Dairy farming is one of the high-value enterprises in agribusiness. Research, innovation and technology in automation lower continue to cost of production as well as disease management of dairy cow in dairy farming. Even though the cost of feeds and quality of semen used in artificial insemination remains a major challenge for dairy farmers, dairy farming remains a lucrative investment.
Whether you are new to dairy farming or an experienced dairy farmer, selecting a good cow to buy is a challenge. Most farmers have been corned when buying a dairy cow with fake records and information on health and production.
The questions still remain on what makes a good dairy cow. What signals show a good dairy cow? How can a farmer asses diseases and discomfort in dairy cows before buying them?
Before buying a dairy cow it’s good to know that in dairy farming 5% of profit comes from breeding while the rest 95% is purely management. A farmer can have a good breed but with poor housing, feeding and management he will end up with an infertile low producing cow.
What is an ideal dairy cow?
Most farmers think that an ideal cow is which has only a high milk production. Yet, they forget that high producing dairy cows like pedigree Holstein-Friesian besides it being very expensive requires large amounts of excellent feeds every day, good housing and a skilful person to care for her 365 days. If you have the above factors it’s ideal.
But if you are in a situation where you do not have enough quality feeds year-round, that you are not sure you can feed her constantly in a correct ration every day and you know you will still have to learn a lot about keeping, caring and milking daily, you are better with a cow that is robust.
Crossbreeds of milking breeds and local breeds are robust and can handle variations in feed quality and quantity better and still produce milk and get pregnant.
How to assess the health status of a dairy cow
A healthy cow is always alert and active with her eyes and ears attentive. She is curious about noise and surroundings.
A healthy cow has a shiny, smooth, clean coat without any blemishes. Sick cows lose the shine on their coats and their hair may stand on end.
Observe if the cow has a good appetite and drinks well which is evident from the rumen and abdominal fill. Poor feeding for long is evidenced by excess weight loss.
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A healthy cow should be walking and standing without any signs of pain or discomfort. If a cow has difficulty in walking, she will first make movements indicating that she is about to walk, followed by obvious head movements when she starts walking.
If an animal is ill, the ears drop and the eyes soon become less alert. Other signs include lethargy, reduced appetite, standing apart from the herd, a dull coat, an empty rumen, abnormal dung and decreased milk yield.
Finally, at least you now know what signals to look for when buying a dairy cow. Records are not just enough.
Reference cow signals
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