shed has the proper drainage and is cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Vaccinate all animals as recommended or required by local animal health authorities.

Only buy animals of known health status and control their introduction to the farm.

Monitor risks from adjoining land and neighbors.

Where possible, limit access of people into the cowshed.

Vermin breeding sites should be eliminated such as manure heaps. Vermin control

measures may also be required in the cow shed, feed and water storages.

Only use clean equipments and utensils for feeding and milking.

Regularly check animals for signs of disease.

Treat all disease, injury and poor health by proven methods after accurate diagnosis.

8 Treat diseased animals appropriately to minimize the prevalence of infection and the

source of pathogens.

Where possible and if indicated, keep sick animals isolated to minimize the spread of

contagious disease.

Milk sick cow last.

Clean and disinfect equipment after it has been in contact with the sick animals and

ensure people coming into the contact with these animals take precautions to avoid

infections.

Follow appropriate procedures to separate milk from sick animals and animals under

treatment.

Keep written records of all treatments and vaccinations.

Use all chemicals and veterinary medicines as directed. Only use chemicals that have

been assessed and registered for use in dairy production by the Department of Animal

Husbandry.

Store chemicals and veterinary medicines securely to ensure they are not used

inappropriately or do not unintentionally contaminate milk and feed. Check and observe

product expiry dates. Chemicals and their containers should also be disposed of in a way

that will not cause contamination to animals or the farm environment.

9 2) Milking Hygiene

Milking is defining activity of dairy farming. Milking management aims to minimize microbial,

chemical and physical contamination. The suggested good dairy farming practices for milking

hygiene are as under:

Ensure milking routines do not injure the animals or introduce contaminants into the milk

Wash and dry teats before milking.

Ensure the milker’s hands are clean and dry. Prepare the teats for milking, ensuring they are clean and dry.

Handle the teats gently, ideally using the ‘fist-grip’ method, avoiding any discomfort, pain

or injury to the animal.

Use buckets that are non-corrosive, easy to clean and disinfect, and do not taint the milk.

Avoid contaminating the collected milk with foreign material such as dust, dirt, soil, urine,

manure and protect it from flies.

When necessary, apply teat disinfectant to each teat after milking.

Ensure the milkers follow basic hygiene rules like:

a. Wear suitable and clean working clothes,

b. Keep hands and arms clean especially when milking.

c. Cover cuts and wounds.

10 d. Not have any infectious disease transmissible via milk.

Ensure milking equipment is cleaned and when necessary, disinfected after each milking.

Ensure milk storage area is clean and tidy.

3) Nutrition( Feed and Water)

The quantity and quality of the feed and water provided largely determines the dairy animal’s health and productivity, and the quality and safety of its milk.

The good farming practices for managing animal nutrition, both feeding and watering are as

under:

Plan ahead to ensure that adequate feed and water is available during the winter season.

Ensure the feed and water is of suitable quantity and quality.

Dairy animals should be provided with sufficient feed and water daily, according to their

physiological needs. The quality and quantity of the feed should reflect the animal’s age, body weight, stage of lactation, production level, growth, pregnancy, activity and climate.

Never mix agricultural chemicals and/or veterinary chemicals in equipment or facilities

used to handle feed or water for dairy livestock.

11 Ensure that feed is protected from contaminants. Store and handle pesticides, treated

seeds, medicated feed and fertilizers properly. Provide an appropriate vermin control

programme for stored feed.

Hay and dry feeds should be protected from a moist environment.

Avoid feeding any moldy feed to dairy animals. A wide range of feeds can contain

poisonous fungal toxins that can be transferred to milk, particularly if they have not been

stored correctly. Monitor feed for other gross contaminants such as plant or animal

matter, metal, plastics, string and other undesirable items.

4) Animal Welfare

In essence, animal welfare is the application of sensible and sensitive animal husbandry

practices to the livestock. Animal welfare is primarily concerned with the wellbeing of the animal.

In general, consumers perceive high animal welfare standards as an indicator that food is safe,

healthy and of high quality. Animal welfare standards have been incorporated into most on-farm

food quality and food safety schemes.

The good dairy farming practices for animal welfare are set out to reflect the five freedoms:

• Ensure animals are free from thirst, hunger and malnutrition. • Ensure animals are free from discomfort.

12 • Ensure animals are free from pain, injury and disease. • Ensure animals are free from fear.

• Ensure animals can engage in relatively normal patterns of animal behaviour.

5) Environment

It is important that the dairy farmers produce milk in a way that meets the wider community

expectations, by using natural resources efficiently and minimizing any adverse impact on the

environment.

The suggested good dairy farming practices for the environment are as under:

Minimize the production of environmental pollutants.

Implement the practices to reduce, reuse or recycle farm waste as appropriate. Gunny

bags, plastic drums and supplement should be reused or recycled (as approved).

Manage the storage and disposal of wastes to minimize environmental impacts.

Use agriculture and veterinary chemicals and fertilizers appropriately to avoid

contamination of the local environment.

Ensure that the dairy operation does not impact neighbors or the locals by controlling

dust, smells, noise, flies or other nuisances.

13 6) Socio-Economic Management

Being ‘socially responsible’ and ‘economically sustainable’ are integral to good dairy farming

practice. Dairy farms are businesses producing a product, in this case milk and livestock. Like all

businesses, dairy farm businesses must be financially viable to have a long term future. The

suggested good dairy farming practices for the socio-economic management of dairy farms are:

Implement effective and responsible management of human resources.

Ensure farm tasks are carried out safely and competently.

Manage the enterprise to ensure its financial viability.

Ensure the record of monthly income generated from the sale of milk is maintained.

Ensure the record of annual income from the sale of manure is maintained.

7) Other terms All beneficiaries are expected to follow the day-to-day instructions by project staff, and ensure the following; Ensure the terms & conditions, mentioned in the court affidavit are strictly followed. In case of any emergency, illness or injury to the livestock, contact the Department of Animal Husbandry, Pulwama on Phone no. 01933-241276 email id: cahopulwama@jkahd.net, OR

14 HELP Fou datio ’s Vet Assista t o Pho e No. ____________________ and Project Staff on phone No.’s 7006703922, 9622771130. Ensure record of daily sale and domestic consumption of milk is maintained on Dairy Passbook provided by the HELP Foundation. Ensure that the project staff is allowed to check the milk sale and purchase ledger/Passbook monthly. Ensure participation in the collectivization in Common Interest Groups (CIG) and Cooperatives etc. Ensure participation (whenever invited) in training camps/programmes conducted by HELP Foundation within and outside the project area. E sure joi i g the HELP Fou datio ’s ilk uyer if the rates are higher. Ensure the Pre-mix feed is bought fro HELP Fou datio ’s esta lished sales ou ter. E sure to ake the partial pay e t to the veteri aria a d HELP Fou datio ’s Vet assistant as and when called for livestock check-up. For HELP Foundation, J&K Team Project LIVED- Pulwama

15 Annexure-A Brief About HELP Foundation, J&K HELP Foundation J&K is a Civil Society Organization [CSO] (registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act VI of 1998 (1941 A.D) on 13th November 1997 vide registration No. 2905-S having its Registered Office at 16- Gogji Bagh, Srinagar, J&K) presided over by Ms. Nighat Shafi, with the objective of providing helping hand to the people affected by violence in the strife-torn valley. The focus has been on providing quality education, empowerment and mental health counselling to women and children, who have been the worst victims of turmoil. HELP Foundation provides relief and rehabilitation to various sections of the society who are severely challenged by physical disability and/or economic deprivation. With a well-knit team of Dedicated Trustees, Hardworking Employees & Energetic Volunteers the Foundation has extended its activities to almost all districts of Kashmir Province and some areas of Jammu province as well. EDUCATION: Providing free and quality education to Orphans, Physically challenged, Poor girls and underprivileged has remained an effective strategy of the foundation to protect the Younger generation and youths from indulging in antisocial activities. HELP established its own secondary school at Kupwara and supported financially several other schools from various other districts of valley. HELP also

16 supports hundreds of orphans annually who are attaining education within and outside the valley. HELP supports youths in pursuing professional courses at state, national and international level. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT: Encouraging women by giving them sellable skills and trainings for earning their livelihoods proved to be an effective tool for empowering widows and destitute instead giving them regular monthly financial assistance. HELP established several empowerment centres were women are given trainings in several skills like Garment designing, Surface embroidery, Renewable energy, Agro businesses, Crewel and Craft, Food processing so on an so forth. Hundreds on women have established their own income generating units, after attaining trainings from these centres, for earning their wherewithal. MENTAL HEALTH: Prolonged regional political conflict has victimized almost every second person of Kashmir directly or indirectly. Almost all society has been traumatized by this menace. HELP started providing psychological counselling and guidance to these traumatized patients and established a fully-fledged mental health Centre in the outskirts of Srinagar. HELP provides free services for drug de-addiction, Suicide prevention and domestic violence. http://www.jkhf.in