Dairy Cattle production

2.1. Origin and domestication of cattle

 Our present development has its roots in the

domestication of animals.

 To domesticate means to adapt the behavior of an

animal to fit the needs of people.

 The domestication of animals began when early

humans had contact with wild animals, which they
hunted for food and skins. 1

 Hunting…….. Selecting……..domestication
 Position of Cattle in the Zoological Scheme
Kingdom Animalia (Animals collectively; the animal kingdom)

Phylum Chordata is either a backbone [in the vertebrate] or the bare

bones of a backbone [in the chorda]

Class Mammalia (Warm- blooded, hairy animals that produce their

young live and suckle them from the mammary glands.

Order Artiodactyla (Even toed, hoofed mammals)

Family Bovidae (Ruminants having up-branched horns;

Genus Bos (Ruminant quadrupeds, including wild and domestic

cattle
Bos taurus and Bos indicus
Species  Bos taurus - the ancestors of the European cattle
 Bos indicus - humped cattle (Zebu ) of India and Africa
2
 Cattle where the first mammal that were domesticated
next to caprinae (goat).

 The center of origination (domestication) of cattle is in

the western Asia occur some 800- 9000 years ago.

 The oldest cattle type (domesticated 800 years ago) to

be associated with man is the Hamitic type in
Mesopotamia
 long horned
 large in size

 lacking a hump, 3

 sometimes very large in length

 2.3. Cattle breeds in Ethiopia
 Breed: is a group of animals having a common origin and
possessing certain well fixed and unique characteristics
 The distinctive/unique characteristics

 Body conformation

Fitness characteristic
Production characteristic
Based on the above characteristic breeds can be classified
into two.
 Local breed (Bos indicus): Zebu breeds or Tropical breeds;

Humped.

 Exotic breed (Bos taurus): hump less or temperate

4
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF INDIGENOUS AND EXOTIC BREEDS
Characte Local breeds/ Exotic breed
r Indigenous
 Have much narrower body  Have large body size
1 Body  Have well-developed  No hump
conformation hump.
 Can exist under poor  Can’t exist under poor
2 Fitness quality feed quality feed
characteristi  Low feed intake  High feed intake
cs  Better able to preserve  Less able to retain

 Slow to reach sexual  Fast to reach sexual

3 Production maturity maturity
characteristi  Long calving interval  Short calving interval
cs  Slow growth rate  Fast growth rate
 Short lactation period  Long lactation period
 Low milk yield  High milk yield
5
Terminology in Dairy cattle production

 Dam: A dairy animal's mother

 Sire :a dairy animal's father

 Dairy- is a place/a building where milk is kept and milk

products are made

 A shop/place where milk and milk products are sold

 Dairy farm:-is a farm that produces milk and milk products

 Dairy cattle:-cattle that is raised primary to produce milk

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 Dairying/dairy farming:-is the business of a dairy farm
 2.3.1 Exotic breed
A. Holstein Friesian
Origin- Netherlands and northern Germany
Colour - Black and white or red and white
 accounting for 1/3rd of all dairy cows in the world
Distinctive characteristics:
 Have broad nose

 Large angular animal Holstein Friesian

 Developed totally for milk

 Average milk yield = 6500 - 7500 kg with butter fat content of

3.5%
 Are adapted to high level of management

 Do not respond to adverse environmental conditions

7
 B) BROWN SWISS
 Is much less numerous than the Holstein Friesian

Distinctive characteristics
Origin - Switzerland
Colour - Solid brown, varying from very light to dark
 Large sized
 nose and tongue are black
 Light colored band around the muzzle
 medium length horns
 average milk production is 5488 kg with butter fat % of 4.1

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 C) JERSEY (“cheese breed”)
 Origin-Island of Jersey (Great Britain)
 Color varies (light gray to a dark

 characteristics of the breed are:

– its small mature body size

– Early sexual maturity;
-Average milk yield is 4536Kg
– high butterfat levels (6.5%);
– poor beef capacity
– good pasture animals in harsh
environments
 well known for their well shaped udders, stronger udder
attachments and ease of calving
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 D)AYRSHIRE

 Origin- Native to Scottish

 Color- Red and white usually irregular shaped red patches
on a white background
Distinctive characteristics
 Horns are widespread and tend to curve upward

 Udders are especially symmetrical and well attached to

the body.
 average milk yield 4370 kg;

 with milk fat content of 4%

 relatively adaptable to adverse conditions

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 E) GUERNSEY

 Origin- island of Guernsey

 Red and White in color

Distinctive characteristics:
 Good length of head

 Horns include forward

 medium in length& size

 Milk yield varies between 4000- 5000 kg

 milk fat is 5%

 High milk production to feed intake ratio

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 2.3.2. Indigenous/Zebu cattle
Indigenous cattle of Ethiopia can be classified in to 3 main
classes
 Most of the cattle indigenous to the tropics
1. Zebu Class
 Arsi breed

 Barka breed

 Borana breed

2. Sanga class
 Danakil breeds (Adal, Raya, Kereyu, and Afar)

 Raya-Azebu

 Abigar

3. Zenga/Zebu (intermediate)
 Horro breed

 Fogera breed 12
1. Arsi
 Found in the central highlands of
Ethiopia, in Arsi, Shewa, Bale,
Sidama and Harar.
Special Characteristic:
 Zebu cattle

 Small compact animals, and small

short horns;
 selected Arsi produce up to 500
kg per lactation
 butter fat of 5.4 - 5.8 %

 Main use: Work, Meat, Milk

13
 2. Barka

 abundat in Tigrey and Gondar

 Coat colour is variable, but black

pied is common

 multipurpose type: milk, meat and

draft

 considered to be good milk cattle

 produce about 647 liter milk per

lactation
14
 The breed is usually horned.
3. Ethiopian Boran

 the southern rangelands of Ethiopia,

with the Borana pastoralists.

Characteristic:

 Zebu cattle

 Basically a beef animals, with large and

wide frame; weighs up to 500 kg.

 milk yield is 440 kg /lactation

 butter fat percentage is 6.0 %

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Main use: Milk, Meat
4. Fogera
 around Lake Tana, southern Gondar and
Gojjam.
Characteristic:
ZENGA cattle
Pied coat of black-and-white or black-and-
grey;
-short, stumpy(Short and thick), pointed
horns;.
- produce about 281 kg of milk / lactation
- butter fat percentage = 5.8 %
-Main use: Work, Milk, Meat
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5. Horo
 mainly in the Horro Gudru area of
eastern Wollega as well as parts of
western Shoa and Illubabor.
Characteristic:
 ZENGA cattle
 Coat colour is mainly brown or reddish
brown;
 Selected Horro produce up to 543 litre/
lactation
- are medium sized
Main use: Work, Milk, Meat 17
7. Raya-Azebo
Main Location:

• Tigray and the bordering areas of

Wello in north-eastern Ethiopia.

Special Characteristic:

 SANGA cattle

• Similar to the Danakil, except that

the Raya-Azabo is a slightly bigger
animal,
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Main use: Work, Milk, Meat
8. Sheko
 parts of south-western Ethiopia
with the Sheko tribe around
Bench zone

Characteristic:

 Believed to have some level of

trypano-tolerance.

 Humpless cattle

 Main use: Meat and work

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9. Danakil
 Maintained by Afar people in
southern Eritrea, north-eastern
Ethiopia (Tigrai and Wollo),
particularly the lower Awash river
and parts of Djibouti.
Special Characteristic:
SANGA cattle
 Large and slender body, with long
lyre-shaped horns,
 They are very similar to the Raya-
Azabo cattle
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 Main use: Milk, Meat, Work
2.4. Dairy production systems in the tropics and sub-
tropics
I) Extensive Production System
A) Pastoralism (nomadic and transhumant )
 Livestock owners who exploit natural grass lands mainly
in the arid areas
 Pastoralists are with their herds always and move
continually looking for fresh grazing areas.
 Nomads have no permanent home

 transhumant herders have permanent homes in less

arid areas.
 The main source of food for pastoralists is milk

 The herd is dominated with unimproved Zebu animals21

B)Agro-pastoralism
 Agro-pastoralists are sedentary farmers who grow food
crops and keep livestock.
 Their livestock graze on common land, fallow lands and
cropland after the harvest.
 Livestock are used for draught savings and milk
production.
 Shifting cultivation is a common practice.
 The herd is dominated with unimproved Zebu animals.
C)Mixed farming
 Food or cash crop cultivation is the main agricultural
activity.
 Farm size is normally small 1-5 ha, with a moderate to high
cropping intensity.
 Livestock are kept for draught & utilization of crop residues,
improving soil fertility and providing food or income from
milk or meat 22
 The herd is dominated with unimproved Zebu animals
 II) SEMI-INTENSIVE SYSTEM
 The cattle graze for some time during the day and in the
afternoon or evening they are supplemented with other
forages.
 It is in between intensive and extensive systems, whereby
land is not limiting as in the intensive system but on the
other hand is not enough to allow free grazing throughout
the day.
 The supplements can be produced on your own land or can
be bought on the market.
 Supplementary feeding is only possible if the milk price is
high enough and supplements are not too expensive.
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III. Intensive dairy farming
 Part or all of the land used for fodder crops
 may also purchase concentrates
 Dairy animals do not provide power
 Their manure used as a fertilizer on crops
 Milk is the main source of income
 Small farmers using family labor
 Commercial farmers used hired (machine labor)
 Herd mainly improved dairy cattle
 Market oriented production system
 Produce roughage, purchase concentrates
 The system is commercial oriented and investment sector

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Advantages of Intensive Dairy Production System
 The cow does not waste energy walking in search of pasture.
 It avoids diseases associated with communal grazing.
 It allows dairy farmers with no grazing land to produce milk and
make money.
 The manure can be accumulated for improving soil fertility or
used to generate biogas for domestic energy use.

Disadvantages of Intensive Dairy Production System

 It is labour intensive as feeding and cleaning the unit must be
done daily.
 It needs high business to start (initial investment cost)
 It may be difficult to detect when a cow is on heat, especially a
singly housed cow.
 This is because when cows are housed in a group they mount
each other and when in the open they show signs of
25
restlessness by moving around.
4. Peri-urban dairying

 This system occurs around cities, where demand for

milk is high.

 The main source of feed are agro-industrial by-

products (e.g.:- brewery waste and oilseed cakes ),
cultivated fodder crops and crop residues

 Milk is often sold directly to consumers in the city and

is the main source of income for the farmers .

 The herd is dominated with improved crossbred and

high-grade dairy cattle 26
2.5. Dairy & Dairy Product Marketing
2.5.1. Utilization pattern
 Ethiopian farmers use their own milk for different
purposes.
– Home consumption in fresh and fermented (Irgo)
form;
– Processing long shelf life products such as butter,
ghee & ayeeb;
– Selling in liquid form
– Calf feeding.
 The level of utilization pattern, however, varies
depending upon the production systems, proximity to
urban centers/ towns, availability of market outlets,
27
seasons and economic factors (price).
What is marketing?
 "the performance of all business activities involved in
the flow of goods and services from the producer to
the consumer".
 Consumers want to get what they need at the lowest
price possible.
 Producers on the other hand are interested in getting
the highest possible return from their milk production.
 B/n them, there are middlemen who perform various
marketing functions such as transportation or retailing.
 Their interest is to make the highest profit possible from
their particular business operation.
Producers-middlemen-retailers-consumers 28
Marketing Information System and Research

 Information is required at all levels in the marketing channel.

 Before you decided to process and market any dairy product, it is

important to know the potential market for each particular
product.

 This is important to enable the processor to know which types

and when, where and how much of each product to manufacture
and market.

 It is very crucial because unless goods can be supplied in the

right form, place and times, consumers may not be able to buy.
29
 This then requires securing and utilizing market information.
Marketing information should address the following:

 Area to be covered

 Price information (Price variations, price for

premium quality discount price etc.)

 Number and type of consumers (market

segmentation)

 Current and future product supply levels

 Type and number of competitors

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Marketing and Pricing of Milk and Milk Products
 The price of a product in the market is an important factor
influencing consumer demand.
 Hence to be marketable, a dairy product must be
competitively priced.
 This implies that the costs involved in raw material
procurement, processing, packaging, storage, marketing
and distribution must be kept as low as possible.
Generally the price of a dairy product will involves:
Cost of raw milk
Cost of raw milk collection and transportation
Cost of processing and packaging
Cost of marketing and distribution
Taxes and tariffs 31
Profit margins at each stage of the marketing channel
(Collection, Processing and marketing margins)
2.6. Major constraints of Dairy Production
I)Technical constraints
A)Genotype
 Poor animal genotype for production imposes limits on the
productivity that can be achieved in the higher potential
agro-ecological zones.
 In ruminants genetic potential is a critical issue particularly
for dairy cattle.
 In Ethiopia similar to other tropical countries, indigenous
breeds often have special adaptive traits for disease
resistance, heat tolerance, and ability to utilize poor quality
feed.
 Genes for these breeds are rapidly disappearing due to the
use of imported stock in breed substitution and cross-
breeding programs intended to accomplish more rapid 32
increase in milk and meat productivity.
B) Feed supply
 Inability to feed animals adequately throughout the year

 In both drier and wetter regions, the feed shortages and

nutrient deficiencies are more acute in the dry season.

C)Farming systems and animal management:

 As crop- livestock systems evolve, inadequate
understanding by farmers, researchers, and extension
workers of various cropping patterns, market opportunities,
livestock alternatives, and use of labour, technology, and
inputs is a major constraint to increased dairy productivity
throughout the country.
 Moreover, the levels of livestock husbandry practices
among farmers are poor.
33
D)Animal disease

 Inadequate disease control for internal and external

parasites lack of resource to maintain vaccination
programs for major diseases inadequate health care

 The major animal diseases that limit production,

productivity and export of animal products are:-
 Contagious diseases
 Parasitic and viral disease
 Tick - transmitted and ticks associated diseases
34
 Infectious and non-infectious diseases
II. Non - technical constraints

A. Government policies

 Government policies which do not control domestic

market from uncontrolled importation of animal products

 There is no price motivation to encourage producers in

most instances in the century.

 Most of the dairy products are perishable commodities

and the large majority of farmers live far away from
roads where modern transport services are not
35

available.
B. Access to credit facilities
 credit facilities are not widely available.
 Whenever they are available to farmers, the farmers
are encouraged to adopt new technologies

C. Market and infrastructure

 Lack of market information
 Poor market route (roads, communication, linkage)
 Lack of quality standards, farmers are not encouraged
to produce quality product
 This can be raveled by the trekking cattle to long
distance.
 Absence /inadequate road facilities and transportation
facilities also created problem to produce more milk 36
and market fresh milk.
2.7 Feeding and Housing Management
2.7.1. Feeding goals
The feeding program should provide each animal with a ration
that:
1. Meets the animal’s nutrient requirements: the ration
must provide adequate amounts of each nutrient required for
maintenance, growth, reproduction, and production at
maximum or most economical levels.
2. Palatable: ingredients of the ration must be in a form and
condition that are attractive to the cow.
3. Economical: in most cases, the ration must maximize the
use of high quality home- grown forage and, in some cases,
grains.
4. Conducive to the health of the animal and production of37
milk of normal composition.
 Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle
Nutrient requirement of diary animal depends on age, lactation
period, pregnancy, environment, etc

Feed Requirements

Maintenance
requirement,
for body functions like Production
 Respiration, requirement
 Blood circulation,  Milk production
 Digestion,  Reproduction
 Body temperature  Growth
regulation  Fattening
 Movement 38
Nutrient requirement for pregnancy:
 Pregnant animals need additional nutrients for growth of
the fetus.
 The quantity of nutrients needed is small until the last two
months of gestation, when most fetal growth occurs .
Nutrient requirement for lactation:
 Lactating cows also require additional nutrients for
production of milk.
 The amount of energy required by dairy cattle for lactation
is proportionate to amount and composition (%fat) of the
milk.

39
 FEED RESOURCES FOR DAIRY CATTLE
Dairy cattle rations are composed of:
 Forages
 Concentrates
 By-products (may resemble either forage or concentrates)

1. Forage or Roughage-

 Is edible parts of plants that can provide feed for grazing animals
or that can be harvested

 It is feeds that include the entire plant i.e pasture, green chopped
feeds, silage and hay

 Contains relatively high percentage of fiber

40
 Contains relatively low percentage of energy
 2.Concentrates

 Fed to provide the nutrients required for the cow to

produce more nearly to her genetic ability for milk
production

 Two types: energy and protein concentrates

2.1) Energy concentrates

 Feeds used as energy sources (energy supplement feeds)

 Grain and grain by products

 Molasses 41
I) Grain- e.g. maize, barley, etc.
II)Grain by-products-are those by products left over during
processing of grain or flour for human consumption
 E.g. grain milling by-products of wheat processing

III) MOLASSES
 Energy source for the feeding of animals

 processing of sugar cane or sugar beet for sugar

production
 Contains at least 46% sugar

 Having at least 20% CP

42
2.2) PROTEIN CONCENTRATES

I) Animal Origin protein supplements

A) meat meal –by-products of abattoir or slaughter houses

 Contain less than 4.4% P

B) meat and bone meal – contain greater than 4.4% P

C) Fish meal - unpalatable portions like head and fins

D) Blood meal - drying blood of slaughtered animals

II)Plant origin protein supplements

-Ground nut meal

-Cotton seed meal 43

 2.7.2. HOUSING MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE

1. Site selection
 Before establishing a dairy herd, one has to select
appropriate and favourable site for dairying.
 There is adequate health service
 feed is available at a cheaper price
 near to a good market outlet
 near to power line (electric power source)
 near to a highway weather road
 there is permanent clean water
 environmental temperature is favourable.
 The farm should be constructed on the gentle slope for
drainage purpose
44
The site selected should be:
1) relatively on high ground, level and well drained
 The importance of floor above the ground is to keep out
run of water
2) there is a need for wind break of wind control fence
Type of house depend on:
 Size of operation (scale of business)

 Climate

 Existing facility

 Degree of mechanization (highly technical

implementation) and
 Personal preference

 The type of housing to be constructed depends upon the

environmental temperature of an area. 45
 If highland agro- ecological set-up possessing
low ambient temperature, the type of house
that suit to such environs should be closed type.
 open type is recommended for the areas
possessing high environmental temperature.
 Basically there are three types of housing system
for dairy cows
1) Tie stall
2) Free stall
46
3) Loose house
1. Tie stall
 Individual cow separately treated, tied in stall,
feed and milked
 There should be additional pens for calf, young
stock and freshening cows

Advantages of the stall barn:

 Allows more individual attention to each cow
 Easier to observe and treat each cow
 Better display of breeding stock

47
Disadvantages of the stall barn:

 More labor and time needed to fasten and

release cows

 Harder to use with a milking parlor

 Harder to keep the area clean

 More bedding needed

 More labor needed for feeding

 Moisture problem is greater, especially in older

48
barns
Stall barn

49
2) FREE STALL
 Is a loose housing system in which stalls are
provided for the cows
 Most popular housing system for 50 or more cows
 Resting area is divided into individual stall with out
tie
 The cows are not fastened in the stalls.
 Less bedding is required as the animal stay in the
stall
 Individual animal have freedom
50
 The stalls are located in the resting area.
Advantages of the free stall barn include:
 It requires less bedding than other loose housing
systems.
 cows stay cleaner compared to loose housing.
 Fewer injuries to teats and udders.
 It requires less space than for other loose housing
systems.
 It is easier to use with a milking parlor.
 It is easier to use automatic feeding equipment.
 Cow disposition is better.
 Less disturbance from boss cows and cows in heat. 51
Disadvantages of free stall barns include:

 Manure is usually fluid and therefore harder to

handle.

 some cows will not use the stalls and must be

trained to enter them.

 some systems require more daily labor for

manure handling.

52
 3) LOOSE HOUSE
 deep bedded resting area plus separate feeding, holding and milking
area
 Bedding is required here
 6m2per head of milking cow
 For dry cow and heifers 4m2
 Ceiling 3m above the ground
 Exercise yard 6m2 /all category of cow
Milking parlor (place)
 Used for regular milking
 Reduced labor by bringing cow to the operator
 The layout depend on required capacity, personal preference,
Economics and design 53
A milking parlor consists of a separate area in which the cows are
milked

54
2.8. Dairy cattle Health management

 Health is the state of wellbeing of an animal in which

all body parts are functioning normally

 The term "healthy" certainly does not imply that the

animal is free from all disease agents.

 An animal may be infected by a potentially pathogenic

agent but be unaffected by it and remain in good
health for an indefinite period.

Ex: - a cow is carrying bacteria of contagious abortion. 55

Reasons for the maintenance of health
 Increasing the efficiency of production
 Security against epidemic disease
 Improvement in human health
 Improvement in animal welfare

 The newly purchased cattle should be quarantined for 30

days and vaccinated of all diseases prior to introduction to
the herd.

56
Disease: any condition in which there is a deviation from
health or normal functioning of any or all the tissue and organs
of the animal body.
- Disease are usually categorized as:
1) Infectious disease:- those caused by bacteria, virus, and
protozoa.
- They involve the invasion of the host by another organism.
2) Non-infectious:- include disorders caused by factors other
than organisms.
include mechanical or physical problems as wound or broken
bones.
 Mechanical problems- such as wound and broken leg
 Digestive disturbances- such as Bloat
 Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances- eg. Rickets
 Poisoning due to toxic plants or chemicals such as pesticide
 Genetic and metabolic disorders
3) Parasitic disease:- caused due to internal and external 57
parasites