REPORT ON DAIRY FARM MANAGEMENT AND PARTITION OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS OF MILK YIELD OF COWS AT THAKURGAON AREA

Abstract

The study was conducted at 30 different dairy farms at Thakurgaon area to observe the housing, feeding, breeding, sanitation water management, disease and bio-security management and daily milk yield of available dairy cows and partition the genetic and environment parts of milk yield. It was found that 46.65% farms was face in, 43.34% face out, 6.65% mixed & 3.33% others(scattered) housing in different dairy farms at Thakurgaon area and 86.66% farms have separate calves shed. About 35.76% farms offered year round green grass to their animals while 23.42% did not supply green grasses. The crude protein (CP) contents were about 16-17% of supplied concentrate. There was no specific breeding policy maintained for dairy cow breeding in the area. Artificial insemination (AI) and natural insemination (NI) both are used in 3.35% farm only whereas 96.65% farm practiced AI. Sub-clinical mastitis was common to all farms out of which 15.21% clinical form. Ascariasis was detected to around 26% farms. Milking machine used in only 3.34% dairy farms. Approximately 73.33% dairy farms try to keep AI records only. Finally the study proves that those dairy farms are not maintaining the proper management practice.

For estimation of heritability of milk production 12 indigenous cattle were selected from different dairy farms at Thakurgaon area. The estimated heritability of those dairy cows was 0.24. The highest genetic effect among those cows was 66.35% (cow 5) and the lowest genetic effect was 27.66% (cow 2).On the other hand the highest environmental effect among those cows was 72.34% (cow 2) and lowest in environmental effect was 33.65% (cow 5). Highest average milk yield 2.74 (cow 5) litre and lowest average milk yield is 1.14 litre (cow 2). In conclusion the milk yield performance is poor in Thakurgaon area due to improper farm management and low heritability of the local cows.