Dairy Farming Guides
Practical advice for cattle and buffalo farmers in Pakistan — written to be used on the farm, not just read.
ڈیری فارمنگ کے بارے میں مفید معلومات
Calving date calculator
Expected calving, dry-off and pregnancy-check dates for cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep.
Milk price calculator (fat/SNF)
See what a delivery is worth from litres, fat, SNF and your buyer’s rate.
Health
Vaccination Schedule for Cattle and Buffaloes in Pakistan (FMD, HS, BQ, LSD)
A practical yearly vaccination plan for dairy cattle and buffaloes in Pakistan: FMD, haemorrhagic septicaemia, black quarter, lumpy skin disease and brucellosis.
8 min readMastitis in Cows and Buffaloes: Early Detection and Prevention
Mastitis is the most costly disease on dairy farms. Learn the signs, how to use the CMT test for hidden mastitis, and the daily milking habits that prevent it.
7 min readFoot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) on Dairy Farms: Signs, Care and Prevention
FMD (moonh khur) causes blisters, lameness and heavy milk loss. Recognise it early, care for sick animals, and stop it spreading with vaccination and biosecurity.
6 min readLumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Cattle: Signs, Prevention and Farm Biosecurity
Lumpy skin disease hit Pakistan’s cattle hard in 2022. How to recognise LSD, how it spreads through biting insects, vaccination and isolation on dairy farms.
6 min readTick Control in Cattle and Buffaloes: Preventing Tick Fever (Theileriosis)
Ticks spread theileriosis, babesiosis and anaplasmosis — major causes of fever and milk loss in Pakistani summers. Practical tick control for dairy farms.
6 min readDeworming Cattle and Buffaloes: When, How and Why Rotation Matters
A practical deworming plan for dairy cattle and buffaloes in Pakistan: calves vs adults, timing around the seasons, dung testing and avoiding dewormer resistance.
6 min readMilk Fever and Ketosis: Protecting Cows Around Calving
Most health problems in dairy cows happen in the weeks around calving. How to prevent milk fever and ketosis with dry-period feeding, and the early signs to act on.
6 min readBreeding
Heat Detection in Cows and Buffaloes: Signs, Timing and the AM/PM Rule
How to spot heat (estrus) in cows and buffaloes, why buffaloes show silent heat, and when to inseminate for the best conception rate on a Pakistani dairy farm.
7 min readGestation Period of Cows and Buffaloes: Plan Calving, Dry-Off and Breeding
Cow gestation is about 283 days and buffalo about 310 days. Learn how to plan the calving date, dry-off, steaming up and the next breeding from one service date.
6 min readArtificial Insemination in Cows and Buffaloes: Benefits and Best Practice
How artificial insemination improves dairy herds in Pakistan, choosing bulls and semen, sexed semen, and the farm practices that raise AI conception rates.
6 min readMilk
Milk Fat and SNF Explained: How Milk Is Priced and How to Improve It
What fat and SNF (solids-not-fat) mean, typical values for cow and buffalo milk, how collectors price milk on fat, SNF or total solids, and how feeding changes them.
7 min readHow to Increase Milk Yield on a Small Dairy Farm: 10 Practical Steps
Ten practical, low-cost ways to raise milk production per animal on Pakistani dairy farms: feeding, water, comfort, milking routine, health and records.
7 min readClean Milk Production: Hygiene from Udder to Collection Centre
Clean milk sells for more and keeps longer. Hygienic milking, clean utensils, fast cooling and avoiding antibiotic residues on small Pakistani dairy farms.
6 min readNutrition
Fodder Planning and Silage Making for Pakistani Dairy Farms
Plan year-round fodder for cows and buffaloes: summer and winter crops, the fodder-scarcity months, and how to make good maize silage step by step.
8 min readBalanced Ration for Dairy Cows and Buffaloes: Roughage, Wanda and Minerals
How to build a balanced dairy ration from green fodder, dry fodder, silage and concentrate (wanda), and how to feed concentrate according to milk yield.
7 min readMineral Mixture and Salt for Dairy Animals: Small Cost, Big Returns
Why dairy cows and buffaloes need mineral mixture and salt every day, signs of deficiency such as poor fertility, and how to feed minerals correctly.
5 min readBreeds
Dairy Cattle Breeds of Pakistan: Sahiwal, Cholistani, Red Sindhi and More
A farmer’s guide to Pakistan’s indigenous dairy cattle breeds — Sahiwal, Cholistani, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and Dhanni — and how they compare with crossbreds.
7 min readNili-Ravi Buffalo: Identification, Milk Yield and Care
Everything a farmer needs to know about the Nili-Ravi buffalo of Punjab: how to identify it, typical milk and fat, breeding challenges and summer care.
6 min readBuffalo or Cow? Choosing the Right Dairy Animal for Your Farm
Compare buffaloes and cows for dairy farming in Pakistan: milk yield, fat and price, feed, heat tolerance, fertility and which suits your market and management.
6 min readDairy Goat Farming in Pakistan: Beetal and Other Milk Breeds
Getting started with dairy goats in Pakistan: the Beetal and other milk breeds, housing, feeding, kidding, health care and selling goat milk.
6 min readManagement
Heat Stress in Dairy Cows and Buffaloes: Protect Milk Yield in Pakistani Summers
Summer heat cuts milk yield and fertility. Practical cooling, water and feeding steps to keep cows and buffaloes productive through May–September in Pakistan.
6 min readCalf Rearing: Colostrum, Navel Care and the First 90 Days
The first hours decide a calf’s health. How much colostrum to feed and when, navel care, housing, weaning and the common mistakes that cause calf losses.
6 min readDairy Farm Record Keeping: What to Track and Why It Pays
The records every dairy farm should keep — animals, milk, breeding, health and money — and how good records raise profit and simplify decisions.
6 min readDairy Shed Design for Pakistan’s Climate: Space, Ventilation and Floors
Plan a dairy shed that keeps cows and buffaloes cool, clean and comfortable: orientation, roof height, space per animal, floors, drainage and water points.
6 min readHow to Start a Dairy Farm in Pakistan: A Step-by-Step Plan
Plan a new dairy farm in Pakistan: herd size, choosing animals, fodder land, shed, staff, milk buyers, and the records and budget you need before you start.
8 min readDairy Farm Profitability: How to Calculate Cost per Litre of Milk
Work out your real cost of producing one litre of milk, profit per animal and the biggest levers — feed efficiency, calving interval and culling low producers.
7 min read