Managing high grade dairy cows in the tropics / by John Moran.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moran, John, 1945-

Contributor:

ProQuest ebook central.

Clarence J. Marshall Memorial Library Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dairy farming--Southeast Asia--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Dairy farming.

Dairy farms--Southeast Asia--Management.

Dairy farms.

Farms, Small--Southeast Asia--Management.

Farms, Small.

Management.

Southeast Asia.

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xx, 263 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Collingwood, Vic. : CSIRO Publishing, ©2012.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Dairy consumption in Asia has more than doubled over the last 25 years, and has led to more than 50% of the world's total dairy imports now entering Asian markets. Consequently, Asian countries are seeking to improve their self-sufficiency in dairy produce by developing their local milk industries. Asian livestock importers are looking for increasing numbers of high grade dairy stock from established dairy industries in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, a major problem encountered throughout Asia has been the poor performance of these exotic high grade dairy heifers when exported from their country of origin to a new, more stressful environment. This has been due to a failure to prepare for their introduction. Exotic dairy cows, particularly those from farms with high levels of herd performance, have high management requirements. If subjected to local and traditional small holder dairy farm practices, they are unlikely to produce acceptable yields of milk or may not even get back into calf. Poor management practices can lead to low growth rates, delayed breeding, stock diseases and even deaths among imported stock both before and after first calving. Managing High Grade Dairy Cows in the Tropics addresses the entire range of management practices found on tropical small holder dairy farms, highlighting those which are likely to adversely impact on heifer and cow performance, hence farm profitability. It is a companion volume to two previous manuals written by John Moran: Tropical Dairy Farming and Business Management for Tropical Dairy Farmers. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Who are the tropical small holder dairy farmers? 2

1.2 Dairy development and farm technology 3

1.3 Importing high genetic merit stock onto small holder dairy farms 4

1.3.1 Genetic merit of imported stock 4

1.3.2 Importing young heifers 5

1.3.3 The renewed relevance of embryo transfer technology 6

1.4 Outline of the manual 7

1.5 The role of the manual in training programs 8

1.6 The key task areas in any dairy production system 9

2 Pre-departure planning and management of stock on arrival 11

2.1 Satisfying customer demands 11

2.1.1 What the customer wants 12

2.1.2 What the customer needs 13

2.1.3 What the customer gets 13

2.2 Australia's livestock export chain 14

2.3 Rejection of dairy stock for live export 15

2.4 Minimising the stress of transportation 16

2.4.1 Clinical indicators of transport stress 16

2.4.2 Management of transport stress 17

2.5 Post-arrival management 18

3 Soil and forage management on the new home farm 21

3.1 Selection of forage species 23

3.2 The agronomy of forage crops 25

3.2.1 Fertilising forage crops 25

3.2.2 Harvesting forage crops 26

3.2.3 Harvesting tree legumes 27

3.2.4 Wilting to improve forage intake 28

3.3 Making quality silage 28

3.4 The 10 steps to making silage 30

3.4.1 Harvest the forage 30

3.4.2 Wilt the forage to 30% DM 31

3.4.3 Add a fermentable substrate at ensiling 31

3.4.4 Chop the forage into short lengths 31

3.4.5 Compact the forage as tightly as possible 32

3.4.6 Complete the entire storage quickly 32

3.4.7 Seal storage airtight 32

3.4.8 Maintain airtight seal 33

3.4.9 Feed out a whole face of the storage 33

3.4.10 If silage is unsatisfactory, determine the reason 34

3.5 Storing wet by-products as silage 34

4 Young stock management 37

4.1 Rearing the milk-fed calf 39

4.1.1 Colostrum feeding 40

4.1.2 Early rumen development 40

4.2 A successful early weaning program 41

4.2.1 Weaning age 42

4.2.2 Concentrate quality 42

4.2.3 The high cost of milk rearing 42

4.3 Scours in milk-fed calves 43

4.3.1 What is scours? 44

4.3.2 Causes of nutritional scours 44

4.3.3 Treating scours 45

4.3.4 Preventing scours 46

4.4 Management of weaned replacement heifers 46

4.4.1 Fertility 47

4.4.2 Milk production 48

4.4.3 Heifer wastage 48

4.5 Targets for replacement heifers 48

4.5.1 Live weight 48

4.5.2 Wither height 48

4.5.3 Age of teeth eruption 49

4.5.4 Energy and protein requirements for heifers 49

4.5.5 Feeding heifers to achieve target live weights 49

5 The principles of dairy nutrition 51

5.1 Nutrients supplied by feeds 52

5.1.1 Describing feed energy 53

5.1.2 Describing feed protein 54

5.1.3 Describing feed fibre 54

5.2 Nutrients contained in feeds 54

5.3 Predicting cow performance from nutrient intakes 56

5.3.1 Water 56

5.3.2 Energy 58

5.3.3 Protein 58

5.3.4 Fibre 59

5.4 The lactation cycle 59

5.4.1 From calving to peak lactation 60

5.4.2 Peak lactation to peak intake 60

5.4.3 Mid and late lactation 60

5.4.4 Dry period 60

5.5 Proportion of productive cows in the milking herd 60

6 Feeding management of the milking herd 63

6.1 How cows respond to supplements 64

6.1.1 Deceasing marginal responses 64

6.1.2 Immediate and delayed milk responses 67

6.1.3 Guidelines for temperate grazing dairy systems 67

6.2 Milk: concentrate ratios in production rations 67

6.3 Problems with unbalanced diets 69

6.3.1 Some indicators of unbalanced diets 69

6.3.2 Metabolic disorders and unbalanced diets 69

6.3.3 Lactic acidosis 70

6.3.4 Feed toxicities 71

6.3.5 Other feed additives 72

6.3.6 Troubleshooting feeding problems 72

6.3.7 Monitoring manure consistency 73

6.4 Optimum stocking capacity 73

7 Disease prevention and control 75

7.1 Physical attributes of healthy and sick cows 75

7.1.1 Other tools to diagnose diseases 77

7.2 Disease agents 78

7.2.1 Parasites 78

7.2.2 Microbial agents 78

7.2.3 Nutritional and metabolic diseases 78

7.3 Managing dairy herd health 78

7.3.1 The importance of good record keeping 79

7.3.2 Nursing and support 79

7.3.3 Scours 80

7.3.4 Responsible drug handling 80

7.3.5 Biosecurity when purchasing new stock 81

7.3.6 Animal and human health 82

7.4 Health and reproductive performance 82

7.5 Lameness 84

7.5.1 Assessing cow lameness 84

7.6 Mastitis 85

7.6.1 Causes of mastitis 85

7.6.2 The importance of the teat 85

7.6.3 Environmental mastitis 86

7.6.4 Contagious mastitis 87

7.6.5 The dry period 87

7.6.6 California mastitis test (CMT) 87

7.6.7 The role of mastitis therapy 88

7.6.8 Lactation therapy 89

7.6.9 Dry cow therapy 89

7.6.10 Preventing mastitis 89

7.6.11 Recommended milking procedures 89

7.6.12 Recommendations for milking machines 91

7.6.13 Controlling mastitis 92

7.6.14 Heifers 93

7.6.15 Establishing goals 93

8 Reproductive management 95

8.1 Measures of reproductive performance 96

8.1.1 Collecting permanent records on each cow 96

8.1.2 The fertility timetable for the milking cow 97

8.1.3 Introducing 100 day-in-calf and 200 day-not-in-calf rates 97

8.1.4 Submission rates 99

8.1.5 Conception rates 99

8.2 Non-nutritional factors affecting reproduction 100

8.2.1 Heat detection in tropical herds only using AI 102

8.3 Nutritional influences on reproduction 103

8.3.1 Energy intakes and balance 103

8.4 Implications for herd and feeding management 104

8.4.1 A simplified system for feeding management 104

8.4.2 Management in late lactation 105

8.4.3 Dry cow management 105

8.4.4 Management during the transition period 105

8.4.5 Protein intakes 105

8.4.6 Intakes of minerals 106

8.4.7 Herd management 106

8.5 Putting it all together - a plan for success 107

8.5.1 Setting priorities to address fertility issues 107

8.5.2 Some important decisions to make 107

9 Genetics 109

9.1 Problems with exotic genotypes 110

9.1.1 Jerseys versus Friesians in the tropics 111

9.1.2 Genotype by environment interactions 112

9.2 Specially bred tropical dairy genotypes 113

9.3 Breeding decisions to be made on the farm 115

10 Managing stock surplus to the milking herd 117

10.1 Cull cows 117

10.2 Excess dairy stock 119

10.3 Dairy beef 119

10.4 Imported cows in lactation anoestrus 121

11 Stock welfare 123

11.1 The five basic freedoms of livestock 123

11.2 The six basic elements of stock welfare 124

11.2.1 Facilities and equipment 124

11.2.2 Provision of feed and water 124

11.2.3 Herd management 125

11.2.4 Humane destruction 125

11.2.5 Staff competency 126

11.2.6 Preparation, selection, sale and transport of stock 126

11.3 Other general principles of stock welfare 126

11.3.1 Problems of confinement 128

11.4 Australian welfare codes for calves 128

11.4.1 Housing 128

11.4.2 Feeding 129

11.4.3 Management practices 129

11.4.4 Transportation of calves 129

12 Environmental management 131

12.1 Heat stress in milking cows 131

12.1.1 Symptoms of heat stress 133

12.2 The Temperature Humidity Index 134

12.2.1 Adverse effects of heat stress 135

12.3 Management practices to minimise heat stress 136

12.3.1 Clinical signs of heat stress 136

12.3.2 Monitoring respiration rates 136

12.3.3 Shed design 138

12.3.4 Cooling cows 138

12.3.5 Allowing cows outside overnight 140

12.3.6 Feeding management 141

13 Housing systems 143

13.1 Housing the milking herd 144

13.1.1 Building for the cow 144

13.1.2 Location 145

13.1.3 Shed design 145

13.1.4 Tie stalls or loose housing? 145

13.1.5 Free stalls or open lounging? 146

13.1.6 Free stall layouts 147

13.1.7 Making the choice 148

13.1.8 Considerations in flooring 149

13.2 Feeding the milking herd 149

13.2.1 Water troughs 149

13.2.2 Feed troughs and feeding strips 150

13.2.3 Feed storage 150

13.2.4 Preparing concentrate mixtures 151

13.3 Additional features of dairy shed design 151

13.3.1 Additional health facilities 151

13.3.2 Housing for young stock 152

13.3.3 Calf cages 153

13.3.4 Outdoor area for night-time 153

13.3.5 Stock-handling facilities 153

13.3.6 Storage of veterinary drugs and other dairy equipment 154

13.3.7 Bull pen and mating yard 154

13.3.8 Farm office 154

13.3.9 Staff quarters 154

13.4 Milk harvesting 154

13.4.1 Designs of milking parlours 155

13.4.2 Milk room and cooler 156

13.5 Sanitation and effluent management 157

13.5.1 Effluent as a liability 157

13.5.2 Effluent disposal systems 158

13.6 A checklist for planning dairy sheds 158

14 Milk harvesting and hygiene 161

14.1 Measures of milk composition and quality 163

14.1.1 Milk composition 163

14.1.2 Milk quality 163

14.2 The science of milk quality 165

14.2.1 Factors influencing the growth of bacteria 165

14.2.2 The principles of cleaning and sanitising dairy equipment 165

14.3 Management practices for good milking hygiene 166

14.3.1 Health and personal hygiene 166

14.3.2 Environmental hygiene 168

14.3.3 Milking procedures and milk handling 170

14.3.4 Post-milking 171

14.4 Milking machine function and maintenance 171

14.4.1 Milking machine components 171

14.4.2 Testing milking machines 172

14.4.3 Routine maintenance 173

15 Adding value to milk 175

15.1 A case study of adding value to raw milk in Indonesia 177

15.1.1 Constraints for cottage industries to add value to raw milk 178

16 The business of small holder dairy farming 181

16.1 What is good farm business management? 183

16.1.1 Production technology 183

16.1.2 People skills 184

16.1.3 Business management 184

16.2 Making the best use of service providers 185

16.3 Breaking down costs on small holder dairy farms 188

17 Conducting farmer workshops on improved herd management 193

17.1 Planning farmer workshops 194

17.1.1 Workshop objectives 194

17.1.2 Developing a workshop program 194

17.1.3 Practical issues 195

17.2 Associated farm visits 196

18 Assessing current farm management practices 199

18.1 Using current cow milk yields to assess adequacy of the current farm management 200

18.1.1 Other factors to consider 202

18.2 A checklist to assess current farm management practices 202

18.2.1 Feed production 202

18.2.2 Feeding management 203

18.2.3 Herd management 203

18.2.4 Housing 204

18.2.5 Milking management 204

18.2.6 General farm management 205

18.3 Grading farmer skills 205

18.3.1 Objective criteria 205

18.3.2 Subjective criteria 206

19 Tips and traps in managing high grade dairy stock 207

19.1 Feed production 208

19.2 Feeding management 214

19.3 Herd management 218

19.4 Housing 225

19.5 Milking management 238.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-263) and index.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI Available via World Wide Web.

Description based on print version record.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Clarence J. Marshall Memorial Library Fund.

ISBN:

9780643107892

0643107894

Publisher Number:

99976757231

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.