OBTE Grade 8. Unit 9 Cow and Buffalo farming

Cow and Buffalo farming:

Cow and buffalo are mainly reared for dairy products, manure, fuel and for pulling cart also. Cow is found to be dominant dairy animal in the eastern region while buffalo in central and western region. With the rise in demand for milk related products and meat(buffalo), cow and buffalo farming is slowly turning into a commercial entity.

Benefits of cow and buffalo farming:

         It is the major source of dairy products like milk, curd, ghee, cheese, butter, etc.

          Buffalo is also consumed as meat.
         It does not required high skilled labor,

     It's dung can be a great source of organic fertilizer and fuel source.

     It's skin are major raw materials in leather industry.

Pasture Conservation:

Pasture refers to the land for grazing. Pasture Conservation refers to the develop and protection of land consists of grass and other vegetation taken as food by grazing animals. Depending upon the geographical topology one can easily work on naturally developed pasture or create a new pasture and manage them. It is important because it provides most natural diet for cow and buffalo. One must properly monitor both the pasture area and cattle because they can eat unwanted things while grazing.

Importance:
1. It provides the nutrients directly to cow and buffalo.
2. It maintains natural eating behavior.

3. It provides scope for proper sunlight to the animals.
4. It is also important in environmental conservation.
5. It minimizes the cost of expensive feed.

Characteristics of Quality Pasture:
1. It should be covered densely with grass and other vegetation.
2. It should be diverse in nature.
3. It should be free from weed and poisonous vegetation.
4. There should be proper management of water.

5. It should be free from wastage materials.

Identification of diseases and their treatment

Black Quarter (Bhyagute Disease)

    This disease is also known as Black-leg or farrya. it caused due to soil-borne infection. this disease is transmitted through feed and wound infection.
Symptoms:
1. High Fever (106-108 F)                      4. loss of appetite भाेक (hunger)
2. Rapid heart rate and pulse                   5. Swelling सुनिनु
3. Dullness सुस्ती

Treatment
1. Penicillin antibiotics                               3. Vaccination         
2. Medicine of sulphur drug group                     

Rabies:

When buffalo is bitten by infected animal like dog, jackal, cat, etc. rabies occurs.

Symptoms:

1. Low fever

2. Difficult while swallowing

3. drooping of saliva

4. Pain at the side of bite

Treatment:

  Anti-rabies vaccination

Charchare/Langadi

  It is another major disease that affects animal's legs.

Symptoms:

1. Fever (104-106 F ) 

2. Lame

3. Swelling in thigh

Treatment

Penicillin injection 

 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

This disease is one of the most common disease that affects foot and mouth area of a cow/buffalo.

Symptoms 

1. High fever

2. Drooping of saliva

3. Wound around mouth and foot

4. Problem in walking

Treatment 

1. Cleaning of wound 

2. Use of various antiseptic (preventing the growth of disease-causing microorganisms) cream

3. Vaccination (Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing disease)

Product Management

Cow and buffalo farming has turned into commercial entity where the main aim is to sell the dairy products and earn money. In this scenario, it is important that various aspects related to cow and buffalo based products are managed. we are mainly focus on:

Quality Control

Quality control in cow and buffalo farming refers to the way of ensuring the proper quality of milk based products as well meat. They are:

1. Selection of advanced breed                3.Proper feed management 

2. Pasture management                            4. Shed management, etc

Quality of meat is defined through following criteria:

1. Consistency, i.e. juiciness of meat       3. Proportion of lean meat to fat

2. Freshness                                              4. Absence of harmful micro-organisms

Packaging and Storage

Packaging is an act of enclosing products for storage distribution, sale, etc. Since the dairy products and meat cannot be consumed at once, proper packaging in bottle, tin can and stored at 0 C temperature in refrigerator.

Market Management:

Market management refers to developing a market system whereby the milk and meat are sold to the customers. one can sell the milk directly to the customers through the farm . moreover it can be begin with low budget.

Business Plan of Cow/Buffalo Farming in Small Scale

The demand of milk and milk based product, along with buffalo meat, skin etc is very high. A proper planing and management can be extremely helpful for turning cow and buffalo farming into an extremely profitable business.

Estimated cost of production

S.N	Discription	Quantity	Unit	Rate(NRs)	Total(NRs)
1	Shed cost	1	Lump sum	50,000	50,000
2	Advanced breed cow 12 ltr per day	10	Head	75,000	7,50,000
3	Feed	1000	kg	50	50,000
4	Medicine and vaccines	10	Head	500	5000
5	Cost of labor	100	Man days	500	50,000
	Total Production cost				950,000
	Production cost per cow				95000
	Production cost per litre of milk  95000/12*365 ltr				21.7
	Cost of production per litre[C]	Sale per litre[S]		Profit per litre= S-C
	22	50		28