GIR Cow – Milking & Caretaking Guidelines

1. Never separate calf from mother

2. Only take milk from 2 of the 4 teats. Remaining 2 are for the calf
3. Grazing ground is important for cows to walk and run for good health, stronger legs & muscles
4. Provision should be made to receive adequate sunlight and shade
5. Fresh pure drinking water should be available at all times
6. No cow should ever be tied, except while milking
7. Food to be provided as follows:
a. Organic Fodder
b. Green Fodder
c. Organic Grass – Zingwa (Gopal Sutaria – Bansi Gaushala), Guinea Grass
d. Bajri
e. Jowar
f. Maize
g. Corn
h. Carrot – increases beta carotin in the cows
i. immunity boosting herbs like Ashwagandha, Jeevanti and Shatavari (to be given daily)
j. Neem leaves every 10 days for deworming
k. Stems and leaves of its sweet corn crop, known to enhance milk production in cows
8. Uses of Cow Urine & Cow Dung
9. Cows should walk for 2-4 km a day as exercise

Remedies

 For insects, lice – herbal oils like tetri, lavender, neem, lemongrass sprayed throughout the
day

Cow Medicines

 Gau mutra (distilled and given)

 Purnanava (distilled and given)
 Shrabgandha (distilled and given)
 Ashwagandha (distilled and given)


Ghee Making

Add a couple of fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, a pinch of sea salt or some fresh curry & beetal
leaves at the end for great flavour (optional). Organic turmeric root powder, organic ginger root
powder, and organic black pepper.

UNSALTED / SALTED / FLAVORED GHEE

 30 litres of milk required for 1 litres of ghee at fat of 3-3.5%

GIR COW BREEDERS

1. Mr. Parsotambhai Sidapara, Gir Cow Breeder, Jamka, Junagadh, Cell: 9429551005 /
9427228975 / 0285-2689763
2. Mr. Sanjay Bhalla – The way we are – NOIDA
3. Mr. Ramesh Bhai Rupareliya - Jetpur Road, Near Ratanala, Sagarpan Road, Gondal City –
360311, Rajkot District, Gujarat, Mobile: 09909308451, Email:
[email protected], Web: https://www.facebook.com/rameshbhai.rupareliya
Gir Gau Jatan Sansthan – organizes training programs once in 2 months
4. Dr. Prashant Yogi – creator www.cowgrazing.com – Gaushala management
5. Vikram Boke – President, Maharashtra Organic Farming Ferderation
6.

USES Of COW BYPRODUCTS

 Vermicompose
 Biogas from Gobar
 Urine is used as a fertilizer and pesticide in farming
 Panchgavya

 1 cow gives 10kg of gobar and 10 litres of urine in a day

o You can make 7 kgs of fertilizers from 10kg of gobar which is sold for Rs 35
LAND PLAN

1. GIR Cows Barn

2. Cow grazing land
3. Land for Growing Cow Fodder
4. Land for growing organic fruits & vegetables
5. Ayurvedic Medical Research & Treatment Centre
6. Ayurvedic Manufacturing Unit
7. Shed for Manufacturing & Dispatch of Milk, Ghee, Butter and other products
8. Laboratory for food testing
9. Temple
10. Nature Care Center
11. Biogas Plant
12. Natural Lake / Water body
13. Soft music to be played
14. Water basin can be put near each cow eating station like Gauritirth Kamdhenu Gaushala Surat

FOOD FOR COWS

 Jinjuwa (zingwa) grass to cows – 10/kg per day. It helps to increase milk yield
 Pearl Millet (bajra)
 Sorgum (jowar)
 Soyabean husk
 Coconut
 Jaggery
 Suppliments to base food
o Vegetables – carrot & beetroot added in the feed from February to May
o May to August, sugarcane is given as a supplement to control internal heat of the body
o Start of September to November end, maize is given
o Lastly, groundnut husk
o Occasionally rock salt piece is put before cows so that it licks as much as it wants.
Powdered salt must be avoided
o Cows fed on wheat and rice bran lack nutrition in the body
o Brewery waste must be avoided as its chemically treated

COW BREEDING

 Cow must be able to conceive again in three months after delivering the calf. If it does not
happen then it implies lack of nutrition in its body. In such cases dairy owners are advised
to give 10 kgs gram (mot as called in Gujarati) porridge for 5 days.
 Allow the calf to drink mother’s milk as long as it is available
o First twelve days calf should be on 100% mother’s milk
o Next 3 months, calf to take 50% of mother’s milk
o Next 5 months, 25% of mother’s milk
o And slowly it is stopped
Agriculture Activity

 Drip irrigation is used at the farm for spraying gomutra (cow urine) and water.

Questions to be answered

1. Different sections in the gaushala for different cows? How is it to be designed?

a. Bulls
b. Cows
c. Calves
2. Shed has 2 sections – one is tiled and other has mud. How do you recycle the sand
3. How do you collect urine and cow dung
4. The water they drink, is it from bore well? How many times is it to be changed
5. What medicinal herbs are to be given
6. What is the daily feed plan – morning, afternoon, evening, night and what is the quantity
a. How do you ensure the quality of feed being given is free from insecticides and
pestisides
b. How do you keep the gaushala insect and infection free – ex. Growing certain plants
around
7. Is different feed given to different cows – bulls, cows, calves, hiefers
8. If the cows sit around their own urine and gobar, is it unhealthy?
9. Do you make cows take bath? If yes, how often?

Machines & Equipment required

 Chaff cutting machine

 Storage trolleys for carrying of food
 Cow scrubbing brush

Links to Watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYR2ClmY-S0

A1 vs A2 Milk

Notes:

 Most are unlawfully injected with hormone oxytocin to make them give more milk. Oxytocin
keeps their bodies in perpetual condition of labour, with repeated uterine contractions,
destroying their reproductive systems and making them bone thin and eventually sterile.
Questions

1. Do you make cows take bath

2. How do you keep the place hygienic
3. Feed for cows (Annual)
a. New Born Calf Feed Schedule
b. Hiefer Feed Schedule
c. Cow Feed Schedule (Based on different ages)
d. Bull
4. Do you keep cows of different age groups in different sections?
5. Best design for dairy farm
6. Is it necessary to tie cow legs while milking
7. Do you keep calves away from their mother and only bring them together to drink milk
8. How to maintain hygiene while milking (Automatic machines pride themselves in the no
human touch element)
9. How many hours does the milk remain fine before delivery
10. Whole milk should be kept in a chilled cooler at < 4 C?
11. How to do maintain a natural breeding program. When do you know a cow is in heat?
12. Uses & costs of other by-products
a. Cow Dung
b. Urine
c. Panchgavya
d. Biogas
e. Vermi-compost
13. How many employees are required per 25 cows?
14. When do Gir hiefers start conceiving? – Ideal 3 years if active. If stall fed, then 2.5 years.
15. Average age of a gir cow & bull?
16. How many calves do they produce in a lifetime?
17. Should you sell Bull semen?
18. What goods increase the quality as well as fat content of the milk
19. Which foods / herbs when fed give medicinal properties to the milk
20. Health risk to be careful about & natural vedic remedies for the same
21. What water do cows drink? Normal bore well / municipality water?
22. Costing
a. Cost of feed per day per cow
b. Employee Cost
c. Other costs (electricity, water etc) per day for 100 cow dairy
23. Simple tests to determine whether milk is A1 or A2
24. Lab tests to determine the most detailed nutritional value of the milk
25. Inter-calving period
26. At what age can bull calves be used to mate
27. What is the difference in the quality of milk between different cows? Does the quality of milk
differ because of pedigree or is it simply a function of food intake?
28. How do you increase quantity of milk?
29. How do you increase quality of milk? For ex. Giving medicinal herbs & plants
30. How do you increase fat content of milk?
31. What are the different pedigrees of bulls you possess? How many different pedigrees of
pure gir bulls are available in India?
 32. After 6 months, its better to give milk feeder to the cow vs mother’s milk? What is the
formulation of milk feeder
33. What is the diet chart for cows of different ages – keeping costs aside for time being. Ex.
Some people feed cows carrots for vitamin A
34. What is the life of milk after it is removed until it is consumed? Does it have to be stored at
4C to maintain its life?
35. How do you keep the udder healthy? How do you prevent your heard from diseases like TB,
Brucellosis etc?
36. How to check on the quality of milk after milking? Does pasteurization & homogenization
reduce the nutritional value of the milk?
37. What is the ideal design of a gaushala
38. How do you evaluate the udder of the cow? What age calf / cow should you buy? How do
you know what is the age? One should never buy a pregnant cow.
39. If the bones and ribs are easily visible, is it a sign of weakness of the cow?
40. To select a milking cow, what are the characteristics to look for while selecting a cow
41. How do you determine the health of the cow whether they are getting all the right nutrition
vitamins and minerals they require? Is there a blood test like for humans?
42. How to ensure, the pedigree of a 100% bull continues? Any male calves coming in the third
generation should be kept as they will be 95% or higher purity?
43. Should calves (male/female) be bought with their mothers?

GAUMUTRA & NEEM IS AN EFFECTIVE PEST CONTROL

ORGANIC FARMING QUESTIONS

 How do you make insecticide & pesticides using cow urine & cow dung?
 How do you vermi-compost using cow dung?
 What are the most critical soil nutrients that should be present in the soil? How do you
check & also supplement the same to improve soil fertility?
o For Ex. Best bajra grows in Rajasthan. Can the soil properties in Rajasthan be
achieved in the soil in say Gujurat or Maharshtra by adding deficient mineral
mixtures
 Soil organic matter is the life source of dynamic soil. The organic carbon content in
Tamilnadu soils has drastically reduced from 1.2% (1970) to 0.60% (2000) in 30 years. The
decline in soil organic matter is often associated with crop yield loss of about 30%. Organic
manures alone can sustain the productivity of the soil. There is an increase ill crop yield by
12% for every 1% increase in organic matter.
 To begin with, the practice of organic farming should be for low volume but high value crops
like spices, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables.
 Besides using cow dung, emphasis needs to be laid on the soil and crop management
practices that enhance the population and efficiency of below ground soil bio-diversity to
improve nutrient availability. Performance of cultural techniques for weed control and that
of bio-pesticides for pest management need to be evaluated under field conditions,
preferably under cultivators.
 Indian agricultural activity results in abundant crop residues. The residue turnover is 273.63
mt and the nutrient potential is 5.67 mt of NPK. Proper residue recycling can serve as
effective substitute for inorganic fertilizers. Large potential of organic resources remain
untapped in India. Nearly 750 mt cow dung and 250 mt of buffalo manure are available.
  Crop rotations invariably including pulse/green manor° crops fix atmospheric nitrogen and
leave root nodules in the soil and help in improving residual nitrogen content economizing
nitrogen use.
 Besides the identification of regions suitable for the adoption of organic farming. the crops
and their products should also be identified which are amenable for production through
organic ways and have the potential to fetch a premium price in the international organic
market.
 Organic generally means that there are no genetically modified organisms, synthctic
chemicals or ionizing radiations used in the production of crop. Organic agriculture is a
management system that enhances bio-diversity. biological cycles and soil biological activity
to producc healthy plants and animals and foster human and environmental health.
 Organic agriculture does not imply the simply replacement of synthetic fertilizers and other
chemical input with organic inputs & biologically active formulations. Instead it envisages
comprehensive management approach to improve the health and the underlying
productivity of the soil. In a healthy soil life, mineral particles, soil air and soil water exist in a
state of dynamic equilibrium and regulate the ecosystem processes in mutual harmony by
complementing and supplementing each other. When the soil is in good health. the
population of soil fauna & flora multiplies rapidly which in turn will sustain the bio chemicals
processes of desolation and synthesis at a high pitch. The above concept of organic farming
or cow based farming is strictly followed at GVAK Deolapar, Nagpur. "Gomaye Vasate Laxmi"
it means goddess of wealth resides in cow dung. It is true also because enormous wealth can
be obtained from cow dung by its proper utilization.

Grasses Grown on Field for Cows (Grown by King Satyajit of Jasdan) – In Monsoon they use 40
acres of land for dry fodder, and for Green Maize in winter, 15 acres of land is used

 NB 21
 Sorgaum (Juwar)
 Green Maize
 For Milking Animal – Cottonseed cake

- To standardize a herd would take 30 years

New born calf requirement of milk is 1/10th the weight of the calf. A new born calf weighs 15-20kgs,
so milk required by the calf is 1.5-2 litres

Cow lactation peaks between 3-5 months after birth. After 5th month, again it starts reducing as the
calf moves on to other food

King of Bhadwa – Pradeep Singh Jadeja

 Buys Cow Urine – Rs 10 / kg – used as insecticide
 Gobar @ Rs 350 / kg
 Manure @ Rs 350 / 50 kg

Plan farming such that fodder is a by-product on the farm land as it will be used to feed cows
 Learn how to make insecticide from cow urine
  Learn how to make vermin compost from gobar – introduction of bacteria is very important

Dry Matter
Protein
Carbohydrate
Minerals
Calcium
How much of protein, carbs etc is going in total fodder given will determine result. But GENE is the
most IMP

Crops grown on their field

Groundnut
Cotton
Soyabean
Sugarcane

100 Kg Gir Cow Consumption, 300-500 kg Gir Bull

 3kg Dry Matter (10% Moisture Content is there, hence in 1 kg, you count only 900gm of dry
matter)
 Alfa Alfa has 75% Moisture, Maize has even more (only 20% dry matter, so you have to
give 5kgs maize then its counted as 1 kg dry matter)
Give green fodder which is combination of proteins and carbohydrates, then cost of concentrates
will reduce
Dry Fodder – Check which has proteins which has carbohydrates – generally sorgum is given
 Legumes has proteins like chana, mag etc, which have taperoot and 2 roots coming out are
leguminous
 Maize wheat is carbohydrate

One time Green Fodder, One time Dry Fodder

Don’t give Napier (20 kg oxalic acid in 100kg), Should not give to milking cow - Replce Jingwa
instead which is natural and liked by cows

Check Mineral Mixure of Soil – If any deficiencies then the same will come in the crop. Hence even
though seed sourced is best, if soil is deficient in minerals, results will come in the crop

Natural salt to be given. Cinda Namak – they hang and keep, and the cows lick and take as much as
they require

Calf Rumen Development happens between 6-9 months –

0-3 months – calf should only be on mother’s milk

3-6 months – introduce little green fodder – khunna + cow milk
6-9 months – cow feeder (take formula from uncle) – concentrate is Rs 15/kg and milk is more,
hence start giving concentrate….Always use yellow maize because it has carotene which has
vitamin A

First 3 years is extremely important to give good food as entire development happens at that time.
Achieve their body weight within 3 years than 5 years. Cost of food for an older cow between 3-5
years will be much higher than giving good feed between 0-3 years. Will save costs later in the life
of cow.

Growing calf - Calcium & phosphorous are very important in bone development. Mineral Mixture
as to be given to cows if there is deficiencies in green fodder. Just milk and green fodder is not
enough.

Develop crops in small quantities. Exhaust demand and then keep increasing cultivation area.

Mineral Mixture to be given 3 months prior to birth of calf as cow needs to support both of them
or else calf will come out weaker. – 30 gm per day is sufficient.

Keep increasing the food to the cow as it get into calving. As any litres of milk you expect, give that
many kgs of food.

25% new blood added in F2

Top 3 Gir Breeders

1. King of Bhavnagar – Shree Pradeep Singh

2. King of Bhadwa – Mr Raghvendra Sinhji C Jadeja & Mr Pratap R Jadeja (Raghuvir Gaushala)
3. Darbar Shri Satyajitkumar Shivraj Khachar – King of Jasdan

Physical Characteristics of A Pure Gir Cow

 Teat size should be 4-4.5 inches. All 4 should be distinctly separate. After milking, the udder
should go up and not be hanging. It should be tight.
 Forehead should be convex and broad between the 2 horns
 Width of ears should be 5-9.5 inches and 10-17 inches long
 The soft skin in the neck starts from there and goes all the way to the udder
 Eyebrows are little heavy, hence they appear to be sleeping at all times
 There should be a convex curve above the udder. The more deeper the curve the better is it for
the development of udder
 The back leg spacing should be enough for the udder to grow
 Back should be completely straight till end
 Nose, Hoofs and Tail should be always black
 Area above the udder should be square for good milk production
 The bigger the grith, the better will be the milk production
 Hump should be distinct and centre should be in line with the leg
 There should be random red / which patches (lakha) on the body
 Shape between neck and hump should not have a deep gap. It should be uniform.

Other Gaushalas
 Lal Pari Gir Gaushala
 Dr. Deven Patel – IVF breeding of cows
 Main illness in cows is TB and brucelis


King of Bhavnagar – Shree Pradeep Singh (Video)

 Gives bulls wheat bran and udat ki chudi
 Cottonseed is not good for fertility.
 Soyabean is good but expensive.
 Raj bull he has is good
 If you inseminate today, the cow will be pregnant on the third day
 Embryo is not frozen when its very hot. They do it from September October.
 To avoid any problems with the teats, milker should be good, teats have to be properly
cleaned after milking, and last is cleanliness – cows should be left in dry areas, where there
is not much humidity, then problem of masticitis can be avoided. In new dairies, people
keep on washing, so it increases humidity.
 Always wash teats after milking. Even if there are small injuries on the teats, wash it after
milking and leave it and it will become fine
 Bacteria thrives in water – not in urine and cow dung
 After every 3 years, bull should be changed
  To select a milking cow, the rear side should be heavier than the front. Front heavy is better
for beef. The grith of the rear side should be longer and the width should be broader. Neck
should be long, and the cow should look feminine and not masculine.
 Too much of hanging naval sack is not good in hiefers as it will give big / hanging udder when
it grows older.
 In a good bull, testicles should not be uneven or too large or too small
 Normally cows come into heat in March-April, & Buffaloes in Oct-Nov
 Small calves start nibbling on concentrates within 15 days, some within 1.5 months
 Initially you have to control the amount of milk the calf drinks to make sure it does not over
stuff itself. After 2 months, they can drink as much as they want. Food intake will depend on
activity level. If calf is active and running around, you can feed them more.
 GINJWA GRASS is a must. Cattle like it. But if you grow it for a month, then they don’t like it.
So you have to keep cutting it earlier.
 5 acres land for growing ginjwa produces only about 20kg per day per acre. Suffices only 10-
15 animals.
 Gunea Grass, gives upto 200kgs per acre everyday. Brazilians are the best at growing and
giving special grass sourced from different parts of the world. Grasses sourced from Africa &
Sudan.
 Swarna Kapila is actually a deficiency in the cow, hence the color. Should be avoided at all
costs. – It’s like Albino deficiency in humans.
 If bull is horns are very thick and round, they are not preferred.
 If you milk first thing in the morning, and leave the mother & calf together for the rest of the
day, calf will be very healthy.
 Stall fed cows give more milk than those grazing.

"Gomaye Vaste Lakshmi" It means Goddess of wealth resides in Cow Dung

Other Contacts

 Kamdhenu Girivihar Trust – Runs cancer hospital near Valsad using panchgavya – cow
therapy
 Mr Uttam Maheshwari – Gau Chikitsak
 Mr. Sunil Mansingka, Chief Co-ordinator, Go-Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra, Deolapar, Nagpur
 National Environmental Engineering Research Institute – Dr. Tapan Chakarabati (Scientist
and Head) & K. Krishnamurtiji (Scientist) at Neeri – Benefits of Cow Urine
o Cow urine is used to counter pitta and cough dosh
 Khaniram Bapu has good animals. Bhanu of Bansi Gaushala is from there. Located near
gangadhara (only problem is uder) – Mentioned by Pradeep Singh from Bhavnagar
 http://bestsire.in/traits.php - Haryana - Cow Breeder
 Gujarat Live Stock Development Board

Rameshbhai Ruparelia - GONDAL

 Using Drip Irrigation, gomutra insecticide can be spread across the land
 Uses Solar Panel in dairy farm for hot water. Hot water is used to clean cow udder, make
cow take bath and when cow is unwell. Salt, Haldi & Hot Water is used to apply on a cow
which has just delivered for it to come back to strength.
 Has Cow named HIRA which is very good and gives good milk.
 Other good cow is chandrakanta
 When buying Bull, check the milk giving history of Bull’s mother
 Carrot grown using cow dung and cow urine, and then fed to the cow – the panchgavya
from that cow if had for 3 months can help cure all eye problems
