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.