SEVAI –OFI Farm Cow farm promotes household cow rearing.

Household cow rearing orientation in SEVAI-OFI Farm

SEVAI –OFI Farm Cow farm promotes household cow rearing.D.Selvi of SEVAI-OFI Cow farm enlightens the household cow rearers of Sirugamani Village, “A family dairy cow provides lots of practical benefits. Perhaps the most notable is that cows eating a grass-based diet can provide great-tasting dairy products that are more nutritious and flavorful than those you can buy in most grocery stores. Raising a family cow is an experience, plus it’s a great step toward self-sufficiency and food security. Surplus dairy products from the cow could even bring in extra income for your family. Keeping a homestead dairy cow is a big commitment though, to take care with optimum concern. A cow produces milk in order to feed her calf. After the cow has given birth, she must be milked or her calf allowed nursing at least twice daily. Allow the cow to rest at least two months before a new calf is born. Your daily routine will consist of feeding, milking twice a day and separating the calf from the cow eight to 12 hours before you milk. You will also need to muck out the milking area frequently and move fences for rotational grazing as needed. A dairy cow needs two principal components in her diet to be healthy: roughage and protein. Roughage mainly consists of cellulose and can be supplied by pasture and various forms of hay. Good grass hay and grass pasture can contain sufficient protein for animal maintenance, but for a lactating dairy cow, higher protein feeds such as paddy hay, grass-legume pasture, or protein supplements will increase milk production. She’ll also need a mineral supplement and salt, and a lactating cow can drink up to 30 gallons of water per day, so you’ll need to provide plenty of fresh water. In winter when the pasture is sparse, good hay  and possibly additional grain feed will be necessary. However, if you want to increase the cow’s milk production, feed a grain supplement in the form of chopped or ground oats, barley, corn, or wheat every day, regardless of season. Ideally, milking should be timed at 12-hour intervals. A cow with a full, distended udder is not a happy cow; don’t inflict this on her by milking erratically”. -Govin