Page 81 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

practised, one bull is required for every 30 breeding cows in the dairy farm. When
Artificial Insemination (AI) service facilities are available, it is not necessary to
keep bulls on the farm. The bull shed shall have to occupy 3 x 4 metre dimensions,
leading into a paddock of 120 m . The bull sheds shall be located in such a way that
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the bulls are able to see the cows and hear their sounds.

Isolation shed: It is the area for separation of sick animals from apparently healthy

animals to avoid transmission of diseases to healthy stock. It should be located at the
corner of the shed so that these pens are inaccessible to other animals.

Quarantine shed: It should be located at the entrance of the farm. The newly
purchased animals entering into the farm should be kept in quarantine shed for a
minimum period of 30 to 40 days to watch out for any disease occurrence.

Milk room: This room is essential to keep milk and also to chill it. In small dairy

farms, below 100 litres per day, a small room with a dimension of 3.75 m x 3 m
can be sufficient for storing milk. For large dairy farms, having 400 - 700 litres,
production capacity can require 3.7 m x 5 m size of room and an additional 0.37 m
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for every 40 litres of milk production.

Storeroom: All the four walls should be closed and it should be rat proof. There
should be one concrete store room with feed mixing unit at a distant place and a
smaller feed store room behind the milking parlour. The floor and walls of storeroom

should be impervious and damp proof.

Straw/hay shed: The size of this shed is determined by number of animals to feed
and average consumption per animal. About 5 - 10 kg of straw or hay is required for
an adult animal consumption per day. Young stock consumes about 2 - 5 kg of straw/
hay per day. The annual requirement can be calculated and the space requirement
can be determined. Considerations on other feed resources for animals (e.g., silage
and fresh fodders) have also to be made as they can reduce the amount of straw/hay
required to be stored, hence will affect the size of the shed.

Advantages and challenges of loose housing for dairy cattle
Generally, with loose housing for dairy cattle, the cost of construction is cheaper
and future expansion is possible. The animals will move freely so that they will
get sufficient exercise and they can be kept clean. Common feeding and watering

arrangement is possible. Clean milk production is also possible because the animals
are milked in a separate milking barn. Finally, oestrus detection is easy. However,

Student’s Book Form Three
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