Modern machines can save time and effort in modern cattle sheds

Are you a person who wants to start a dairy farm? Or are you currently running a farm? Do you know what modern machinery is required on a farm? In this article, let's learn about the machines that are needed to make work easier and save time on a farm.

Clean and healthy sheds are essential for both pure milk production and the health of cows. Dairy farmers and dairy farm entrepreneurs should focus on building sheds scientifically, cost-effectively, and with excellent planning. Using modern machinery and equipment available in the market in the shed will reduce physical labor and treatment costs, and also save time and profit. Let's learn about the modern systems that can be installed in dairy farms for cow care and milk storage.

Automatic Drinking Water System

This system ensures that cattle have access to the water they need for their health and milk production. It can be installed by attaching a stainless steel bowl to a grazing area through a PVC pipe from a water tank or can be equipped with a float control valve. The bowl will fill with water as the cattle drink. This ensures that cattle always have access to water, which can help to improve their health and productivity.

Rubber mats for cattle sheds

When a cow stands up from a lying position, all of its weight is concentrated on its front legs, which can put stress on the knees. To help prevent knee injuries, reduce hoof wear, and prevent slipping and falling in the shed, it is a good idea to install rubber mats in the standing areas.

Milking machines

Milking machines help to ensure that milking is done in a scientific and safe manner. They also increase the speed of milking.

Milking machines can help to prevent injuries and infections to the teats caused by manual milking, as well as reduce the labor costs associated with milking. Milking machines that can milk up to four cows at the same time are available.

Fans and water mists

Crossbred cows are less heat tolerant, so fans or mist systems can be installed in the shed to reduce heat. The right temperature will help increase milk fat content. Fans can also help control mosquito and fly infestation.

Eco Air Ventilator

Installing it on the roof will allow for the continuous circulation of cool air into the shed.

Water jets/pressure washers/sprinklers

These can be very helpful in cleaning and disinfecting the barn, and in bathing the cattle to help them cool down.

Music

In light of the finding that cows can enjoy music, a system can be set up in the shed to play music to create a calm atmosphere during milking and reduce the cows' psychological stress. This is likely to lead to the cows milking more efficiently and producing more quality milk.

Stalls

Installing concrete pillars three feet apart at a height of four feet from the feed trough or partitioning the compartment with steel pipes and tying cows will help to ensure that manure and urine fall directly into the channel. This will also help to prevent a standing cow from kicking a lying cow's udder.

Shovel

Shovels can be used to feed cattle with crushed feed, chopped grass, etc., and to remove food waste and manure.

Arbana/ Wheelbarrow

A single-wheeled handcart called arbana can be used to deposit manure from the shed into manure pits or fields and to carry bags of cattle feed.

Grooming brush

Grooming brushes are effective in removing loose hair from cattle's bodies and increasing blood flow, which can lead to increased milk production.

Biogas plant and manure pit

To prevent manure and urine from polluting the environment, a biogas plant can be installed. The biogas produced from this can be used as cooking gas for domestic use, and the manure can be converted into a superior fertilizer (steri). If a biogas plant is not available, a manure pit with a roof can be installed away from the shed.

Cow dung dryer

This machine system can help to reduce environmental pollution and allow farmers to sell dried cow dung in packets.

Milking pail or milk container

A milking pail with a small concave surface, made of high-quality stainless steel, and free of wrinkles or folds helps to produce pure milk.

Milk cans

Cans with a capacity of five to 40 liters are used to store and transport churned milk. Cans are available in stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, and copper.

Bulk Milk Cooler (BMC)

BMCs are helpful in preventing milk from spoiling and maintaining its quality. They are available in sizes starting from 700 liters. Milk can be cooled to 4 degrees Celsius and stored. This allows milk to be stored for a long time and sold with good quality.

Packing machine

Hand-operated packing machines are available in the market today to pack milk and dairy products such as yogurt and sip-up. The starting price is Rs.2000.

Lactometer

This device can be used to determine the milk's specific gravity and thereby the milk quality of each cow.

Electronic milk tester

An electronic milk tester is a device that helps to detect fat in milk.

Milk analyzer

Helps determine the fat, non-fat solids (SNF), added water, and temperature of the milk.

The Gruber centrifuge

The Gruber centrifuge is a machine that scientifically determines the fat content of milk.

Cream separator

A cream separator is a machine that can be used to separate the cream from the milk. This is a key step in making butter, as the cream is the source of the butterfat. Cream separators come in a variety of sizes and capacities, depending on the needs of the user.

Butter churn

A butter churn is a device used to churn cream or yogurt into butter. Hand-cranked and electric churns are available.

Multi-purpose steamer

Multi-purpose steamers can be used to boil or reduce milk for product production. They can be operated by gas or steam, and have a system to continuously stir the milk.

IFFS machine (Fill, Form, and Seal machine)

FFS machines can be used to pack milk, yogurt, etc., in precise quantities on an industrial scale. The price starts at Rs. 1 lakh.

Crop cutter/ brush cutter

These can be used to mow grasses such as hybrid Napier.

Chaff cutter / Hay chopper

Rumination is necessary to facilitate the digestive process of cows and increase milk production. Chaff cutters can be used to chop grass into small pieces to increase rumination and prevent feed grass from going to waste.

Baler

A baler is needed to bale hay and dry grass (hay) into convenient, compact bundles.

Sprinklers

This device will help to reduce the cost of forage cultivation, increase yield, and conserve water. Sprinklers can be used to efficiently irrigate a larger area with a smaller amount of water. Sprinklers are available with different discharge capacities.

In addition to these, large farms also have milking parlors, computerized feeding systems, surveillance cameras, and manure removal systems.

In today's world, where smooth milk production is essential, the money spent on mechanizing pasture cultivation, cattle sheds, milking, milk storage, processing, and marketing, even if it does not become a source of income, will reduce treatment costs, care costs, labor costs, and fatigue, as well as save time.