Month: December 2017

How to increase milk yield and fat percent of a dairy cow/buffalo?

The milk yield and fat percentage is based on genetic potential of a buffalo or a cow. You cannot increase the milk yield beyond it’s genetic potential. But most dairy farmers in India, do not even get the actual potential milk yield from their dairy animals. The primary reason for this malnutrition as well as the dairy cattle are put into various stress factors.

So the easiest way to increase the milk yield to address the nutritional requirements as well as address the stress factors.

Address Nutritional Factors

  • Provide 20 to 25 kgs of green fodder. Don’t just provide only one variety of green fodder – try  to mix legumes such as hedge lucerne, cow pea along with regular fodder such as C04, Sorghum, etc. Chaff the green fodder – this will increase the nutritional intake as well as reduce wastage.
  • Provide 10 kgs of dry fodder. It is advised to provide dry fodder after evening milking.
  • Provide 4 kgs of concentrate feed – increase this quantity for high milkers. Don’t use just 1 variety of dhana – try to mix 1 oil cake such as cotton seed cake, groundnut cake or whatever locally available, 1 grain as maize powder and 1 husk such as black gram husk, paddy husk, etc. Soaking this overnight will ferment the feed and increase the nutritional intake.
  • Provide 50 grams mineral mixture – this is very important. If you do not provide provide mineral mixture it will result in micro-nutrient deficiency which will decrease milk yield as well cause reproductive issues.
  • Provide 30 liters of hygienic/clean water.

Address Stress Factors

  • Follow exact routine everyday.
  • Wash the animals twice a day.
  • Make sure the dung is cleared thrice a day.
  • Make sure the animals are not beaten or threatened.
  • Make sure there no mosquitoes in the shed.
  • Always milk at the same time and by the same person.
  • If the milker takes too long to milk the entire milk, then also milk yield will reduce.
  • Make sure to deworm the animals regularly. Worms in the stomach will drastically reduce milk yield.
  • Do not tie animals in direct sunlight. Allowing the animal to freely graze for at least few hours will increase the metabolism and also the animal will be happy – a happy animal produces more milk.
  • Buffaloes love water – if you have access to a pond, allowing them to wallow in the pond will have amazing effect and will result in longer lactation period and improve reproductive efficiency.

Basically, address all needs of a cow or a buffalo. When you do that, the cow or buffalo will give maximum milk that it can produce as well as milk fat and SNF will also increase.

How much profit can I earn from one Murrah Buffalo?

It depends on multiple factors such as purchase price of the animal, milk yield, milk sales price, feeding costs, worker charges, medicines, etc. The calculation can be for a lactation and cannot be directly derived for a single day or a month because a Murrah Buffalo is a living being and not a milk yielding machine!. So let’s calculate for a lactation and then derive your profit or loss for a month.

Say if you purchased a second lactation Murrah Buffalo which yields 12 liters per day for Rs 80,000 with an expected yield of 2400 liters per lactation . Assume the lactation period (the period when the buffalo gives milk) as 270 days and a dry period (the period when the buffalo is not giving milk) of 120 days. Lets say your selling price of milk is Rs 45 liter so total selling price per lactation is 2400 x 45 = Rs 108,000.

Now lets calculate the expenses for 390 days ( 270 lactation days + 120 dry days)

Green fodder = 25 kgs x .5 paise x 390 = Rs 4,625
Dry Fodder = 10 kgs x 1 Rs x 390 = Rs 3,900
Feed concentrate/dhana (avg) = 4 kgs x Rs 15 x 390= Rs 23,400
Labour charges (1 worker for 10 buffaloes @Rs 9,000/month) = Rs 30 x 390 = Rs 11,700
Interest for Rs 80,000 investment (18% rate) = Rs 40 x 390 = Rs 15,600
Medicines, mineral mixture, etc = Rs 10 x 390 = Rs 3,900
Miscellaneous  = Rs 5,875
So total expenses is Rs 69,000
So Profit is Rs 108,000 – Rs 69 ,000 = Rs 39,000 per cycle (13 months).
So for profit for 1 month is Rs 3,000.

The value of calves and sale of dung is not included in this calculation. If you take good care of the calves, it will cover for the replacement cost of the buffalo at the end of it’s productive phase.

You can frankly optimize many variables and increase your profit. For instance, if you directly sell the milk you can get a better price for milk. If you don’t borrow money to buy buffalo that also will increase your cash flow. If you do all the work then you can eliminate worker salary.

On the other side you can also make losses, for instance the buffalo can have a shorter lactation, buffalo could die, the calf could die or the buffalo might take longer to conceive for next cycle or the buffalo might have reproductive issues and not conceive at all. So all these factors can lead to losses. In some places, you milk sale price might not even be Rs 45 but there are lot of places where the demand for buffalo milk is so good that the price is as high Rs 70.

Conclusion is that Murrah buffalo is not a machine and so your profit or loss depends on how well you take care of the buffalo, keep the input costs low and sell milk for a higher price. And also few factors such as disease attacks are beyond your control.

What factors determine the price of a Murrah Buffalo?

Price of a Murrah buffalo depends on a variety of factors and varies from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.3 Lakh as of 2017. I am listing few factors below which determine the price a buffalo:

  • Genetics: A Murrah Buffalo with a good heredity line is very costly.
  • Lactation Cycle: The lactation cycle also matters – usually second lactation buffaloes are preferred. A first lactation buffalo giving more milk will sell for higher price because it’s yield will be even more better in second lactation. A fourth lactation buffalo which gives the same milk as second will sell for a lesser price.
  • Milk Yield: The yield at the time of purchase and projected/recorded yield per lactation will affect the price.
  • Structure: The size, structure and shape of the buffalo also differentiates the price. A well built Murrah Buffalo with good height, heavy frame, good udder and tightly curved horn will sell for a higher price.
  • Time of purchase: The season of purchase also makes a difference – winters are cheaper as most animals give birth during that time and summer months are costlier as due to low supply of buffaloes and high demand for milk products such ice cream, butter milk, etc.
  • Place of purchase: The place of purchase also makes a difference (for instance the rates are usually high in Rohtak, Karnal and Hyderabad due to high demand for Murrah buffaloes).
  • Calf Gender: The price increases if the buffalo has a female calf. Also a male calf of high yielding buffalo with good genetic line will also go for a higher price.

You need to understand that Buffaloes are animals with unique characteristics and price vary on those characteristics. Overall you need experience to choose the right buffalo and to negotiate the price. If you are new dairy farming, it is better to take an experienced dairy farmer to purchase buffaloes.

All other questions with regard to Murrah buffaloes are explained at Murrah Buffalo Questions

Bharathi Dairy Farm supplies good quality Murrah buffaloes in south India. Check this link on why you should buy Murrah buffaloes from us.

Is dairy farming unethical?

I was asked this by one of my friend while discussing about dairy farming. We had a good discussion around it – so here is my take. It all depends on each individuals perspective. So before we go any further – let me clarify my point of view – Dairy farming is absolutely unethical.

  • Positives:
  • Dairy animals are provided good shelter.
  • They are provided chaffed green fodder.
  • They are provided balanced nutritious concentrate feed.
  • They are good veterinary care and medicines
  • Their calves are taken good care
  • Negatives:
  • Animals are confined to a small area and some of them are tied in the shed for years together.
  • We extract the milk which rightfully belongs to its calf.
  • Cows do not even get to mate a bull – most of them are artificially inseminated.
  • Male calves are sent to slaughtering after lactation ends.
  • Dairy animals don’t even die a natural death – all of them are slaughtered when they are not financially viable as a dairy animal

Conclusion: From the day they are born till the day they die almost all dairy animals live a controlled life to service the human needs. That’s true for all domesticated animals whether it is cow, buffalo, goat or a hen. The reason for this cruelty is not just the dairy farmer but all human beings because  milk, milk products, meat and leather products are part and parcel of every ones life.

Alternate View: In my personal opinion, our current human life is no different from a dairy animal. On the positive side – we drive good cars, live in big houses, use smart phones, wear good clothes, get good health care, eat more food than we can burn and provide good education to kids. On the negative side – we live most of our lives sitting in a  chair working on the laptop in an AC office in a job we dislike every single day till the day we retire to pay for all those EMIs. Are we not trapped in a life which looks shiny on the outside but hollow inside on greedy competition with each other. Are our lives cruel and unethical compared to our ancestors? – We screwed our lives and also every life around us – just think about it. This is the impact of western culture on us as well as our domestic animals.

How to start a dairy farm?

Lot of folks ask me on the steps to start a dairy farm. This post explains the process to successfully start a 30 buffalo farm.

Whether it is dairy farm or for that matter any venture – you need to get your basics right.

  • Before starting: You need to have a real desire and be passionate about what you wanted to do. This is especially important for starting a dairy farm because it is very labour intensive and requires lots of patience with little support from society. And also you need to discuss with your family and have the support from family.
  • Acquire Knowledge: Businesses are either inherited from parents or you work in that line and then start off on your own. But if you did not inherit or work in a farm – I suggest attend a training on dairy farming, visit both successful and failed farms and then work in a dairy farm for 1 month. By end of this exercise, you will understand if you really want to start a dairy farm.
  • Arrange Funds: You need to have the money to start the farm. Consider land, shed construction, farm equipment, grass cultivation, purchasing animals, etc. You can approach banks to get loans and there is also a subsidy from NABARD – but it’s not easy to get dairy loans from banks. To get a dairy loan, you need to prepare a dairy project report. Check this link for more details on how much it costs to start a 30 buffalo dairy farm.
  • Farm Location: If you don’t already own land, it will be almost financially nonviable to start a dairy farm as the land rates are very expensive. Farm location should ideally be within 10 kms distance from a town to easily sell the milk and by-products.
  • Dig a Bore well and get electric connections: You need a 3 phase bore well for irrigating the green grass in 4 acres and a single phase bore well for farm water use. If you have power cuts, then you need to small generator for running the single phase motor.
  • Start Construction: For a 30 buffalo farm, you need a shed (75 feet x 30 feet), 1 small calve shed, 2 worker rooms (12 feet x 10 feet), 1 dhana/feed room (12 feet x 10 feet), and a room for yourself (12 feet x 10 feet) .
  • Cultivate Green Fodder: For 30 buffaloes, you need to cultivate grass in 4 acres of green grass. If you good water source to irrigate then 3.5 acres should be enough. Basically each buffalo needs 25 kgs of green grass per day which means 750 kgs of grass per day for 30 buffaloes. In a year, you need 270 tons of grass (750 kgs x 365 days). You need to select the right type of fodder variety – i would suggest to go for a mix of APBN or C04 or C05 in 2 acres. ABPN/CO4/CO5 are propagated through slips and there are no seeds for this. They produce 80 to 90 tons of grass per acre in a year. The second variety can be multicut sorghum (COFS29 or COFS31) in 1 acre – these are propagated through seeds and can will last for 3 years and generates 70 to 80 tons per year. The variety can be a high protein variety like Hedge Lucerne which is propagated through seeds can generate 50 to 60 tons per year. Grass cultivation should be done 60 to 70 days prior to animals arrive at the farm. So this task should be taken up parallel to construction work.
  • Purchase Machinery and tools: You will need a chaff cutter, a brush cutter, a diesel power generator (if you have power cuts) and other tools such as milk cans, etc.
  • Procure Dry Fodder: You need to procure dry fodder (vari gaddi/kutti) for up to 1 year. The quantity will depend on the quality of the dry fodder. The prices are usually cheaper after paddy/maize harvest season and it will expensive in summer months. If it is a drought year, then also the price will be higher.
  • Milk sales tie-up: You should have already tied up with someone to directly sell the milk or give it to milk agency (pala kendram). Try to find a good buyer such as a hotel, sweet shop, coffee shop and direct consumers – direct selling will increase your profit. But do not supply for credit (appu/kadan) – many people tend to be very late on payments or cheat.
  • Hire Workers: This is one of the toughest things as the workers tend to leave without even informing. Make sure you have the right workers and you have backup plan to handle if they leave without notice. For every 10 buffaloes, you need 1 worker. If you are getting bihar workers, then you need at least 2 of them or else they will not stay. Make sure they are settled in farm before you go for purchasing buffaloes.
  • Purchase Animals: In our strategy, let’s buy buffaloes in 2 batches. In first batch, buy 19 murrah buffaloes and 1 bull. After 5 months, buy second batch of 10 buffaloes. We are buying 20 buffaloes in first batch because we have 2 bihar workers or else they will not stay and if we buy 10 buffaloes and have 2 workers you will lose money in salaries.  Purchasing a bull is a must in first batch. You would have already decided where to buy the Murrah buffaloes from – visit them at least once before you buy. If you are new to dairy farming, take an experienced dairy farmer with you when purchasing animals.
  • 1st Week: If the animals were purchased from far away distances – for instance if you had purchased it in haryana and transported it to Andhra – then they will take substantial time to recover from transportation stress. Calves would have died, loss of body weight and also undergo emotional stress as the climate, feed, workers are all different. Do veterinary check up as soon as they arrive. Wash 2 times a day. Feed good concentrate feed and mineral mixture. Give 20 kgs of chopped green fodder and 10 kgs of dry fodder. Give drinking water 3 times a day. Address all stress factors such as mosquitoes, unclean shed, avoid beating, avoid tying too close to each other, etc.
  • 3rd Week: You should have reached a stable state by 3rd week. Buffaloes should have regained weight and milk yield. Workers should be working in a clearly defined routine. Your total milk yield should be around 190 liters per day. Expect a failure of at least 1 buffalo – stopped giving milk because calf died or for whatever reason. You should consider yourself lucky if all of them are in stable state or unlucky if you have more than 1 failure.
  • 3rd Month: The milk yield will start to decline – it will be probably around 170 liters now. Start identifying heat and cross with bull as well as artificially inseminate with good semen – very very important task.
  • 5th Month: Now the milk yield will be around 140 liters. By now if 15 out of 19 buffaloes are pregnant again and have around 14 calves alive then you should consider yourself a success and will survive in this business. Now it is time to purchase second batch of 10 more buffaloes and add 1 more bihar worker. On the other hand, if you have drastic drop in milk yield, if most of your buffaloes are not pregnant, have serious worker problems, then it is time to evaluate, if you want to quit because you will be heavily losing money by feeding dry buffaloes.
  • 6th Month: Now the milk yield should be around 220 liters (120 from first batch of 19 and 100 liters from second batch of 10). Now all of the 19 buffaloes from first batch should be pregnant – if any buffalo is not pregnant then check for reproductive issues and start giving medicines. Now explore the option of making small batches of by-products such as ghee, khoa or paneer and directly sell it to sweet shops and hotels.
  • 8th Month: Now the milk yield should be around 170 liters (90 from first batch and 80 from second batch). Now you should start observing heat for second batch and crossing them with bull as well as artificially inseminate them. If you still have any dry animal which is not pregnant from first batch, you should sell it (mostly for half the price) and buy a new buffalo.
  • 11 month: Now the yield will be around 70 liters (10 liters from first batch and 60 liters from second batch). By now all of your second batch buffaloes should also be pregnant. From 11th to 13th months will be very tough because the all of the buffaloes are in early to late pregnancies. You need to be prepared for out of pocket expenses during this period as you have large herd with low milk output.
  • 13th Month: Basically you are into second year of operation. Now most of your of first batch of buffaloes should have given birth again and started yielding milk. And also second batch will nearing end of lactation and should be in mid-pregnancies. From now on, you should strive for a balance of 20-22 buffaloes in yielding phase and 8–10 buffaloes in dry period. This balance will allow to maintain a milk yield of around 200 liters. You also need to evaluate your calves – you need to retain all female calves and get rid of male calves unless if it has breeding potential as a bull.
  • Yearly Income and Expenses: One of the biggest yearly income is sale of manure/dung – a truck load sells for around Rs 2,500. With 30 buffaloes and 20 calves, you will get around 40 trucks of dung which will generate an income of 1 lakh. The same amount needs to be spent on purchasing dry fodder for the entire year.