Feeding Management Practices Of Dairy Farmers Under Village Conditions Of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

A survey was conducted in three blocks of Namakkal district by selecting 50 dairy co-operative society farmers per block, totaling 150 farmers. The data on the concentrate feed, green and dry fodder resources, feeding management practices were collected from the selected farmers by personal contact, using pre-tested schedule. The overall average number of cows available per farmer was 3.12. Except one farmer, all the farmers had followed individual feeding system. In general, majority of the farmers followed sorghum fodder feeding either alone or combined with field grass or Co-3 grass. In dry fodder feeding, maximum number of farmers used sorghum stover either singly or in combination with either paddy straw or groundnut hay. Maximum number of farmers had green fodder availability either only during post monsoon period or during rainy season or both. Majority of the farmers derived the green fodder either from cultivation or collected from field. Only about one-fourth of the farmers had green fodder availability throughout the year. Average dry matter intake for milch cattle, pregnant cum dry animal and calves through concentrate, green and dry fodder were 3.04, 2.37, 3.29; 1.06, 1.60, 2.75; and 0.32, 0.39, 0.91 kg, respectively. 91.33 per cent of the farmers had poor knowledge on improvement of fat and SNF content of milk and only 8 per cent had fair knowledge. Only 6.67 per cent farmers attempted either mineral mixture or calcite for improvement of fat and SNF content of milk and experienced positive response.