Managing High Grade Dairy Cows in the Tropics

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Addresses the entire range of management practices found on tropical small holder dairy farms.

Dairy consumption in Asia has more than doubled over the last 25 years, and has led to more than 50% of the world’s total dairy imports now entering Asian markets. Consequently, Asian countries are seeking to improve their self-sufficiency in dairy produce by developing their local milk industries. + Full description

Asian livestock importers are looking for increasing numbers of high grade dairy stock from established dairy industries in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, a major problem encountered throughout Asia has been the poor performance of these exotic high grade dairy heifers when exported from their country of origin to a new, more stressful environment. This has been due to a failure to prepare for their introduction. Exotic dairy cows, particularly those from farms with high levels of herd performance, have high management requirements. If subjected to local and traditional small holder dairy farm practices, they are unlikely to produce acceptable yields of milk or may not even get back into calf. Poor management practices can lead to low growth rates, delayed breeding, stock diseases and even deaths among imported stock both before and after first calving.

Managing High Grade Dairy Cows in the Tropics addresses the entire range of management practices found on tropical small holder dairy farms, highlighting those which are likely to adversely impact on heifer and cow performance, hence farm profitability. It is a companion volume to three other manuals written by John Moran: Rearing Young Stock on Tropical Dairy Farms in Asia, Tropical Dairy Farming and Business Management for Tropical Dairy Farmers.

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No longer available in a print edition.

Managing High Grade Dairy Cows in the Tropics is a companion volume to three other manuals written by John Moran: Rearing Young Stock on Tropical Dairy Farms in Asia, Tropical Dairy Farming and Business Management for Tropical Dairy Farmers.

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Features

  • Covers the key tasks of dairy production systems.
  • Addresses both pre and post arrival planning and management, from assessing dairy stock for export and minimising transportation stress to soil and forage management on the new home farm.
  • Includes principles of dairy nutrition, health of young stock and the feeding management of the milking herd.
  • Covers milk harvesting, hygiene and the science of milk quality.
  • Incorporates a check list to assess current farm management practices with an example framework for grading the suitability of individual farmers to receive high quality dairy stock.

CSIRO Publishing would like to thank the Crawford Fund whose generous financial support made the publication of this work possible.

Contents

Foreword
About the author
Other books and technical manuals by the author
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement of The Crawford Fund
Chemical warning

1 Introduction
2 Pre-departure planning and management of stock on arrival
3 Soil and forage management on the new home farm
4 Young stock management
5 The principles of dairy nutrition
6 Feeding management of the milking herd
7 Disease prevention and control
8 Reproductive management
9 Genetics
10 Managing stock surplus to the milking herd
11 Stock welfare
12 Environmental management
13 Housing systems
14 Milk harvesting and hygiene
15 Adding value to milk
16 The business of small holder dairy farming
17 Conducting farmer workshops on improved herd management
18 Assessing current farm management practices
19 Tips and traps in managing high grade dairy stock

View the full table of contents (PDF).

Authors

John Moran is a retired Australian senior research and advisory scientist from Victoria’s Department of Primary Industries, located at Kyabram in northern Victoria. While working for DPI, he spent half his time advising farmers in southern Australia and half his time working with dairy farmers and advisers in South and East Asia. His specialist fields include dairy production, ruminant nutrition, calf and heifer rearing, forage conservation and whole farm business management. He currently manages his own consultancy firm called Profitable Dairy Systems.

John graduated in 1967 with a Rural Science honours degree from New England University at Armidale in NSW, followed by a Masters degree in 1969. In 1976, he obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy in beef production from University of London, Wye College in England.