Page 17 - Dairy Dimenison Aug-Sep24

| Volume 1 | Issue 1 | Jul-Aug 2024 ARTICLE | Volume 1 | Issue 1 | Jul-Aug 2024

apart from better health, strong immunity and robust for maintenance, growth, and milk production. A
reproductive performance of cows. combination of protein rich raw materials in dairy feed is
Balanced compound cattle feed required to supply all essential amino acids (which need
to be given in feed) as they are required for milk protein
Balanced compound cattle feed is a homogeneous
mixture of cereal grains, grain byproducts, oil seed synthesis in the udder. About 17 minerals are essential
for dairy cows. Daily feeding of macro and micro
Why productivity cakes, oil seed extractions, pulse byproducts, common minerals to dairy cows is essential for getting optimum
salt, vitamins, macro minerals, minor minerals, essential
milk production, milk quality, health, immunity &
feed supplements like rumen specific yeast culture,
of crossbred dairy rumen specific enzymes, rumen bacteria modulators reproductive performance in dairy cows.
About 15 vitamins are required for dairy cows, out of
and rumen buffers like sodium bicarbonate, sea weed
which vitamins A, D3 & E are to be supplemented in the
cows in India is lower? extracts etc. cattle feed. Green fodder is rich in carotene, a precursor
If given with adequate quantity of green fodder & dry
for vitamin A synthesis in cows' body. If adequate green
fodder, compound cattle feed manufactured by the
organized sector in India is well balanced scientifically to fodder is not available, then daily feeding of a separate
meet the complete nutritional requirement of dairy cows vitamin premix is necessary.
throughout their life cycle, from the birth of a calf to For dairy cows, drinking water is the most essential feed
Dr Gowrisankar is a leading poultry and dairy nutritionist with more than ingredient, which is often not taken care of by the dairy
four decades of experience in poultry and dairy nutrition, feed formulation culling of dairy cows. farmers. Continuous supply of clean drinking water
and animal feed manufacturing. He has worked with leading integrators Nutrients required for dairy cows throughout the day (24 hours) is very essential for
and feed manufacturers in India and attended various national and Feed given to dairy cows should contain nutrients like optimum milk production
international conferences. energy, protein, fibre, fat, vitamins, macro and micro
minerals, and other essential feed supplements like Components of dairy feed
Dr. T. M. Gowrisankar, rumen specific yeast culture, rumen specific enzymes, There are 3 main components: dry fodder, green fodder,

Independent Animal Nutritionist & rumen bacteria modulators, common salt, and rumen and balanced compound cattle feed (concentrate
mixture). Examples of dry fodder include paddy straw,
buffers like sodium bicarbonate / seaweed extract etc.
Animal Feed Consultant jowar straw, wheat straw, barley straw & stovers etc.
Carbohydrates and fat are required to provide energy

Dairy cows are important global contributors to given to dairy cows is important to optimize the cost of
agriculture as sources of milk and milk products. Milk is milk production.
the single largest agricultural commodity in India valued Status of dairy cattle feeding in India
at INR 9.3 lakh crore per year. Dairy farming offers Majority of dairy cows in India are currently given
round-the-year gainful direct employment to the rural imbalanced feed containing one or more of individual
population (>8 crore households) of India.
raw materials or feed ingredients like oil seed cakes / oil
Genetic potential of crossbred cows in India is currently seed extractions / wheat bran / rice bran / DORB / rice
not exploited fully for want of proper nutrition. Though, broken / whole rice / brewers waste / tapioca powder /
the potential is around 15 kg milk or more per cow per maize powder etc. which costs more than the cost of
day, the actual average production is around 8.55 kg balanced compound cattle feed.
milk or less per day per cow). In fact, improper nutrition Most of the dairy farmers in India are not aware of this
of the dairy cows is the major reason for low productivity inefficient practice that they still continue to follow, while
of crossbred dairy cows in India. Adequate quantity and feeding their milch stock. Milk production is affected by
quality of feed (roughage as well as concentrate) is feeding of individual ingredients arbitrarily, and or
important for optimizing milk production and to get feeding of inadequate quantity of balanced compound
profit from dairy business. Let us discuss various aspects cattle feed.
of basic feeding & nutrition of dairy cows in India.
A well balanced total mixed ration (TMR) diet consisting
Profitability in dairy farming of right quantity and right proportion of balanced
Profitability in dairying mainly depends on cost of milk compound cattle feed, dry fodder & green fodder
production. The cost of balanced compound cattle feed, maximizes the performance of dairy cows. Quality of
dry fodder & green fodder forms more than 60-70% of balanced compound cattle feed plays an important role
the cost of milk production. Quality & quantity of feed in achieving higher milk production, better milk quality,

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