Cows raised for milk in low-yielding states like Tamil Nadu are often fed with unbalanced gruel-based feed. Many of these feeds contain table and kitchen waste, which does not support the growth of beneficial rumen microorganisms. These organisms aid in the digestion of feeds, providing quality microbial protein. The gruel is also a poor source of calcium and other essential minerals.
Contents
Concentrated feed is a mixture of grains, brans, minerals and vitamins
Cattle require adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to be healthy and productive. If these nutrients are not provided in adequate amounts, dairy cows can experience increased incidence of disease, reproductive problems, lower milk production and poor heifer growth. The optimum amount of vitamins and minerals for dairy cattle should be provided in a balanced ration. When purchasing a concentrate, always check the label to see if it includes trace minerals.
In addition to fiber, concentrates contain a wide range of minerals and vitamins. They must include at least 10 ppm of cobalt, a component of vitamin B-12, to be absorbed in the rumen. Cobalt levels are adequate in most forages grown in the Southeast. Cobalt levels in concentrates are based on their mineral content. However, if the diet includes a large portion of grain, cobalt must be included in the mineral mix.
It is suitable only for unorganized dairy farmers
Although the Internet is a useful resource for milk, transportation and cold-chain facilities, dairy farming remains unorganized and dispersed, which limits the adoption of new innovations. One major limitation is the limited government support for dairy farmers. Moreover, the lack of fixed pricing assurance, low government financial support and inadequate collective action are barriers to adoption. These factors are deterring the young generation from entering the dairy sector.
Moreover, harmonising dairy rules would be unfair to millions of small, marginal dairy farmers in India. These farmers supply milk to private dairies and dairy cooperatives. Approximately 70 percent of the Indian dairy industry is unorganized, which means that private dairy sector’s growth depends on capturing the unorganized sector’s share of the market. Meanwhile, multinational dairy corporations are seeking harmonisation of industry standards in other countries, which could include animal welfare standards, herd operations and sanitation.
It reduces incidence of laminitis
The incidence of laminitis in dairy cattle is highly seasonal. Its peak occurs from late summer to early fall. The major causes are excessive standing time, which leads to subacute ruminal acidosis, and heat stress. In addition, increased standing time increases the incidence of low rumen pH, which also contributes to laminitis. To reduce the incidence of laminitis, it is important to provide the proper nutrition to the dairy cow.
The rumen acid in cows is a major risk factor, as is long standing. But there is no certainty that these factors are the only causes. Other factors, such as systemic inflammatory diseases, may also contribute to lameness in dairy cows. It is believed that the acceptable incidence rate for laminitis is less than ten percent per herd, but actual incidences are far higher.
It is cost effective
Dairy farming is a long-standing tradition in rural India. It not only provides jobs for smallholders but also serves as a supplemental source of income for landless laborers. Most dairy farmers in Tamil Nadu are unorganized and feed native cattle breeds with available feed resources like crop residues. Others use commercially-produced concentrates that contain vitamins and minerals. But there are also those who create their own feed. Kalaiarasan S., a dairy farmer in Thirukannur village near Pondicherry, shares his experience with cost-effective cow feed in Tamil.
A study conducted in Tamil Nadu found that traditional feeding practices for cross-bred dairy cows were unbalanced. Many of these farmers were feeding unbalanced feeds made from table and kitchen waste. This unbalanced feed contains little or no microbial nutrition that supports cow growth. The researchers found that cooking rice was the most common feed for these cows. The study’s results were not surprising as the study found that 71.5% of unorganized dairy farmers in the state feed their cattle with cooked rice.
