Livestock Farm Practice

ADVANTAGES

• A guide to economical feeding: Cows cannot be fed intelligently when the weight and milk fat contents of their milk are unknown.
• A check on milkers: By examining the milk sheet one can see whether the milkers are doing their work properly or not. If too much fluc­tuations in the milk yield are noticed from milking to milking, incomplete milking or improper handling of cows can come to light.
• Detecting abnormality: If a cow is sick she shows it on the milk sheet before other signs of sickness appear. Occurrence of oestrus can also be detected from the milk sheet.
• As a guide to culling: It helps in intelligently weed out unprofitable cows. The persistent milker is a cow that never milks a pail full, but keeps giving milk till just before calving. The non­persistent cow may fill the pail for first 2-3 months, then shrinks in her production and becomes dry 3-4 months prior to calving. The farmer should pick up the persistent as his best as she produces more milk in a year's time.
• A guide to genetic improvement: The records help to provide information for breeding and genetic improvement of the animals
• Other benefits: The records provide basis on which future planning of the requirement of feed, fodder and labour can be made.