Strategies for round the year fodder availability for feeding of dairy animals in Goa

29Nutritional Interventions for Sustainable Dairy Production in Goa

Strategies for Round the Year Fodder Availability forFeeding of Dairy Animals in Goa

Prafulla Kumar [email protected]

ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Goa � 403 402

The trend of decreasing land holding size and source of regular daily incomeof the agricultural farmers by cultivating seasonal crops are the key factorsfor developing more interests towards the dairy farming. In most of the partsof the country including Goa, the milk production is �production by masses�

�not by mass production�. There are very few organized elite dairy herds in

Goa and majority of the dairy farmers of the state have a small herd of around2-5 milch animals with daily milk production of around five liters per animal.Milk production and profit in dairy farming depends upon the feeding andmanagement practices. During recent years, prices of various concentratefeed ingredients like maize grain, soybean meal, groundnut cake, rice polishetc, have increased, which is a major constraint for profitable milk productionas the feed cost alone constitutes about 75% of the total cost of production.Long term economical milk production along with the maintenance of betterhealth and fertility of the dairy animals can only be achieved through feedingof quality green fodder. Thus, the need of the hour is not only to enhance thefodder production, but also to make the fodder accessible round the year toall types of dairy animals adequately.

Importance of feeding green fodder(i) Fulfills bulk of the animal easily and quickly(ii) Good palatability and digestibility(iii) Good source of water as they contain 75-85% water depending upon the

type of fodder and stage of harvesting(iv) Main sources of fibrous carbohydrate, which are well utilized by the animals

(the non-legume fodders are rich in carbohydrate)(v) Major sources of vegetable protein (legume fodders are rich in protein

content)(vi) Good sources of important minerals like calcium and iron.(vii)Rich source of carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin E, required to maintain

optimum fertility of the animals.(viii) The milk and milk products of the dairy animals fed on green fodders

are rich conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has major health benefits inhuman beings.

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30 Souvenir & Concept Papers of State Level Workshop for Veterinary Officers and Progressive Dairy Farmers - 2010

Constraints in availability of green fodderThe major constraints in the availability of green fodder may be broadly

categorized as follows.

1. Small land holding size of the dairy farmersThe �no land� or �small land holding size� factor of the dairy farmers is the

major cause of less fodder production. Majority of the dairy farmers of thestate are landless or have small piece land for rice or vegetable or otherhorticultural production and they just can not afford that piece of land specificallyfor fodder cultivation. Based on the land holding capacity and interest of thefarmer for dairy production, there are mainly four types of farmers.(i) Have dairy unit but no land for fodder production(ii) Have dairy unit but the land available for fodder production is inadequate

to maintain the dairy unit(iii) Have dairy unit and the land available for fodder production is adequate to

maintain the dairy unit(iv) Have adequate land for fodder production but no interest in dairy

production

2. Unawareness for fodder cultivationIn most of the cases, the dairy farmers are not aware of the package of

practices for fodder cultivation and its effective utilization as per the farmingconditions for round the year fodder availability for their dairy unit.

3. Land utilization pattern and crop production systemThe availability of feed resources of a state is dependent up on the land

utilization pattern and crop production system. The green forages can becontributed from the cultivated fodder (gross cropped area), private primaryg raz ing ( fa l low land) , pub l ic p r imary g raz ing (permanent pasture ,miscellaneous tree crops and cultivated waste land) and public secondarygrazing (forest area). Goa is a very small state with a total geographical areaof 3702 sq km. The gross cropped area (GCA), fallow land, permanent pastureland, miscellaneous tree crops, cultivable waste land and forest arearespectively form about 48.50, 2.40, 0.37, 0.17, 12.64 and 35.92, per cent ofthe total area. An average of 4% of this GCA should be under fodder production;however, in the map for area under fodder crops of the various states of thecountry, Goa has no land for fodder production. Further, out of the total forestarea, only 14.04% (200 sq. km) is private forest.

4. Seasonal variationThe seasonal variation in weather or climate is mainly responsible for the

inadequate fodder accessibility round the year. There is flush of fodder during

Strategies for Round the Year Fodder Availability for Feeding of Dairy Animals in Goa


monsoon or rainy season (July to September), which reduces in winter andpractically there is negligible amount of fodder during summer season. Althoughdue to improved irrigation facilities, the situation has improved to some extent,but the trends remain almost as above. However, the scarcity of green fodderis aggravated during lean periods of May- June and November-December.

Strategies for round the year fodder availabilityThe strategies for round the year fodder availability for the dairy animals

can be chalked out as follows.

1. Developing liaison among farmersFor successful dairy farming, the farmer having dairy unit but no land or

inadequate land for fodder production needs more attention. Arrangementshave to be made to make liaison between him and other neighbour farmersproducing surplus green fodder or farmer who will produce green fodder forhim on contract basis. As the year round supply of green fodder isindispensable for the dairy animals, no scheme on dairy farming should bemade without the arrangement for fodder availability.

2. Development of awareness for fodder cultivationThe popularization of intensive fodder production technologies for dairy

animals through organ izat ion of f requent t ra in ing , workshops anddemonstration is needed to create awareness among the grass root levelworkers and farmers. The package of practices should include introductionand popularization of cultivation of nutritious high yielding fodder varieties alongwith the fodder tree for the availability of quality green fodder and its feedingschedule round the year for the dairy animals. In the horticulture based farmingsystem, fodder crops can be cultivated through intercropping approach withcashew and coconut etc.

3. Improvement in the land utilization pattern and crop production systemThe land utilization pattern and crop production system must be improved

for more forage availability. An average of 4% of the GCA of the state shouldbe used for fodder production. Grazing based animal husbandry plays asignificant role for the small farmers having indigenous low productive animals.During monsoon, the animals can be primarily thrived on the grazingresources. The area under permanent pasture and miscellaneous tree cropsform very less area in this state. Further, due to the soil erosion, the pastureland is at its lower ebb of production. The grass land needs to be improvedthrough re-seeding and introduction of some legumes. A systematic andintegrated approach needs to be emphasized on mixed herd grazing whichwill take care of shrubs, bushes and other herbages. The forest covering areais the valuable grazing resources for the livestock population. The livestock

Prafulla Kumar Naik


graze the forest area mostly during rainy season. During lean period, the treeleaves and shrubs from the forest area are the potential feed resources forthe livestock. The silvi-pastoral system integrating pasture and tree is likely toreduce the grazing pressure. The utilization of crop-residues can be improvedby the catalytic supplementation of top feeds like Leucaena leucocephala,Sesbania and Glyricedia etc. The lands, which are unfit for conventionalagricultural farming, may be put to alternate land use system such as agro-forestry, silvi-pastoral or horti-pastoral. The degraded lands should berehabilitated and the eroded waste land should be harnessed for edible biomassproduction. Specific attention is needed for the control and over exploitationof grazing areas by uncontrolled and over grazing especially by the non-descript cattle.

4. Establishment of local fodder market or fodder bankFodder is most nutritious, when grazed standing in the field or feeding fresh.

Local fodder market or fodder bank for fresh green fodder has to be establishedat each Taluka of Goa, so that the large land holding farmers will be encouragedfor more fodder production and their fodder will be sold on appropriate priceon daily basis.

5. Judicious feeding of green fodderThe green fodder should be fed very judiciously to avoid wastage and making

profitable. The dairy animals should be categorized as per the milk productionand stage of lactation. For feeding the dairy animals, the green fodder shouldbe harvested at the optimum stage i.e. when both the yield and quality offorages are reasonably high. The optimum stage of harvesting of commonlygrown fodder crops like maize, cow pea, guar and napier bajra hybrid are milkstage, before flowering, full flowering to pod initiation and about one meterheight, respectively. If sufficient good quality cultivated green fodder isavailable, then daily feeding of 45-55 kg good quality green fodder along withad lib. (free choice) straw will take care of the bulk, maintenance and productionrequirement of a lactating animal (cow producing up to 7 liters milk with 4%fat content and buffalo producing up to five liters milk with 7% fat content perday). Thereafter, one kg concentrate mixture can be added for every 2.5 kgand 2.0 kg additional milk produced by the cow and buffalo, respectively. If thedairy animal is pregnant, besides the maintenance and production requirement,one kg concentrate mixture as pregnancy allowance should be offered extraonly in the last three months of the pregnancy. When the green fodder is notavailable sufficiently, as a thumb rule 10 kg good quality fresh green foddercan be replaced by one kg concentrate mixture (20-22% crude protein). Thegreen fodder must be chopped before feeding to the dairy animals for better



utilization. The required concentrate mixture, green fodder and straw may beoffered either separately or mixing together as total mixed ration (TMR).

6. Preservation of fodder by nutritional technologiesThe excess fodder can be preserved for the lean period by mainly two

nutritional technologies i.e. by hay making and silage making.

Hay MakingThe various types of green fodder that is harvested at proper stage, dried

and stored at 85-90% dry matter with minimum possible nutrient losses isknown as hay. It is entirely different from the straw, which is obtained afterharvesting after fully formed seeds and as such is poorer in nutrients.

AdvantagesDue to hay making good quality fodder will be available during lean season

and more fodder can be stored in less space. If properly cured and preserved,it makes one of the most economical feeds of the farm.

PrincipleTo ensure that the hay can be safely and efficiently stored, the moisture

content of the fodder, which is normally about 75-85%, must be reduced toabout 15%. The aim of haymaking is to reduce the water or moisture contentof the green fodder to a level low enough so that it can be safely stored inmass without undergoing fermentation (the plant and the bacterial enzymesdo not act on the plant nutrients) or becoming mouldy. The practical methodof determining the safe limit for the hay storage is to twist a wisp of hay in thehands. If the stems are twisted and there is no indication of moisture, it canbe stored.

Crops suitableThe good quality hay may be obtained from leafy fodder and hollow thin

stems cut at the right time and cured properly. The leguminous fodders likecowpea and guar have soft and pliable stems and are therefore most suitablefor hay making. However, from non-leguminous fodders and grasses, hay canbe prepared by harvesting at the proper stage, particularly when the stemsare soft and pliable.

Types of HayBased on the type of fodders, the hays can be of mainly three types i.e.

(i) legume hay, (ii) non-legume or grass hay or (iii) mixed hay.

Prafulla Kumar Naik


Legume hayIt is mostly relished by the dairy animals. It produces more digestible

nutrients in a given area. The protein of legume hay is of excellent quality. It ishigher in vitamins i.e. carotene and vitamin D and rich in calcium content. InGoa condition, the legumes crops suitable for hay making are cowpea andguar.

Non-legume hayThe non-legume hay includes grass hay also and is inferior to the legume

hays. It is less palatable and contains less protein, minerals and vitaminsthan the legume hays, but rich in carbohydrates. However, it can be growneasily and the outturn per hector is more than that of the legume hay. In Goa,natural grasses like karad grass are harvested and dried for the preparationof hay, but the nutritive values are less.

Mixed hayIt is Prepared from mixed crops of legumes and non-legumes. Generally, it

is harvested earlier because of the variation in seeding time of the mixed crop.If harvested earlier, the cereals are richer in protein.

Stage of harvestingThe stage of harvesting is very important during hay making as it affects

the nutritive value of the fodder. The hay should be made at pre-flowering orflowering stage, when it has more digestible nutrients. The best time forharvesting a crop for hay making is when 10-25% of its plants are in floweringstage. Too early a stage will yield a low tonnage and too late stage make thecrop woody and of low nutritive value. However, when the fodder is at thisstage of growth, the climate or weather may not be always favourable for dryingthe fodder crops. Therefore, in practice the fodders are often not harvestedtill the weather improves.

MethodsThe hay can be prepared mainly by two methods i.e. by (i) sun curing method

and (ii) Mechanical drier method.

Sun-curing methodThe harvested fodder crops are chopped to 5-8 cm length and are spread

under the sun in 10-15 cm thick layer. Then it is dried for a period of 3-4 dayswith turning in every 2-3 hours. As a thumb rule, if the stems break easily ontwisting, it is considered as fit for storage.



Mechanical drier methodThis method of hay making is very much suitable to avoid the major

constraints of the sun-curing method of hay making due to uncertainty ofweather such as dry spell of rains or continuous rains or high speed wind etc.Due to lack of time and infrastructure and high investment, the dairy farmerscan not prepare this product at their own level. By making it available throughthe co-operative societies or other feasible sources with assured quality anda reasonable price, the dairy farmers would prefer to make the purchase fortheir livestock.

Nutritive valueIn suitable conditions, hay making under normal sunshine does not affect

the nutritive value of the green fodder significantly. However, if the crop is notquickly dried and left in the field unattended; then there are heavy losses dueto shattering of leaves, fermentation, oxidation and leaching. In leguminouscrops like cowpea and guar, where the leaves dry earlier than the stems, theshattering of leaves is more common. If drying is prolonged without turning,the leaves become brittle and shattering of leaves will cause substantial lossesof proteins, vitamins and minerals. The leguminous hay should be transportedfrom the field early in the morning so that there is less shattering of leaves.After the crop is harvested, the plant enzymes act on the soluble carbohydratesforming CO2 and H2O, which results in the higher crude fiber content of thehay as compared to the green fodder. The proteins are also hydrolyzed toamino acids during this process. If the green fodder is exposed to the sun fora longer period without proper turnings, the carotene content is reduced.However, the sunlight has a beneficial effect, since due to irradiation ofergosterol present in the green crop, vitamin D2 is formed. Leaching due toheavy rains causes loss of protein, soluble carbohydrates, soluble mineralsand vitamins and the crude fiber content is increased. The hay making in fieldcondition by conventional method under sunshine can cause about 15-20%losses on weight and quality of the green fodder, however, the losses may bereduced by mechanical drier method of hay making. Feeding 10 kg hay withdry matter content of 85% is equivalent to about 35 kg fresh green fodderdepending upon the type of fodder.

Characteristics of good hayIt should be leafy and greenish colour. It should be soft and pliable. It should

have fragrance and high palatability. It should be free from weeds andpoisonous plants. It should have a uniform composition. There should be lessloss of leaves due to shattering. It should be free from fungus or moulds.

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Silage makingSilage making is a method of fodder preservation in its original form as far

as possible. Silage is a green material produced by the controlled fermentationof green fodder crop retaining the high moisture content. It may be called�pickles of green fodder � for the dairy animals.

AdvantagesIt can be prepared, when the weather does not permit haymaking. It can be

prepared from the plants, which have thick stems and thus generally are notsuitable for hay making like sorghum, maize etc. The weeds can also be utilizedalong with the main fodder crops for silage making. The silage making destroysmajority of the weed seeds. It is highly palatable by the dairy animals. Theorganic acids produced in the silage are similar to those normally produced inthe digestible tract of the ruminants and therefore are used in the same manner.

PrincipleThe fresh fodder, when packed in a container and allowed to ferment to

under anaerobic condition produces some volatile fatty acids, which preservethe forage material for a long time with minimum loss of nutrients. The materialproduced is known as �silage� and the process of conserving green fodder as

silage is called �ensiling�. The quality of silage formation is achieved by

controlled bacterial fermentation in the absence of air (oxygen), where thesugars and sugar like compounds in the fodder crops are converted into lacticacid. The acid is bacteriostatic (inhibits growth of micro-organisms), hencehelps in conserving the green fodder as stable silage.

Crops suitableThis process is highly dependent upon the sugar content of the fodder. The

fodder crops rich in soluble carbohydrates are most suitable for ensiling. Thenon-leguminous fodders like maize, jowar, bajra, and napier bajra hybrid havemore sugar content as compared to the leguminous fodders like cowpea andguara and are therefore, more suitable for silage making. The leguminousfodders are not suitable for silage making due to low dry matter, high proteinand high buffering capacity. The crops should have solid stems so that smallamount of air is trapped. However, hollow stemmed crops can also producegood silage but the trampling should be adequate.

Stage of harvestingThe dry matter or moisture content and sugar content of the fodder crop

are the important factors for the production of good quality silage, which areagain related to the stage of harvesting of the fodder crops. The dry matterpercentage at the time of ensiling should be 30-35% i.e. the moisture content



of 65-70%. The thumb rule for determining the optimum dry matter or moisturecontent is to press a handful of chaffed fodder in hand palm, known as �Grab

Test�; if the dry matter or moisture is appropriate, the hand palm will remain

almost dry. If the fodder crops are cut when too immature, these crops beinghigh in sugar and water content may cause excessive acid formation.Therefore, the fodder crops should be harvested at right stage to producegood silage. The fodder maize crops should be harvested at grain in milk stage.The fodder jowar (sorghum or chari) and bajra crops should be harvested atflowering to dough stage and flag leaf stage, respectively. The fodder napierbajra hybrid crops should be harvested at one and half meter height. If silagewill be prepared from natural grasses, then it should be harvested at floweringstage.

Site for construction of silo pitIt should be near to the cattle shed and on a higher and slopy ground to

avoid seepage of rain water into the silo pit. The water table of the pit areashould not be high.

Type and size of silo pitBunker type rectangular silo pits can be constructed, which should be

cemented. The size of the silo pit depends up on the quantity of green fodderavailable with the farm. However, depending upon the availability of space,numbers of one cubic meter (length, depth and width one meter each) silopits can be constructed. Every one cubic meter of pit can hold 500 kg of greenfodder.

MethodAfter harvesting, chop the fodder crops to the length of 8-10 cm and then

spread in the pit uniformly. Press the chaffed fodder with adequate tramplingby manual labour or tractor. Care should be taken that the material on thesides and edges are properly compressed and raised above the ground levelfinally giving a tomb shape. Cover the material with polythene sheet or ifpossibly by 10-15 cm straw layer followed by 5-7 cm layer of soil and thenplasters it with mixture of clay and dung. Care must be taken that if any crackor hole develops, then it should be plugged immediately to avoid entry of air orwater into the pit. The silage is ready for feeding to the animals within 40-45days of sealing the pit but, can be kept preserved for long period if sealedproperly. It should be opened from one side after removing the top layer of thecovering. Remove the uniform layer vertically like slicing bread loaf. Immediatelycover the open side with plastic sheets or gunny bag to avoid spoilage. Oncethe silo pit is opened, silage should be used daily to avoid any spoilage.

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Nutritive valueThere are some changes in the nutrient content of the green fodder during

ensiling. The dry matter content of the silage remains slightly higher than thegreen fodder. The protein content is slightly decreased, but the content of thesoluble carbohydrates and â-carotene (vitamin A) is decreased. The

fermentation loss of about 10-15% is almost inevitable during ensiling, so it isquite acceptable. However, ensiling helps to reduce the anti-nutritional factorslike nitrate, hydrocyanic acid and oxalate content of the fodder crops. Foroptimum utilization of nutrients, the milch cow should be fed 20-25 kg silageper head per day. Too wet silage some times affects the flavor and odour ofthe milk. The affect may be small or pronounced depending upon the quantity,quality and time of feeding, therefore, silage should be fed after milking.

Characteristics of good silageThe colour of the good quality silage should be greenish yellow or khaki. It

should have vinegar smell. The texture should be firm. It should not have mouldgrowth. It should be highly palatable and pleasing taste. The pH should bebelow 4.2.

ConclusionDairy farming without green fodder availability round the year is not

economical in long term. Therefore, the need of the hour is to intensify thecultivation of the high yielding and nutritious fodder crops along with theirpreservation to make available for the feeding of dairy animals through out theyear.


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Strategies for round the year fodder availability for feeding of dairy animals in Goa