GENERAL DAIRY FARM PRACTICES AND IDENTIFICATION OF
CATTLE
6.1 Introduction
Dairy farm practices include identification of animals, dehorning, bedding,
grooming, castration, exercising etc., Animal’s identification is essential for
successful recording of data of a farm. Each and every calf born is identified
as to its dam (mother) and sire (father). It also helps in differentiation of the
superior and inferior animals in a herd. Several methods with different
instruments are available for permanent individual identification of each
animal in the herd. Animal handling measures are designed for overall
working efficiency, better managerial practices and to reduce handling stress
on animals.
6.2 Identification
Identification of each animal is necessary for the following purposes
1. To know the performance and history of each animal
2. To carry out the daily farm operations like feeding, breeding and
health care of animals
3. To maintain accuracy in recording of animal data
4. To clear the disputes over the lost or stolen cattle
5. To claim insurance of animals
6. For entry into herd book of pedigree animals
The various methods of identification that are followed in Cattle and Buffalo
are
* Branding
* Tattooing
* Tagging
* Photographing
* Electronic tagging with microchips
6.2.1 Branding
It involves putting numbers, letters, designs or a combination of these on the
skin with hot iron or chemicals. Branding is used for marking cattle. Calves
should be branded by the time they are one year old. Branding is of three
types (1) hot iron branding (2) Chemical branding (3) Cryo branding.
Sets of branding irons are available comprising of letters A to Z and
numbers from 0 to 9. The desired branding iron rod is heated to bright red
hot and applied to skin on the sides of thigh with light pressure for not more
than 3 seconds. Neem oil is mixed with Boric acid and zinc oxide and
smeared over the burns for quick healing.
Chemical branding irons have a shallow groove to have better contact
surface and to hold sufficient branding ink. Chemical branding is less
permanent if carried out by inexperienced person. In Cryo branding liquid
nitrogen is used for branding of animal.
6.2.2 Tattooing
It consists of piercing outlines of desired number or letter or a combination
of both on inner side of ear and applying black vegetable pigment into the
punctures. It is most suited for marking calves. Tattooing set comprises of
Tattooing forceps, tattooing ink and series of letters and numbers.
The imprints should be made conveniently on inner side of ear avoiding ear
veins. The part to be tattooed should be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and
water, wiped dry and spirit is applied to remove grease. Later tattooing ink
is liberally applied over the part. The desired number or letter is fixed into
the tattooing forceps and firmly printed over the part by pressing the
forceps. The desired tattoo number is to be checked on a leaf before
applying the tattooing forceps on animal. After tattooing some more ink is
rubbed into tattooed punctures with thumb finger to get into punctures
deeply.
Fig. 6.2 Tattooing
6.2.3 Tagging
Tags are made of aluminum, brass, strong plastic with the numbers stamped
on them and fixed to ear with tagging forceps. Two types of tags are
available 1). Self-piercing type 2). Non-piercing type.
Self-piercing variety has sharp ends and can be directly fixed to the ear with
a forceps. In non-piercing type, a hole is made with a tag punch. One end of
tag is placed through the hole and locked in position with pincers. The hole
is punctured in the upper edge of ear as close to head as possible. The hole
should be far enough from edge so that the tag is neither tight on ear nor
freely swinging leaving sufficient space for growth of ear. The numbered
side of tag should be on top of ear. Several types of tags are available like
Aluminum tags, plastic tags, bronze tags along with a separate tagging
forceps suitable to each type.
6.2.4 Photographing
Generally animals are photographed to get side view, rear and hind views.
The animal should be photographed in such a way the angle of vision of
camera shouldn’t exceed the angled vision of human eye.
6.2.5 Electronic tags
Electronic tagging is carried with the help of a syringe. It is specially
designed to push the chips just under the skin of the animal. The implanted
chips bear a number which is read by a scanner.
6.3 General Dairy Farm Practices
The general management practices that help the animals to be active,
healthy, cleanliness and comfortable are –
1. Exercising
2. Grooming
3. Bedding
4. Dehorning
5. Castration
6.3.1. Exercising
Minimum exercise is necessary for all animals. It keeps the animals thrifty
and active. It helps in normal metabolic process and maintenance of good
health. Exercising is to make muscles active and the animal physically fit.
Outdoor exercise by exposure to sunlight helps in supply of vitamin D.
Breeding bulls are to be provided loafing area of about 120 square meters
for each bull to keep them in good condition. In large livestock farms and
semen banks, a bull exerciser is used to exercise a number of bulls
simultaneously avoiding obesity in animals.
6.3.2. Grooming
Grooming comprises of brushing the hair coat of animals. It is essential for
all the show animals. It is done for cleanliness, improve appearance,
massage and stimulate cutaneous and lymph blood circulation, removal of
waste products like skin secretions, loose hair, skin parasites from hair. It
helps in keeping the skin pliable and brings out natural oil in the hair. Cows
are regularly groomed before milking to avoid falling of dust in milk. Before
milking, brushing of rump, sides of thigh and buttocks should be done.
Dandy brush made of stiff fibres, whisks of paddy straw or any brush with
stiff bristles can be used for grooming the animal. Start grooming at the
neck behind the ears and is carried out in same direction as the flow of hair.
At times, brushing has to be carried out against flow of hair to remove dirt
sticking to hair. Work bullocks are also groomed to keep them active and to
make them recover from tiredness and fatigue quickly.
6.3.3. Bedding
During winter suitable bedding should be provided to young calves to
provide warmth. In tropical countries like India, provision of bedding is not
important as in western countries. Bedding is used primarily for keeping
animals clean and comfortable. Bedding soils up the urine and makes
manure handling easier.
6.3.4. Dehorning / Disbudding
Dehorning is removal of horns of animals. Disbudding means arresting the
growth of horn buds at an early age. Horns serve no useful purpose on dairy
cattle. They can cause many body and udder injuries on other animals.
Horned cattle require more space. Dehorn calves as early as possible, when
horn buds are very small, causing little discomfort to animal. Dehorn the
calf when it is four to 10 days old or as soon as horn buds can be easily
detected. Dehorning is done mostly in spring or post monsoon season to
avoid flies.
There are several ways of dehorning by using chemicals, saws, clippers, hot
iron,
6.3.4.1 Chemical method
Chemicals like caustic soda (NaOH) or caustic potash (KOH) are commonly
used chemicals available in form of sticks, paste. Clip the hair around the
horn bud of calves and surround the area with grease or Vaseline to protect
the eyes from chemicals. Rub the chemical over the horn bud until blood
appears resulting in arrest of growth of horn buds.
6.3.4.2 Hot iron method
A specially designed hot iron rod is applied on horn buds of young calves.
The dehorning irons are heated in portable forge. The hot iron method is
bloodless and used in any season of year for young calves only. Electric
dehorner is also available which has even temperature of iron rod.
6.3.4.3 Dehorning saw or clippers
Clippers are useful for removing horns of young cattle whereas, dehorning
saw is used to remove brittle horns of adult cattle.
6.3.4.4 Elastrator
It is an instrument of specially made rubber ring for dehorning cattle with
horns of 5 to 10 cm long. Smaller horns drop off in 3 to 6 weeks, where as
longer horns may take 2 months to drop off.
6.3.4.5 Castration
It is the removal of testicles which produce male germ cells. Male cattle &
buffaloes used for work are castrated so that they are docile and amenable.
Male calves are castrated at one year of age. Castration should be performed
during cold season, strictly avoiding rainy season for fear of fly menace.
Under Indian conditions the best method for castrating cattle and buffaloes
is with pair of Burdizzo castrator.
Burdizzo method of castration is bloodless in which the testicles are made
functionless by destroying nourishment to them. When using Burdizzo
castrator, see that the spermatic cord does not slip out and one cord is
clamped at a time for few seconds. Complete atrophy of testicle occurs. A
simple castration knife can also be used for the purpose. The knife as well as
the operators hand should be clean and disinfected. Grasp the tip of scrotum
and hold it tight while cutting off the lower end. Draw out the exposed
testicles together with the surrounding membranes with hands and tear off.
6.4 Weighing of animals
Weighing of animals is an important operation in a dairy farm to know the
growth rate of calves, to calculate the amount of feed and fodder to be
offered to animals and for calculation of drug dosage of animals. Weighing
of the animals can be done by two ways,
1. Direct Method
2. Indirect Method
6.4.1 Direct method
The animals are passed through the weighing yard and weighing is carried
out on the platform balances. Allow the animal to stand for a while on the
platform before recording the weight.
Weighments of the animals are to be done in the morning before feeding and
watering to get the accurate weights. This method is followed mostly in
organized farms.
6.4.2 Indirect method
The weight of the animal can be obtained indirectly by measuring the girth
and length of the animal using a measuring tape. The length of the animal is
obtained by measuring the distance between the points of shoulder to the
point of pin bones. The girth of the animal can be obtained by measuring the
circumference of the chest of the animal just behind the elbows. After
obtaining the length and girth of the animal, the following formulae are
applied to get the weight of animal.
1. Shaeffers formula: It is commonly used for cattle and buffaloes.
Live weight in lbs = Length × (Girth)2 / 300
2. Aggarwal’s modified Shaeffers formula
Live weight in seers = (Girth × length) / Y
Where 1 seer is equal to 0.93kg
Where Y is equal 9.0 if girth is less than 65”
Y is equal to 8.5 if girth is between 65-80”
Y is equal to 8.0 if girth is over 80”.
3. Mullick’s formula buffaloes
X = 25.156(Y) – 960.232
X = estimate of body weight in lbs
Y = Heart girth in inches.
6.5 Farm Record Maintenance
Record keeping is key operation to know the progress of dairy farm. It is
maintained for the following purposes.
1. To know the pedigree and history of the animals maintained.
2. It helps in knowing the dairy activities carried out in the farm like
deworming, Vaccination, deticking, castration, identification etc.
3. It helps in identification of each animal in the herd and knowing the
production performance of the animals.
4. It helps in knowing the herd average, milch average, average daily
milk yield, lactation number, lactation length etc.
5. It aids in breed wise improvement of herd.
6. It helps in culling and removal of the unproductive stock from the
farm.
7. The economics of the farm can be worked out.
8. It helps in selection of the animals for future breeding purposes.
9. It helps in identifying the elite animals and registration of animals in
central herd registration book.
Some of the registers which are essential in the dairy farm are livestock
register, calving register, lactation record, mortality register, morbidity
register, feed register, breeding register, day book, vaccination register etc.
Milk Record Sheet
Name of the
farm……………………………..Address……………………………
For the Year………………………….
Owner of the berd…………………………………… Post office
………………………………….. District
Date Time Name and Name and Name and Name and Name and
number of number of number of number of number of
cows cows cows cows cows
1 A.M.
P.M.
2 A.M.
P.M.
