i. Course Title: AS 308- DAIRY CATTLE MANAGEMENT
ii. Course Aim:
To enable students understand the importance of milk in human nutrition, be able to manage dairy animals from calf hood to milking cows including feeding and also be able to monitor reproductive cycles of cows and handle milk in hygienic manner.
iii. Course Expected Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course the students shall be able to:
• Identify various breeds of dairy cattle.
• Perform routine husbandry practices for different classes of dairy cattle (Calf rearing, rearing of replacement stock, lactating cows and breeding bulls, body condition scoring, castration, dehorning/disbudding, hoof trimming dipping/spraying, drenching, vaccination, selection of breeding animals, manure handling and disposal).
• Formulate feed rations for different classes of dairy cattle.
• Carry out hygienic milking and milk handling and marketing.
• Design and construct suitable houses for different classes of dairy animals.
• Prepare animals for livestock shows.
iv. Course status: Core
v. Credit rating: 7 Credits
vi. Total hours spent: 70 hrs
Pre-requisite: AS 101
vii. Course content:
Importance of milk and milk products in human nutrition, Milk production and consumption statistics. Past, present and future development strategies. Dairy cattle production systems. Dairy cattle breeds and their characteristics. Factors limiting dairy cattle production in tropical countries. Calf management including pre-natal and neonatal care. Digestive system of the calf, Feeding and weaning systems for calves .Raising replacement stock, cows and bulls. Feeding of cows at various stages of breeding and lactation cycles. Milk yield and composition and factors affecting them. Rationing dairy cattle to meet maintenance, growth and lactation requirements. Dairy cattle feeding systems. Breeding practices including management of breeding bulls, artificial insemination (AI), multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) and in vitro fertilization. Dairy cattle recording and herd improvement programs. Dairy cattle housing, equipments and manure disposal. Milking practices: hand and machine milking emphasizing on hygiene and sanitation. Handling of milk on the farm and different marketing systems. Type and role of dairy cattle owners associations.
Practical:
Identification of different types of dairy cattle breeds, individual animal identification, demonstration of characteristics of an ideal dairy cow; body condition scoring; calf rearing practices, rationing and feeding of cows at different stages of production, milking practices (hand/machine milking) and recording, dehorning/disbudding, castration, extra teat removal, teat dipping, hoof trimming, disease and parasite preventive measures; sanitation of dairy buildings and equipments, manure handling and disposal. Use of breeding calendars. Visiting of large scale and smallholder dairy farms.
viii. Teaching and learning activities
Teaching activities
Teaching activities will involve lectures, tutorials and field work practical.
Learning activities
Learning activities will involve performing take home assignments, seminar presentations and independent reading. Students will be encouraged to do independent study by reading relevant reference books, teaching manuals, scientific papers and other learning materials. These will be complemented by visits to dairy cattle farms.
ix. Assessment methods:
A variety of coursework assessments will be done and these include take home assignments, tutorials, seminar presentations and practical reports. There shall be written theory and practical tests given at appropriate time during the semester. In addition, there shall be an end of semester University examination.
x. Reading list:
Kurwijila, R.L. (1991). Dairy Production and Management. Volume 1. Basic dairy husbandry and management practices under tropical environment. 99 pp.
Kinsey, E. (1993). Integrated smallholder dairy farming manual. Heifer Project International. 98 pp.
Mathewman, R.W. (1993). Dairying. The Tropical Agriculturist. CTA. 152 pp.
Schimdt, G.H. and Van Vleck, L.D. (1974). Principles of Dairy Science. W.H. Freeman and Company. San Francisco. 558 pp.
Payne W.J.A. and Wilson R.T. (1999). An introduction to animal husbandry in the tropics, 5th edition. Wiley-Blackwell. Longman Scientific and Technical. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, USA.