Farming Methods to Make Dairy Cows Produce More Milk in Early Spring

1. Maintain a suitable temperature. The critical temperature for milk production in dairy cows is 20°C. Apart from raising cattle in a warm barn, reaching this temperature in early spring is very difficult, but at the very least the barn temperature should be kept at 10°C.

2. Provide sufficient dietary nutrition. On the basis of feeding enough hay or silage, the nutritional level of the daily ration should be appropriately increased. Reference formula: cornmeal 50%, soybean cake 30%, wheat bran 10%, fat 3%, salt 1.5%, bone meal 2%, baking soda 1.5%, milk-promoting premix 2%. When there is no green feed, chopped carrots, potatoes or fresh Chinese cabbage leaves should be fed daily at 3-5 kg. On the basis of normal milk production, for every additional 3 kg of milk produced, 1-1.5 kg of mixed concentrate should be added.

3. Supply sufficient warm water. If dairy cows are given cold water in early spring, they will consume a large amount of body heat and milk production will decrease; insufficient drinking water can also lead to the occurrence of certain diseases. Therefore, care should be taken to supply sufficient water at around 16°C.

4. Keep the barn sanitary. Dryness helps with heat preservation, so dry grass must be spread generously and frequently, manure should be removed promptly, and lime powder or plant ash should often be scattered in the barn. This can both reduce humidity in the barn and disinfect and prevent disease.

5. Persist with sun exposure and exercise. On clear, warm days, let the dairy cows exercise for at least two hours every day, then lead them to a place sheltered from the wind and facing the sun to bask in the sun, so as to strengthen blood circulation, help digestion and increase milk production.