Small-scale Dairy Research Articles

Environmental impact and food production of small-scale mountain dairy farms at different supplementation levels

In mountain areas such as South Tyrol, Italy, in addition to extensively managed farms with dual-purpose breeds, there is an increasing number of farms raising high-yielding breeds, that depend on large quantities of concentrated feed imported from other regions. A large supply of nutrients not only leads to unbalanced nutrient budgets but also to a lower contribution to net human food supply by using large amounts of human edible feedstuff. 64 dairy farms managed at differing concentrated feed intensity levels in South Tyrol were assessed. The farms were divided into four groups according to the amount of concentrated feed used (high [H] vs. low [L]) and the breed (Tyrolean Grey [TG] vs. Brown Swiss [BS]). The following groups were analyzed: H-BS with ⌀ 8.7, H-TG with ⌀ 6.1, L-BS with ⌀ 4.0 and L-TG with ⌀2.8 kg concentrated feed per cow and day. Farms cultivated only permanent grassland without any cash crops. N budgets for H-BS, H-TG, L-BS and L-TG were 79.54, 50.81, 37.85 and 34.16 kg ha−1, respectively, with significantly higher values for H-BS compared to the other groups. P and K budgets were also significantly higher for H-BS (12.8 and 43.96 kg ha−1, respectively) when compared to L-BS (3.10 and 8.86 kg ha−1) and L-TG (1.50 and 11.91 kg ha−1). The nutrient use efficiency, calculated as the proportion of output to input, for N and K was similar across all groups, while the P-efficiency was significantly higher in L-BS and L-TG (91.3 and 98.5%, respectively) compared to H-BS and H-TG (73.0 and 72.4%, respectively). HeFCE for protein and energy was lowest for H-TG (0.99 and 2.38, respectively) compared to L-TG (1.54 and 3.73, respectively), with the decisive factor being the amount of concentrated feed per kg ECM produced (g DM/kg ECM).

Leptospira interrogans Serovar Hardjo Seroprevalence and Farming Practices on Small-Scale Dairy Farms in North Eastern India; Insights Gained from a Cross-Sectional Study

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of major public health concern in India. Bovines play an important role in maintaining and transmitting this disease and proximity between dairy cows and humans makes the dairy cow-human nexus a transmission route of public health interest, yet one currently under-examined in North Eastern India. We report a cross-sectional survey carried out on small-scale dairy farms in the states of Assam and Bihar in North Eastern India investigating seroprevalence for Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo, the most common pathogenic serovar reported in cattle worldwide. Higher seroprevalence was reported on dairy farms in Bihar 4.5% (95% CI 2.6–7.5%) than in Assam 1.2% (95% CI 0.42–3.6%), but overall seroprevalence levels were low. The study is the first indication of leptospirosis circulating in small-scale dairy farms in these states. To correlate farming practices with zoonotic risk, we combined results from a dairy farmer questionnaire with cow seroprevalence. However, low seroprevalence levels found in this study made the identification of risk factors difficult. Nevertheless, poor farming practices around hygiene and biosecurity on dairy farms have been highlighted. Implementing simple measures could mitigate environmental contamination, and therefore, reduce the risk of Leptospira interrogans, and other zoonoses transmission, at the animal-environment-human interface.

Effect of low and high concentrate supplementation on health and welfare indicators in different breeds in small-scale mountain dairy farms.

We investigated and compared the effects of low and high concentrate supplementation in terms of animal welfare, health and reproductive performance in two different dairy cow breeds on small-scale mountain farms. 64 South Tyrolean dairy farms were evaluated using an on-farm assessment for animal-based and resource-based welfare indicators, data from test day records, and a questionnaire for the farmer. Farms were divided into four groups: low input Tyrolean Grey (L-TG), low input Brown Swiss (L-BS), high input Tyrolean Grey (H-TG) and high input Brown Swiss (H-BS). Effects of intensity level, breed and their interaction were calculated and analyzed statistically. The predominant husbandry system across all groups was tie-stall. The average energy-corrected milk yield increased with increasing concentrate level, with L-TG showing the lowest and H-BS showing the highest milk yield. Age at first calving was lowest in H-BS when compared to all other systems, while numbers of lactations were higher in L-TG compared to H-BS. Feed efficiency (percentage of milk out of roughage) was significantly higher in L-TG and L-BS when compared to H-TG and H-BS. L-BS showed the poorest results for most of the welfare indicators such as lean cows, lesions and percentage of dirty animals. In conclusion, a higher concentrate level in diets does not lead automatically to lower animal welfare for dairy cows in alpine regions. Indeed, keeping high yielding breeds in extensive systems seems to be challenging. The dual-purpose breed TG showed some clear advantages in that calving interval was lower and the number of lactations greater.

Developing a data collection application for following up the small-scale dairy farms’ performance in rural areas

The mobile application is an effective tool for data collection of performance in agriculture, particularly for small and geographically scattered farms. This study aimed to develop an economical and straightforward application to monitor small dairy herds performance with the flexibility to collect data remotely. The developed mobile application was designed using the MIT App Inventor. Where, the application explores icons of different farm management practices that are reported by farmers through touching the screen. Each icon is linked with an informative SMS, which was received by the mobile phone of the collection technician. We randomly selected and followed 18 farmers to test the application for one year. The main results were recognized the false SMS decreased as farmers took enough time for training in the software. Furthermore, most of sent SMS were for milk yield event. Age, level of education and land size had no significant effect on correct SMS sent by farmers, while herd size showed a significant effect. In Conclusion, mobile application could be developed for continuous data collection and following up small dairy farms in rural areas. Also, the validity test for the developed mobile application confirmed that farmers were able to use the new technology regardless their age and educational level.

ESTIMACIÓN DE EMISIÓN DE METANO ENTÉRICO EN SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN DE LECHE BOVINA EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA BAJO DIFERENTES ESTRATEGIAS DE ALIMENTACIÓN

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Small-scale dairy systems are a development option, and in Mexico they represent over 78% of dairy farms providing 37% of milk production. They are a source of employment and income in rural areas that enable dairy families to overcome poverty. However, ruminant production systems emit 17% of world methane, a greenhouse gas that affects climate change. Strategies must be devised to reduce the environmental footprint of dairy systems through increase productivity. <strong>Objective: </strong>The objective was to estimate the methane emission from enteric fermentation in small-scale dairy systems in the highland valleys of central Mexico with four feeding strategies. <strong>Methodology: </strong>Twenty four small-scale farms, with herds between 7 and 18 dairy cows participated in the study, which had implemented different feeding strategies that were assigned to the following groups: (CC) five farms that had a conventional management based on the cut-and-carry of temperate irrigated pastures, use of concentrates and straw, (CC+EM) six farms that use cut-and-carry of pastures plus maize silage in the dry season, (PCI) six farms that manage intensive continuous grazing of pastures, (PCI+EM) seven farms with continuous grazing of pastures, and use maize silage in the dry season. Farms were visited monthly during a whole year to record individual milk yields, milk composition and live weight of cows, to sample feeds for chemical analyses and record amounts of used feed. This information enabled to define a diet type per month, and dry matter and gross energy intakes were estimated subtracting the energy contribution of the supplements from total requirements. Methane emissions were estimated from a model derived by a global meta-analysis that includes variables of feed intake, diet composition, milk composition, and cow live-weight. A hierarchical experimental design was used where 288 records were subjected to analysis of variance to detect differences among the groups (alpha P≤0.05). <strong>Results</strong>: Farms that implemented grazing of pastures as a source of fresh quality herbage (PCI) in mean generated 10.5% less enteric methane and 13.9% les intensity of emission (P<0.05) compared with those that incorporated cut and carry or implemented corn silage for the dry season. <strong>Implications:</strong> Results show the potential of small-scale dairy systems to reduce their methane emissions and intensity of emissions by implementing grazing of temperate irrigated pastures. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The implementation of fresh quality herbage through continuous grazing of temperate irrigated pastures with the use of moderate supplementation without incorporation of corn silage is a viable methane mitigation strategy in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico.</p>

Productive, economic, and environmental effects of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) silage for dairy cows in small-scale systems in central Mexico.

Small-scale dairy systems (SSDS) are important source of livelihood and socio-economic wellbeing for the rearers in general. The reduction of methane emissions with the inclusion of sunflower seed or seed-meal in rations for dairy cows has been reported in several studies. However, studies pertaining to the use of sunflower silage in dairy cattle feeding are lacking. The present study was conducted to assess the productive, economic, and environmental effects of the inclusion of graded levels of sunflower silage at 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% (SFSL) along with maize silage (MZSL) on a dry matter basis. The silage was provided to eight Holstein cows in two 4×4 Latin-squares with 14-day periods. The study encompassed the productive performance of the cows, composition of feeds, besides the feeding costs, and enteric methane emissions estimated. The study indicated that inclusion of SFSL in the diet enhanced (P<0.001) the FCM by 3.5% and milk-fat content. SFSL increased feeding costs, but income/feeding costs ratios did not differ across the treatments. The higher inclusion of SFSL reduced methane emissions/kg of DM intake, / kg of milk, and in energy lost as methane. The inclusion of sunflower silage in feeding strategies for cows may be a viable alternative by increasing their milk yields and milk fat content and reducing methane emissions without affecting the income/feeding costs ratios.

Matua bromegrass (Bromus catharticus) as a pasture resource for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico

Matua bromegrass (Bromus catharticus) as a pasture resource for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico

In-vitro potential of crude extracts of selected garden herbs for mastitis management in Zambia

Introduction: The advent of bovine mastitis associated antimicrobial resistance has necessitated development of alternative herbal remedies. In this study, we tested, in-vitro, the antimicrobial efficacy of three crude extracts: (1) aqueous, (2) ethanol and (3) ethyl acetate extracts of Zambian cultivated Aloe barbadensis Miller (Aloe vera) and Curcuma longa (Turmeric) and also made comparisons to synthetic anti-mastitis formulations. Methods: The active compounds of these herbs were obtained as crude extracts using water, ethanol and ethyl acetate as solvents. The test microbes comprised of ten standard controls including Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 84 field isolates (all gram positive bacteria) from clinical and subclinical mastitis milk samples from selected districts of the Southern Province of Zambia belonging to the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Lactobacillus. The agar dilution method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity by observing the sensitivity which was graded as sensitive, intermediate or resistant. Commercial synthetic anti-mastitis preparations served as positive controls and their sensitivity was compared to that of the herbal preparations. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of the herbal formulation was also determined using two-fold serial dilutions. Results: The agar dilution test results of the field isolates indicated 18.8% resistance, 25.3% intermediate and 56% sensitivity for the herbal extracts, while the synthetic anti-mastitis preparation averaged 16.8% resistance, 4.75% intermediate and 78.5% sensitivity. The gram negative controls tested were generally resistant. On average, the agar dilution trials revealed; 41.8% resistance, 13% intermediate and 45.3% sensitivity for the herbal formulation while the synthetic antimicrobials produced 23.5% resistance, 5.2% intermediate and 71.3% sensitivity. Mean MIC was 11.5mg/ml at the 5% serial dilution for the herbal extract compared to the Cephalexin (semi-synthetic antimicrobial) MIC for S. aureus at 0.5mg/L or 0.0005mg/ml. Conclusion: The herbs Aloe vera and Curcuma longa from Zambia showed antimicrobial efficacy on bovine mastitis causing microbes and may be used as a cheaper alternative to synthetic anti-mastitis preparations and as an aid to fight antimicrobial resistance to the benefit of the most affected and resource limited small-scale dairy farmers.

Feeding Forage Mixtures of Ryegrass (Lolium spp.) with Clover (Trifolium spp.) Supplemented with Local Feed Diets to Reduce Enteric Methane Emission Efficiency in Small-Scale Dairy Systems: A Simulated Study.

Simple SummaryThe present study simulated the effects of different dairy cow diets based on local feeding strategies on enteric methane (CH4) emissions and surpluses of crude protein (CP) in small-scale dairy systems (SSDS). Our study evaluated five scenarios of supplementation (S): without supplementation (control diet), meaning no supplements were provided, only pasture (S1); pasture supplemented with 4.5 kg dry matter (DM)/cow/day of commercial concentrate (CC) (S2); supplemented with 200 g DM/kg per milk produced of CC (S3); supplemented with ground maize grains and wet distiller brewery grains (S4); and S4 plus maize silage (S5). In addition, two pasture managements (cut-and-carry versus grazing) and two varieties of legumes (red clover vs. white clover) were considered. The results suggest that methane emissions and large nitrogen surpluses in the diet are affected by the type of supplementation given to cows, in addition to the management and chemical composition of the pastures offered. In SSDS, it is possible to formulate diets with local inputs to reduce excess nutrients and dependence on external inputs, increasing feed efficiency and reducing costs (excess of CP in the diet) and CH4 emissions.In cattle, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient balance are influenced by factors such as diet composition, intake, and digestibility. This study evaluated CH4 emissions and surpluses of crude protein, using five simulated scenarios of supplementation in small-scale dairy systems (SSDS). In addition, two pasture managements (cut-and-carry versus grazing) and two varieties of legumes (red clover vs. white clover) were considered. The diets were tested considering similar milk yield and chemical composition; CH4 emission was estimated using Tier-2 methodology from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the data were analyzed in a completely randomized 5 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Differences (p < 0.05) were found in predicted CH4 emissions per kg of milk produced (g kg−1 FCM 3.5%). The lowest predicted CH4 emissions were found for S3 and S4 as well as for pastures containing white clover. Lower dietary surpluses of CP (p < 0.05) were observed for the control diet (1320 g CP/d), followed by S5 (1793 g CP/d), compared with S2 (2175 g CP/d), as well as in cut-and-carry management with red clover. A significant correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between dry matter intake and CH4 emissions (g−1 and per kg of milk produced). It is concluded that the environmental impact of formulating diets from local inputs (S3 and S4) can be reduced by making them more efficient in terms of methane kg−1 of milk in SSDS.

Kikuyu grass in winter-spring time in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico in terms of cow performance and fatty acid profile of milk.

The work herein reported closes the evaluation of the role of kikuyu grass in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico. The objective was to compare the productive response of vacas lecheras en pastoreo continuo de kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus) with a sown frost-resistant tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) during the winter-spring dry season in dairy systems and determine the fatty acid profile of feeds and milk. An on-farm double cross-over experiment with three periods the 14 days each was undertaken with eight Holstein cows randomly assigned to treatments sequence. Treatments were daytime grazing for 8 h/d of a Cajun II endophyte free tall fescue pasture invaded by kikuyu grass (CJ) or a naturally invaded kikuyu grass pasture (KY), both associated with white clover (Trifolium repens) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). Cows were supplemented in pens with 6.0 kg DM/cow/day with maize silage and 4.6 kg DM/cow/day of commercial concentrate. The fatty acid profiles of feeds and milk were determined by gas chromatography. There were differences (P<0.05) for net herbage accumulation and chemical composition between pastures, but not for in vitro digestibility or estimated metabolizable energy. In animal variables, protein content in milk was higher in KY (P<0.05). There were significant differences (P<0.05) among experimental periods for milk fat content and milk urea nitrogen with the highest values in Period 3. Pasture DM intake was lowest (P<0.05) in Period 3. In terms of fatty acid content, there were significant interactions (P<0.05) for vaccenic acid (C18:1t11) and linoleic acid (C18:2c9c12) with the highest values in Period 3. Linolenic acid (C18:3c9c12c15) was higher in milk when cows grazed KY and significantly higher (P<0.05) in Period 3. It is concluded that kikuyu pastures complemented with maize silage and concentrates in winter-spring perform as tall fescue pastures in the season of herbage scarcity. Milk from cows grazing kikuyu grass pastures complemented with maize silage and concentrates has a higher content of linolenic fatty acid and an atherogenic index favorable for human health.

On-farm assessment of the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems with three methods based on indicators

Small-scale dairy systems are important contributors to national milk supplies in many areas of the world, and an option to ameliorate rural poverty in developing countries. In Mexico, they comprise over 78% of dairy farms. These systems must be sustainable in order to persist in the future. By applying several methods to assess the sustainability of farms, valuable information is collected on the practical, operational, and systemic requirements, as well as an insight into the difficulties in the use of each tool in practice. The objective was to assess the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems during the rainy season. Three methods were compared (IDEA, RISE, and SAFA) to evaluate their ability to deal with such systems in the Mexican context. Ten small-scale dairy farms were assessed from June to November 2018. Monthly semi-structured interviews were applied to collect economic, social, and environmental information. The three methods met criteria for on-farm assessments, with no large differences among them. The IDEA method was more applicable in the context of small-scale dairy systems because its indicators may be collected on-farm and were easy to measure. RISE requires more specialized technical information not always available at the small-scale farm level, and SAFA covered the largest number of indicators but is better suited for large-scale systems. The IDEA and RISE methods are adequate tools to assess the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems. The mean overall sustainability score over the three methods for the 10 assessed farms was 55.3±5.7 over 100. This medium level of sustainability indicates areas of opportunity to enhance the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems.

Effect of the inclusion of sunflower silage for cows in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico

Effect of the inclusion of sunflower silage for cows in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico

Food security and safety mismatch in low-income settings: Evidence from milk produced by smallholders in semiarid Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil

Small-scale dairy production plays a relevant socioeconomic role contributing to improve food security in low income rural settings, such as semiarid Brazil. Milk is mainly supplied to local communities, either distributed by government programs to schools and day-care units, or commercialized privately to final consumers or cheesemakers. However, there is a lack of information about the potential public health hazards associated with milk. The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial resistance phenotypes, the presence of enterotoxin-encoding genes and genotypic relatedness of Staphylococcus spp. from raw milk samples in the semi-arid Paraiba. High antimicrobial resistant rates were observed for beta-lactams, including penicillin, ampicillin and ceftazidime. Although 14% of the isolates were phenotypically resistant to oxacillin, mecA gene was not detected among S. aureus. Almost 50% of the isolates harbored at least one enterotoxin-encoding gene. Higher genotypic relatedness was observed among staphylococci from closely-related farms, suggesting geographic spread of certain strains. In order to prevent potential microbiological risks related to milk consumption in the region, continuous efforts towards the improvement of raw milk quality are encouraged, including good production practices, such as those related to milk refrigeration on the farms and efficient pasteurization.

Market Opportunities for Hay Milk: Factors Influencing Perceptions among Italian Consumers.

Simple SummaryConsumer’s awareness of milk quality has been largely increased by real food safety scares, environmental issues, and the effects of food on health. Consumers are asking about how the cows were fed and treated. In this framework, despite their appearing to be copious research in the current literature on milk, the consumer acceptance of hay milk in Italy is largely unexplored. Using a structured questionnaire, we found that aspects such as curiosity, the production place of food, the local culinary traditions, label, and environmental issues play an important role in the people’s consumption intentions for milk from hay-fed cows. This study could provide useful implications for food manufacturers and facilitate the design of marketing strategies for hay milk produced in the Centre and South of Italy.Central and South Italy are characterized by small-scale dairy farms and growing abandonment by farmers for other, better-paid, off-farm jobs. New marketing concepts for milk can be one solution to remunerate mountain farmers for their efforts. This study investigates the potential market for hay milk in Italy. In particular, we want to understand which variables drive the people’s willingness to consume hay milk, and if the European food quality certification schemes impact on people’s willingness to consume milk from hay-fed cows. Data were collected from a sample of consumers from Central and South Italy (n = 331) using a web-based survey. Later, a discrete choice probit model was applied. The main results indicate that aspects as curiosity, the production place of food, the local culinary traditions, label, and environmental issues play an important role in the people’s consumption intentions for milk from hay-fed cows. Moreover, the survey highlights that the respondents had positive opinion towards hay milk and highlighted some important marketing implications for the Italian milk sector. The study findings could encourage discussion about a niche market to boost local growth, initiating a process of improving livelihoods, certification of products, and use of the marketing tools addressed towards a specific milk consumer’s profile. In other words, the study could provide useful implications for food manufacturers and facilitate the design of marketing strategies for hay milk produced in Central and South Italy.

FACTORES QUE INFLUYEN EN EL USO DE TECNOLOGÍAS DE INFORMACIÓN Y COMUNICACIÓN (TIC) POR PRODUCTORES DE LECHE EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background. &lt;/strong&gt;In the rural zones, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), is a theme that stating to rise, for instance, the use of mobile phone by the small-scale dairy farmers.&lt;strong&gt; Objective. &lt;/strong&gt;The aim of the research was to identify the importance, the information that farmers receive and communicate and the variables influencing the use of the ICT by farmers. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology.&lt;/strong&gt; A questionnaire was conducted with 170 farmers, to collect information about farmers’ characteristics, household, farm characteristics, the importance of the ICT, information that farmers receive and communicate through the ICT. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were conducted to analyse the information. &lt;strong&gt;Results.&lt;/strong&gt; Farmers considered the mobile phone as fairly important, since it allowed farmers to communicate and disseminate information related to their farm through calls, messages (SMS) and WhatsApp messages. The main themes that were communicated were: veterinary services, communication between farmers (meetings, water supply to irrigate grasslands and problems on the farm), buying and selling products and government services. The variables that describe farmers’ characteristics, household and farmers’ perception of the importance of the ICT, showed a significant association (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt;&amp;lt;0.05) with their use. &lt;strong&gt;Implications.&lt;/strong&gt; The understanding of the importance of the ICT use, on the small-scale dairy farms context was the main contribution of the research; in addition, some suggestions of communication and dissemination of information have been made to test in the field. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions. &lt;/strong&gt;The ICT were considered to be important for the fast way to communicate and disseminate information between farmers. The variables that describe farmers’ characteristics and household were associated with the use of the ICT. &lt;/p&gt;

Application of Air Cathode Microbial Fuel Cells for Energy Efficient Treatment of Dairy Wastewater

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) offer a promising new solution for wastewater treatment due to their advantageous characteristics: lower energy demand and less excess sludge compared to the conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment technology. In this study, two systems of single chamber air cathode MFCs with a working volume of 14 L were investigated for the energy efficient treatment of dairy wastewater. Biomass-originated carbon cathode and noble-metal free cathode catalyst were applied to meet the demand for a lower investment cost. Influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) was in the range of 900 to 3830 mg L–1, while hydraulic retention time was ~ 2.4 days. Systems provided 156 mW m–3 and 170 mW m–3 maximum power densities and coulombic efficiencies of 11.5 % and 12.8 % in average. Organic removal efficiency of 71.1 ± 8.0 % was observed when influent COD was between 900 and 1500 mg L–1, however effluent quality and removal efficiency (67.9 ± 12.6 %) deteriorated as influent COD was increased (1500 – 3830 mg L–1). At high influent CODs (over 3000 mg L–1), an organic elimination rate of 0.82 ± 0.11 kg COD m–3 d–1 was calculated, that can be considered as the upper limit of organic removal in the systems. Based on the results, MFCs may offer a potential solution for small-scale dairy factories for the pretreatment of their effluent to meet the criteria for wastewater discharge to sewer systems. The modular MFC design also facilitates to tailor the system to actual capacity requirements.

Multi-species pastures for grazing dairy cows in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico.

Grazing in small-scale dairy systems reduces costs and enhances sustainability. However, binary pastures (BP) have low persistency, which may be increased by including more species given their flexibility to withstand different agroecological and management situations. The objective was to assess a multi-species (MS) pasture of perennial ryegrass (RG), tall fescue (TF), bromegrass (BG), red clover (RC) and white clover (WC) in comparison to a BP of perennial ryegrass (RG) - WC grazed by six Holstein dairy cows during the dry season in an on-farm double cross-over experiment, with three 14-day each experimental periods for animal variables, and a split-plot design for pasture variables at 3 cow/ha. There were differences (P < 0.05) between pastures for sward height (MS 5.0 vs. BP 4.0 ± 0.10cm, both MS and BP) and net herbage accumulation (MS 902 vs BP 228 ± 172.4kg DM/ha, both MS and BP) and differences (P < 0.05) for chemical composition among periods. There were differences (P < 0.01) among periods for estimated DM intake, but no differences (P > 0.05) for milk yield (mean 16.8kg/cow/day), milk fat or protein content (mean 31.8 and 28.8g/kg). Multi-species pastures are a viable alternative for SSDS in the highlands of central Mexico, being more resistant to harsh environment and to weed and kikuyu grass invasion.

Pasture feeding strategy and milk fatty acid profile in small-scale dairy systems

The effect of the pasture feeding strategy on the milk fatty acid profile of lactating cows in small-scale dairy farms was evaluated. Ten farms participated in the study, five farms grazed pastures a minimum of 8.0 h/d, and five were fed cut herbage. Supplementary feeds were similar. Results were analysed with Student “t” test. There were no statistical differences when fatty acids were grouped by chain length, or in the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), but there were differences for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Alpha-Linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) was significantly higher in milk of grazing cows than in cows fed cut herbage. There were no differences in atherogenicity index nor in the Δ9 desaturase activity between pasture management strategies. In conclusion, grazing pastures results in milk with a more beneficial lipid profile for human health.

Implementation of Pre-Milking Udder Preparation to Improve Milk Quality in Small Buffalo Dairy Farm

Pre milking udder preparations play an important role in increasing quality and safety of milk. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of implementation of pre milking teat dipping technique by using different chemical sanitizers (Iodophore and Quaternary ammonium compounds QACs). Materials and Methods: Pre-milking udder preparation was carried out in a private small-scale buffalo dairy farm. A total number of 30 dairy buffalo, equal in their milk production and free from clinical and subclinical mastitis, were chosen for this study. They were divided into 3 groups (10 animals each). The first group was used as control group, the second group was treated with Iodophore-based pre-milking udder preparation while, the third group was treated with Quaternary Ammonium Compound-based pre-milking udder preparation. Raw milk samples were collected from individual dairy animals (20 samples) and bulk tank milk (20 samples) after application of the sanitizers for two successive weeks. Each sample was evaluated for prevalence Aerobic mesophilic count, Coliforms, Staphylococci and Enterococci counts. Results: By the end of the second week of application of sanitizers, the count of aerobic mesophilic count, Coliforms, enterococci and staphylococci counts showed reduction% by 30.22, 36.9, 53.17 and 94.38% for Iodophore-treated group while the Quaternary Ammonium Compound treated group showed reduction% by 22.12, 10.70, 17.71 and 85.41%, respectively in comparing with control group. Conclusion: Our study indicated that Iodophore was better than QACs in reducing the microbial counts of tested milk samples as Iodophore efficacy has a long-term residual disinfection including bacterial re-growth and biofilm control.

Comparative Evaluation of Urea and Effective Microbes Treated Finger Millet Straw on Feed Intake, Milk Yield and Composition of Lactating Crossbred Dairy Cows at BARC

The experiment was conducted at Bako agricultural research center to evaluate the effect of EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw supplemented with concentrate mix on feed intake, milk yield and composition of crossbred dairy cows. Four cows of same milk yield, body weight, stage of lactation, but differing parities were arranged in 4x4 Latin square design. The animals were provided with natural grass hay (T1), untreated finger millet straw (T2), EM2 treated finger millet straw (T3) and urea treated finger millet straw (T4) diet ad libitum and all treatments were supplemented with concentrate mix. Results of chemical analysis of the treated finger millet straw showed that the treated straw had good nutritive value. The daily dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intakes were significantly (P<0.001) different among the treatments with the highest intake observed for cows fed EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw (T3 and T4). Milk yields varied significantly among the dietary treatments with the lower mean milk yield recorded for cows in T1 and T2 as compared to those in T3 and T4. This study indicated that EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw diet increased the net return. Feeding EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw with concentrate mix was found to be an effective approach to maximize the utilization of locally available feed resources for relatively high animal productivity during the dry season for small scale dairy keepers in rural areas. Therefore, the result demonstrated that EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw had better feeding value as compared to untreated finger millet straw and natural grass hay for lactating crossbred dairy cows.