Dr. iCows Desk
Oct 16th 2018
My Ayrshire produces very little milk
Dear Dr. iCow,
My cow which is an Ayrshire breed only produces two litres a day. I have tried giving her everything but there is no change.
Yours Sincerely: iCow Smart Farmer James Mwangi
Dear Mr. James Mwangi,
An Ayrshire dairy cow requires a balanced diet with energy, proteins, vitamins and mineral supplements. Feed her with quantity and quality forages. The mineral supplements should have correct amounts and proportions of major minerals and trace elements for optimal health, growth, milk production and reproduction or fertility. Major minerals; calcium and phosphorus are critical components in dairy cow’s mineral supplement as they are essential for growth, milk production and fertility. Trace elements, e.g. selenium, zinc, iodine and cobalt, are essential for animal’s daily needs, immune system and tissue growth. Feed your cow mineral supplements by; 1. – Free choice in a box or a trough. 2. – Top dressing on the forages. 3. – Mixed with concentrates. There are many products in the market, e.g. from Coopers, Unga Ltd, Ultravetis, Eagle-Vet. Make sure you buy from a registered agro-vet to avoid buying fake products. For first calf heifers, milk production may be low but will increase in later lactations especially after the third calving. Give her concentrate feeds during milking as a routine, it stimulates milk letdown. Try to challenge feed her in this early part of lactation by adding an extra half kilogram of concentrate. If she does not respond the level is reduced.
Thank you.
Your friend and advisor Dr. iCow.