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Agriculture for Secondary Schools

avoid stress. Any signs of lameness, poor appetite, or unusual behaviour must be
reported to a livestock extension worker or veterinarian.

Breeding, record-keeping, and planning
Keeping proper breeding records is important for managing a successful dairy
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herd. These records help the farmer know, among others, which cows are ready
for mating, which ones have been served, and when they are expected to calve.
This allows for better planning of feeding, calving, and drying-off schedules.
Breeding records are useful for planning daily activities and for making long-
term decisions about the herd.

A proper breeding record includes the cow’s name or number, date of heat
observation, the mating method used (either AI or natural), the outcome of
pregnancy testing and the expected date of calving. These records help to avoid
unnecessary repetition of mating, which wastes time, resources and reduces
productivity. By checking records, a farmer can identify animals that are not
conceiving. Cows that fail to get pregnant after two or more services may need to
be examined or removed from the herd.

Activity 9.5

1. Search information online on signs of heat in cows/heifers and list five clear
signs of heat to be able to plan when to mate your animals.
2. Create a feeding plan that includes flushing and steaming up practices.

3. Develop a plan that you will follow to care for pregnant cows and during
calving.

4. Design a simple breeding record form showing cow name, date on heat,
servicing date, name or number of bull and breed, or semen source if AI is
used and the results.

Exercise 9.4

1. A small dairy farm in Tanga used one bull to serve its cows for four years.
Some calves born were found to be weak, and cows often failed to get
pregnant.
(a) What might be the source of the problem?

(b) What should the farmer do to solve the problem?

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