Importance of Records in Dairy Farm and Their Maintenance

Abstract
When discussion is done regarding important management practices in dairy farm, most of the time, records and their maintenance are ignored. The reasons for this could be lack of knowledge of different types of records, record maintenance and interconnection of records with effective management of overall farm operations. In management dairy farm records can play a significant role and can have potential to improve farm profitability. Record keeping starts right from the birth till death and even serves as a source of knowledge thereafter. Recordings can be done easily and comfortably when animal have identifications. In a large herd perfect age for marking a calf is 1^st day of birth. Farm records can be directly fed in computers and should be updated on daily basis. Simple efforts in recording important farm data in registers only, can facilitate better management and can improve farm profit.

Keywords: Records, Dairy farm

Population of indigenous female cattle has witnessed the growth of 10% over previous livestock census and their population is 98.17 million in 2019 (GOI, 2019). Several government initiatives like Rastriya Gokul Mission and increasing popularity and demand of milk and milk products of indigenous cow breeds (Sahiwal, Gir and Kankrej) has increased the interest of  entrepreneurs in dairy farming, as a result  large number of dairy farms have been established in nearby cities. When discussion is done regarding important management practices in dairy farm, most of the time, records and their maintenance are ignored. The reasons for this could be lack of knowledge of different types of records, record maintenance and interconnection of records with effective management of overall farm operations. In management of dairy farms, records can play a significant role and have potential to improve farm profitability. Recordings can be done easily and comfortably when animals have identifications. In a large herd perfect age for marking a calf is 1^st day of birth. Many types of software for data recordings are available in market, but currently are too costly like Bertha, NEDAP and AFIFARM. Simple efforts in recording important farm data in registers only, can facilitate better management and can improve farm profit.

Record keeping starts right from the birth of calf till death and even serves as a source of knowledge thereafter. It is impossible to take effective decisions in farms without proper records and to avoid ambiguity; records should be maintained in the farm. For example without proper records of de-worming, vaccination, artificial insemination at proper time, pregnancy diagnosis and drying of cow at proper time, all   aforementioned  operations will get impaired and can affect the health of animals and farm profitability. Records also help when a new manager gets appointed to the farm and during follow up treatment of animals by fellow vet.

Different farm registers and its importance

1. Cattle yard register: Most important register, all operations done in farm on daily basis are fed in it. Important farm operations executed on particular day like vaccination, de-worming, dipping and detail of treatments.  Total strength of farm animals on daily basis is also written in it. The important information in it is then used to take important farm decisions and maintaining other farm register like roll call, service, history sheet, treatment, birth and disposal or death register. Cattle yard register should mentions i) date, ii) total strength and iii) daily performed operations.
2. Service register: It should have calving date as well as service date of a particular cow. Estrus signs and probable estrus date can be correlated using service register. Repeat breeders can be identified; it helps to skip early estrus so that artificial insemination can be done only after 45 days or after complete involution of uterus. Service register mentions i) identification of dairy animal date of calving and ii) subsequent service dates.
3. Artificial insemination register: AI performed at particular day is fed in it with details of semen dose. It helps in maintaining service record and semen dose requirement. AI register mentions i) animal ID, ii) date of AI, iii) semen dose details and iv) remarks on status of animals.
4. Birth register: It should contain details of parents, birth weight, sex and most importantly date of birth (calving). It helps in making milk requirement and milk feeding schedule, deciding weaning.
5. Daily milk register: Milk yield of lactating cows should be recorded daily. It helps in identifying sudden reduction in milk yield which can be due to certain diseases. Milk record of cow also helps in selection of superior animals. Total milk production records are maintained using daily milk register. Daily milk register mentions i) milk yield of animals with their ID ii) month iii) day and iv) milking time.
6. Livestock register: It includes important details of all the animals of the farm category wise. It mentions animal’s identity, date of birth   and details of parents.
7. Growth register: Body weights of farm animals are recorded in it at regular intervals. It helps to identify animals with poor gain so that special attention can be paid to that particular animal.
8. Roll call register: It mentions the daily strength of various categories of animals in farm. It can be used to manage vaccine, de-wormer and supplement purchase and feed and fodder requirement calculation. It mentions number of cattle /buffalo category wise.
9. Death /Disposal register: Animals that die due to illness, culled or removed from farm, their details are mentioned in it.
10. History sheet: It helps in selection; contains information of past production, animal with recorded data can be sold at good price.  History sheet mentions information regarding dam, sire, dam’s performance, birth, animal performance parity vice, progeny details, death and date and reasons of death of animals.

Farm records are the mirror of farm and its importance should not be ignored, if a person wants to run a profitable dairy farm with healthy dairy animals. Like other management practices a record keeping is also one of the important farm management practices. Farm records can be directly fed in computers and should be updated on daily basis.

References

1. Key results. Livestock census (2019), DAHD, GOI.
2. Farm registers maintained in Livestock Research Station, AAU, Anand