DIARY PRODUCTION Diary breeds: Are breeds of cattle for milk production. They have a well-developed mammary system. The frame of the animal is triangular and tapers towards wedge shaped. The farm manager of (MUARIK) Mr. Precious said that these animals are named locally depending on their sex for example we have Racheal. Examples of diary breeds at makerere university agriculture institute Kabanyolo include; Aryshire, Holstein, Friesian. The type of breed kept at (MUARIK) diary unit are purely exotic breeds such as Aryshire, Jersey, Gurnsey, Holstein, Fresian. I learnt that heifa matures 18 months/hs for production and male matures within a period of 20months. DIARY CATTLE MANAGEMENT Diary production. We learnt that diary cattle should be mature in such as a way that they can give a maximum amount of milk. Every Saturday, we used to spray ticks and clean the diary unit. We could harvest the elephant grass and feed those cows. The grass was to be chopped using pangas to feed the animals. The chopping was carried out in the room. Excess grass was kept in the store. Each cow was given chopped grass which we just estimated. Since there is an automatic water container, we did not participate much apart from just cleaning them. We began to enter those cows; one after the other, each animal enter into the room; we restrain the animal using ropes. We wash the teats and use whipper to dry the udder. We clean our hands with water first before we start milking. When you finish to milk, the amount poured by each cow is measured. Those cows with wounds on their teats are milked last and their milk is not poured in the cans which contain milk from the rest of cows. The sample was obtained from those animals and tested for mastitis infection using strip cap. I don’t forget shivving of milk to remove hairs which drop into milk during milking. Recording of milk. When madam was recording, individual cows were being milked. She said it was very important to take record before any sale of made. We were told it was good to make it for one month; from 1st to 3oth of that month and it is called milk record sheet. The sheet provides space for the names of cow, the amount of milk produced in the morning and evening. This makes calculation of monthly amount of milk very easy. Sale of milk We didn’t participate in the selling of milk but we saw that milk is sold to the local community of bakanyolo and highly demanded. I learnt that each litre costs 1500/= at farm gate price, some of us (internees) bought milk. The average quantity of milk supplied is 5litres per day. Calf pen. It is the structure which is used to protect calves from advance weather conditions. The structure has rough floor. The floor is made slanting to drain urine. It was made rough to prevent calves from falling and cause injuries. Calf feeding. At (MUARIK) calves are fed in bucket. This has made it very easy to take care of them. A total of three calves are bucket fed and three litres of milk are given to them every morning and evening. Born calves are kept in an open for two weeks, for it to get adapted to the weather and physical conditions. They are left to move and get use to other calves on the farm and feeding is maintained. I learnt that when the litres of milk are increased or reduced from normal litres, calves develop rumen upset and this may cause diarrhea and rumen disorders. The figure shows bucket feeding Thorough cleaning of the bucket is emphasized before and after feeding the calves. This is prevent calves from diseases like calf scours. After fedding calves with milk, 3 litre of water are given to them since they cant drink water from the trough themselves. Dehorning Is removal of horns from the animals. We were exposed to dehoen some animals in the farm, most especially the calves. The materials we used included; debudding iron, hot iron dehorner. We did dehorning because; Dehorned animal=s look beutifull. The animals are docile. It reduces on the injuries to the other naimals and even the herdsmen. The diseases of cattle and the medicine used to treat them. Disease East corst fever Avaplasmosis Babesiosis Milk fever Mastitis Medicine Butalex peveson Diminazen di Aceturate OTC Calcium salt drip Gentamycine, pen and strep Pasture management The major aim of pasture management and improvement was to increase the palatability of pasture and reduce the poisonous and unpalatable pasture in the paddock. The tools we used are; i. ii. iii. Panga Slasher Hand hoes The pasture glass in the paddock included; i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Elephant grass Star grass Rhodes grass Guinea grass Kikuyu grass Rat tail grass Congo signal grass Legume pasture in the padock included; i. ii. iii. iv. v. Green leaf desmodium Silatro stylo Silver leaf desmodium Cahandra Labalab and centro There were poisonous and unpalatable pastures on the farm which we were uprooting and these included. i. ii. iii. iv. Thorn apple Phytolac dodecandra Sodom apple Lantana camala I learnt that pastures must be fed or grazed on by animals when they are nearly flowering or during flowering; because there much more nutrient contents in the pastures. After flowering, low nutrients are obtained, so not recommended as amatter of fact, young pastures and more succulent and can cause blocet. Silage making The silage was make from both elephant grass caliandra together with molasses. Equipments used Sacs Panga Chopping machine Tapeline Polythene sheet Materials used Fresh elephant grass Fress caliandra Maize brand Water molasses Molasses were diluted in 6kgs of molasses with 20litres Well grown caliandra and elephant grasses were cut using a panaga, collected, loaded on a truck and transported to silo by the tractor. A large polythen sheet was laid down to ensure the chopped stacks donot get contaminated with dust and also to facilitate easy gathering. Elephant grass and caliandra together were chopped using a chopping machine. Chopping was important in increasing the surface area for decomposition to be quickened.
