Cattle Farming: Everything You Must Know - Types, Breeds, Infrastructure and Health Management
Animal husbandry, agriculture and allied activities have been the core livelihood for majority of the rural people since time immemorial. Especially in the countries with large agricultural base such as India, Brazil cattle are not just source of food but also serves multiple purposes- from milk and meat to leather and organic fertilizer. This article dives into the key aspects of cattle farming, benefits and challenges and many more.
Types of Cattle Farming:-
Dairy Farming:- Primarily focused on milk production and related products.
Beef Farming/ Meat Production:- Cattles are raised specially for meat production.
Mixed Farming:- This farming serves the both i.e. dairy as well as beef farming. Cattle are raised for producing milk and meat.
Popular Cattle Breeds:-
Dairy Breeds:- Gir, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal
Beef Breeds:- Dual-purpose breeds like Hariana and Ongole are also raised for both milk and meat.
Draught Breeds:- Khillari, Hallikar, Amritmahal
Infrastructure and Requirement:-
Land
Size: It depends on the number of cattle. If you start with two cattle then land required will be 500 sq. ft.
Soil quality: Good quality of soil will required to grow fodder.
Shelter
Cattle Shed: Should be well-ventilated, spacious, and protected from harsh weather.
Roofing: Well ventilated and heat-resistant.
Flooring: Should be Non-slippery, sloped for easy drainage and cleaning. It can be of soil so that cattle wouldn’t harm.
Space per animal: At least 40–50 sq. ft. per adult cow.
Waste Management
Manure Pit: For composting cattle dung.
Drainage System: Flow of wastewater should be proper to avoid unhygienic conditions.
Fencing and Security
To prevent animals from predators or theft.
Water Availability
· Clean drinking water is essential for cattle good health.
Hon'ble Prime Minister has announced for setting up of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package to established cattle farming infrastructure. There are various schemes lauch by government for well fair of farmers if you want to get benefits from that you must have Farmer Id to avail such schemes.
You can check our article for registration of Farmer Id
Health Management:-
The goal of health management programs is to ensure the optimal care and well-being of dairy cattle and to reduce losses in productivity caused by disease.
Scheduled Veterinary Doctor Visits:- The frequency of scheduled veterinarian doctor visits to farm.
Government Schemes:-
National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD):- This scheme aims to enhance quality of milk and milk products.
Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF):- This scheme helps the agripreneurs, dairy processing and value addition infrastructure.
Conclusion:-
Cattle farming plays vital role in agriculture which helps the farmer or self-employed people. This farming not just only provide milk but also leather and organic composition. With right infrastructure, care and health management it would be profitable as well as sustainable business.