Dairy tips
- Try small quantities of high quality produce and enjoy 'real' whole foods such as regional cheeses and local organic produce.
- Support organic and extensive farmers in your area. Where possible buy direct from the producer and engage in dialogue about the systems used to produce your food. The Soil Association (tel 0044 117 929 0661) publishes a directory of farm shops and delivery schemes.
- Find out about local farmers' markets. Phone your local authority's environment department or Local Agenda 21 co-ordinator and ask if there is a farmers' market in your area. Consider getting involved in setting one up.
- Look for organic milk and dairy suppliers. A directory of where to buy organic food is available from the Soil Association (tel 0044 117 929 0661) and in The Shoppers Guide to Organic Food by Lynda Brown (Fourth Estate Ltd. 1998). Some major retailers now stock organic milk and a limited range of other organic dairy products such as yoghurt, butter, cheese and ice-cream.
- If you want to buy unpasteurised milk you can find a farm that sells it in the directory available from the Association of Unpasteurised Milk Producers and Consumers (tel 0044 118 984 2955).
- Unpasteurised cheeses are available from specialist cheese shops and delicatessens.
Tips for Managing Dairy Animals for Better Productivity and Health
Dairy Farming is an important source of income to farmers. Besides producing Milk and/or draft power, the dairy animals are also a good source of farmyard manure, which is a good source of organic matter for improving soil fertility. The farm by products in turn is gainfully utilized for feeding the animals. Though the total milk production in the country as per current estimates have crossed 90 million tones/annum mark, the per capita availability of milk as still about 240 grams per day against the minimum requirement of 250 grams per day as recommended by ICMR. Thus, there is a tremendous potential for increasing the milk production by improving the breed of the animal by adopting judicious breeding strategy and proving proper environment as the genetic potential of a cow only could be expressed if she is provided matching environmental conditions. Environmental factors that directly influence a cow’s performance include the feeds and feeding types of housing, milking procedure and technique, veterinary care, mastitis treatment, and climate conditions. Only through control of these factors can the true genetic ability of a cow be expressed.
Feeding Management
A good feeding strategy is the key for profitable dairying as feed costs alone account for over 60 percent of the total cost of producing milk. Cows need to be fed balanced rations to give the most profitable level of production. Milk production of the individual cows is limited by heredity. Differences in milk production among cows of same breed are due to about 25 percent heredity and 75 percent environment. Feeding has the most influence on the milk or any other cow produce . Proper feeding and care allows the cows to produce closer to her potential ability. Feeding programme should be designed keeping in view the availability of feed ingredients for different categories of dairy animal and should also take into account the availability and quality of fodder preferably under expert supervision.
Calf Feeding & Management
Calves are the future replacement stocks for the cows and bulls. It is therefore important that they are reared economically to ensure early maturity. Healthy Calves with higher growth rate and low mortality rate are essential for higher profit from a dairy project. Mortality of calves (0-1 months) should be kept below 5 percent by proper following of package of practices and feeding schedule. Unlike management of larger growing stock or milking cows, where management lapses can reduce growth rates or milk production, even small mistakes with the very young calf can cause death. Additionally, the health of the calf, the development of its digestive tract function, and growth and development of its body during this period will influence subsequent performance. It is necessary to protect young calves from inclement weather conditions thus protective and comfortable housing is of significant importance. Young Calves are best kept individually or in small groups.
Tips on milk, milk products & milk alternatives
- Include milk as a beverage at meals. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk.
- If you usually drink whole milk, switch gradually to fat-free milk, to lower saturated fat and calories. Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%), and finally fat-free (skim).
- If you drink cappuccinos or lattes—ask for them with fat-free (skim) milk.
- Add fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals
- Use fat-free or low-fat milk when making condensed cream soups (such as cream of tomato).
- Have fat-free or low-fat yogurt as a snack.
- Make a dip for fruits or vegetables from yogurt.
- Make fruit-yogurt smoothies in the blender.
- For dessert, make Chocolate or butterscotch pudding with fat-free or low-fat milk.
- Top cut-up fruit with flavored yogurt for a quick dessert.
- Top casseroles, soups, stews, or vegetables with shredded low-fat cheese.
- Top a baked potato with fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
Keep it safe to eat
- Avoid raw (unpasteurized) milk or any products made from unpasteurized milk.
- Chill (refrigerate) perishable food promptly and defrost foods properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers as soon as possible. If food has been left at temperatures between 40° and 140° F for more than two hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good.
- Separate raw, cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
- For those who choose not to consume milk products
- If you avoid milk because of lactose intolerance, the most reliable way to get the health benefits of milk is to choose lactose-reduced or low-lactose alternatives within the milk group, such as cheese, yogurt, or lactase-treated milk, or to consume the enzyme lactase before consuming milk products.
- Calcium choices for those who do not consume milk products include
- Calcium fortified juices, cereals, breads, soy beverages, or rice beverages
- Canned fish (sardines, salmon with bones) soybeans and other soy products (soy-based beverages, soy yogurt, tempeh), some other dried beans, and some leafy greens (collard and turnip greens, kale, bok choy). The amount of calcium that can be absorbed from these foods varies.
