Dairy Production

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION    397
 

2 WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? 398
2.1 WEATHER AND CLIMATE 398
2.2 CLIMATE VARIABILITY    398
2.3 CLIMATE CHANGE 398
2.4 CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING 399
 

3 HOW DOES CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT DAIRY FARMING? 400
3.1 CHOOSING THE DAIRY BREED 400
3.2 ADAPTABLE DAIRY BREEDS 401
3.3 STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE OF DAIRY COWS TO CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH ADAPTATION    402
3.4 CLIMATE-SMART DAIRY PRACTICES 403
3.4.1 Destocking 403
3.4.2 Changing to drought-tolerant livestock species or breeds 403
 

4 DAIRY FEED AND FEEDING 404
4.1 CLIMATE-SMART DAIRY FEEDING PRACTICES 404
4.1.1 Dairy feed supplements 404
4.1.2 Improved feed management 404
4.2 TOTAL MIXED RATIONS (TMR) 405
4.3 CLIMATE-SMART DAIRY FEEDING PRACTICES (PASTURE) 407
4.4 MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS 407

5 ADAPTING DAIRY COWS TO HOT WEATHER    410
5.1 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 410
5.2 METHODS TO COOL THE COWS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT    410

6 CLIMATE-SMART WAT ER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN DAIRY FARMING 412
6.1 WAT ER HARVESTING FOR FARM PRODUCTION    412
6.2 DAIRY MANURE MANAGEMENT    413
6.3 CLIMATE ADAPTATION PRACTICES 414

7 DAIRY COWS GRAZING MANAGEMENT / PASTURES 415
7.1 PASTURE SPECIES AND MIXTURES 415
7.2 PASTURE SYSTEMS 417

8 CLIMATE-SMART PLANTED PASTURE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 418

9 RAISING CALVES FROM BIRTH TO WEANING 420
9.1 NEONATAL DEVELOPMENT    420
9.2 THE NEW BORN CALF 420
9.3 HOUSING THE CALF 420
9.3.1 Critical Temperatures 421
9.3.2 Lower critical temperatures 421
9.3.3 Higher critical temperatures 421
9.3.4 Alternatives 422

10 PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN DIARY PRODUCTION    423
10.1 WHERE TO START? 423
10.2 HOW TO IDENTIFY A SICK ANIMAL 423
10.3 DISEASE REPORTING 424
10.3.1 Controlled Animal Diseases 425
10.3.2 Notifiable Animal Diseases 426
10.3.3 Other common diseases 426
10.3.4 Zoonotic diseases 427
10.3.5 Reporting of diseases by farmers 427
10.4 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF VECTORS 428
10.5 OTHER METHODS OF DISEASE CONTROL 428
10.5.1 Bio-security 428
10.5.2 Selecting of resistant breeds 428
10.5.3 Vaccination campaigns 429
10.5.4 IMMUNISATION FOR CATT LE 429
10.5.5 Endo- and ectoparasite control 433
10.6 CHOOSING A SOLUTION FOR YOUR AREA    433

11 REFERENCES AND RESOURCES 434