Dairy Farm Guide - Best dairy farming information from trusted resource!
The land is required for the construction of dairy sheds and other farm structures as well as for the production of fodder. The land required for fodder production depends on the carrying capacity of the land. On an average 4 to 5 dairy animals along with their followers can be maintained on an acre of well fertile agricultural land with assured irrigation facilities. Now-a-days with the availability of total mixed rations (TMR) in the market, the requirement of land for fodder cultivation can be reduced. However, the farm productivity is higher and the cost of milk production is lower if farm grown good quality green fodders are available in plenty.
The land required for the construction of dairy sheds and ancillary structures including milking parlour, maternity pens, straw store, feed store, implements room, milk room, chaff cutter shed, manure pit, roads and alleys between and office etc. works out to be about 500 sq. ft. per animal for a dairy unit of 20 animals. The land required is reduced to about 350 sq ft per animal if the herd strength is increased to 50 animals as the area required for the milk room, roads and alleys, chaff cutter shed, office, implements room does not increase proportionately. Per animal area will be further reduced if the farm size is further increased.
| Age-group | Manger Space (mtr.) | Standing or covered area (sq.mtr.) | Open Space(sq.mtr.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-6 months | 0.2-0.3 | 0.8-1.0 | 3.0-4.0 |
| 6-12 months | 0.3-0.4 | 1.2-1.6 | 5.0-6.0 |
| 1-2 years | 0.4-0.5 | 1.6-1.8 | 6.0-8.0 |
| Cows | 0.8-1.0 | 1.8-2.0 | 11.0-12.0 |
| Pregnant cows | 1.0-1.2 | 8.5-10.0 | 15.0-20.0 |
| Bulls | 1.0-1.2 | 9.0-11.0 | 20.0-22.0 |
