Assam ASSEB HSLC NSQF Agriculture Dairy Worker cheat sheet

Zebu cattle (Bos indicus) traits: hump over withers, dewlap, drooping ears, heat tolerance, tick resistance; typical of Indian and Assam breeds.

Assam local cattle: small, hardy, low milk yield (about 1–2 litres/day), used for draft and manure; Lakhimi and local non-descript types are recognised in state programmes.

Red Sindhi and Sahiwal: high-yield tropical dairy zebu; Sahiwal milk fat commonly 4.5–6%, Red Sindhi slightly lower, both tick-tolerant.

Gir and Tharparkar: Gir has prominent curved horns and convex forehead; Tharparkar is white to grey, dual purpose.

Crossbreds (HF × zebu, Jersey × zebu): yield 8–20 litres/day under good feeding but need cooling, concentrate feed and health care; HF crosses suit organised farms, Jersey crosses suit smallholders.

Buffalo breeds: Murrah (black, tight curled horns, highest yield), Surti (pendulous ears, two white neck stripes), Jaffarabadi (heavy, high fat), Mehsana, Nili-Ravi.

Buffalo milk fat is typically 6–8%, SNF 9–10%; buffalo are heat-sensitive, need wallowing or water and shade.

Mithun (Bos frontalis) is reared in hill districts of Assam for meat and ceremonial use; yak and mithun crosses do not occur naturally.

Identify breed by: horn shape and curvature, ear shape, hump, colour, body size, and milk fat profile; record breed in the farm register for breeding decisions.

Selection criteria for dairy females: milk yield per lactation, fat %, age at first calving, calving interval, udder shape, teats, temperament, disease history.

Pedigree index: use dam's lactation record and sire's proof; a heifer's expected yield is roughly the average of parents' records adjusted for management.

Progeny testing: a bull is judged by the average performance of his daughters compared with herd contemporaries; unreliable below about 10–15 daughters.

Inbreeding coefficient rises about 0.25% per generation when full-sib mating is used repeatedly; avoid mating close relatives to prevent inbreeding depression.

Crossbreeding systems: two-breed terminal cross, three-breed cross, rotational cross, and grading-up; grading-up raises exotic inheritance by half each generation.

Exotic inheritance above about 62.5% in HF crosses increases heat stress and disease risk in Assam's humid climate; 50% crosses are common on smallholder farms.

AI advantages: one bull serves many herds, no bull to keep, disease control, genetic gain; requires oestrus detection, semen handling at 4–5°C liquid nitrogen storage at −196°C.

Breeding records to keep: service date, bull/semen code, repeat service, pregnancy diagnosis result, calving date, calf sire and dam.

Ration balance: dry matter intake about 2.5–3% of body weight; roughage-to-concentrate ratio commonly 60:40 to 70:30 for dairy animals.

Maintenance plus production: add about 1 kg concentrate per 2.5–3 litres of milk above 5 litres/day; adjust for fat content and body condition.

Crude protein: 12–16% in concentrate mix for lactating animals; high producers need rumen-undegradable protein and bypass fat.

Mineral mixture 50–100 g/day; common salt 30–50 g/day; extra calcium in late pregnancy to prevent milk fever risk.

Green fodder 20–30 kg/day for a crossbred cow; paddy straw and other dry roughage must be supplemented, never fed alone to high yielders.

Total mixed ration (TMR): mix roughage and concentrate to prevent selective feeding and rumen pH fluctuation; feed twice daily after milking.

Water: 60–100 litres/day for a lactating cow, more in summer; water buffalo need access to wallowing water.

Urea treatment of straw: 4 kg urea in 100 litres water per 100 kg straw, sealed 3 weeks; raises crude protein and digestibility.

Never feed: mouldy feed (aflatoxin), excess urea in one feed, sudden ration change; transition over 7–10 days.

Vital signs: cattle temperature 38–39°C, pulse 60–80/min, respiration 10–30/min; buffalo temperature slightly lower, 37.5–38.5°C.

Mastitis: California Mastitis Test or somatic cell count; strip cup examination at each milking; treat with intramammary antibiotic and withhold milk per label.

Foot and mouth disease: vesicles on tongue and hooves, salivation, lameness; notifiable, report to veterinary officer, vaccinate twice yearly.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia: sudden death, fever, swelling of throat; vaccinate annually before monsoon; common in Assam.

Brucellosis: abortion in late gestation, retained placenta; zoonotic, test before purchase, use AI to avoid bull contact.

Milk fever (hypocalcaemia): recumbency after calving, cold ears, treat with intravenous calcium borogluconate.

Bloat: distended left flank, treat with anti-foaming agent, stomach tube, trocar in emergency; prevent by not feeding lush legumes on empty stomach.

Parasite control: deworm adults at calving and drying off, calves at 2–4 weeks then monthly; rotate anthelmintic groups to limit resistance.

Fever with tick infestation: examine for Theileria and anaplasmosis; acaricide spray or pour-on and keep tick charts in the register.

Pre-milking: wash udder with clean water, dry with individual towel, fore-strip each quarter into a strip cup to detect mastitis.

Full hand milking (whole hand, not thumb-and-finger) removes milk faster with less teat damage; milk out completely to reduce mastitis risk.

Milk let-down is oxytocin-driven; allow 1–2 minutes of stimulation, and finish within 6–8 minutes of let-down.

Machine milking: vacuum 40–45 kPa, pulsation rate 50–60 cycles/min, ratio 60:40; check teat cups and liners for cracks.

Post-milking teat dip (iodine-based) and keep cows standing for 30–60 minutes after milking to protect the teat canal.

Milking order: healthy cows first, treated or mastitis cows last; discard milk from animals under antibiotic withdrawal.

Milking frequency: twice daily at 12-hour intervals for dairy cows; buffalo once or twice daily depending on yield.

Record individual yield, date, and milking time; sudden drop of more than 10% signals health or feed problem.

Milk composition: water about 87%, fat 3.5–5% (cow) or 6–8% (buffalo), protein 3.2–3.5%, lactose 4.6–5%, minerals 0.7%.

Specific gravity: cow milk 1.026–1.032, buffalo 1.030–1.035; adulteration with water lowers specific gravity.

Methylene blue reduction test: >5 hours good, 2–5 hours fair, <2 hours poor; measures bacterial load.

Alcohol test: 68% alcohol gives coagulation in acidic or heat-damaged milk; used at the dairy gate.

Cool milk to 4°C within 2 hours of milking; raw milk held above 10°C spoils quickly; use ice or bulk cooler.

Filtration and immediate straining remove hair and dirt; use food-grade stainless or aluminium cans, never brass or copper.

Antibiotic residue in milk causes processor rejection and starter culture failure; observe withdrawal period strictly.

Clean-in-place: hot water 60–70°C with alkaline detergent, then acid rinse; sanitise with hypochlorite before use.

Key performance indicators: milk yield per cow per day, calving interval (target 12–13 months), age at first calving (target 24–30 months), culling rate, cost per litre.

Daily routine: feeding, milking, cleaning, health check, record entry; fixed timings reduce stress and improve let-down.

Culling decision: repeat breeder (3+ services), chronic mastitis, low yield two lactations, lameness, old age; replace with home-bred heifer.

Feed cost is 60–70% of total cost; calculate cost per kg milk and compare with sale price to check profitability.

Labour: one worker per 8–10 milch animals under hand-milking systems; plan leave and emergency cover.

Inventory: maintain feed stock for 15–30 days, medicine kit, semen and liquid nitrogen level log.

Manure and slurry management: compost pit away from water source, use as fertiliser; biogas reduces waste and energy cost.

Biosecurity: quarantine new animals 30 days, restrict visitors, footbath at entry, separate sick pen.

Floor space: crossbred cow 4–5 m² covered plus 8–10 m² open; buffalo 5–6 m²; calf 1.5–2 m²; loose housing needs more.

Manger height 40–45 cm for cows, 30–35 cm for calves; manger length 70–80 cm per adult animal.

Floor slope 1:40 to 1:60 for drainage; grooved concrete prevents slipping; urine channel outside the pen.

Ventilation: ridge opening and side curtains; avoid ammonia smell, keep relative humidity low in Assam's humid climate.

Records to maintain: animal register (ID, breed, dam, sire, birth), breeding and AI register, milk yield register, feed register, health and treatment register, mortality register.

Ear tag or tattoo within 24 hours of birth; unique ID links all records; also record photo and distinguishing marks.

Milk record sheet: date, morning and evening yield, total, fat %; monthly lactation totals for selection decisions.

Farm economics record: feed, labour, medicine, AI, electricity, milk sale, manure sale; monthly profit and loss.

Oestrus cycle: 18–24 days (average 21) in cattle, 21–23 days in buffalo; oestrus lasts 12–18 hours in cattle, longer and quieter in buffalo.

Best AI time: 12 hours after standing heat in cattle (a.m.–p.m. rule); buffalo often show silent heat, use teaser bull or heat detection aids.

Gestation: cattle 280–285 days, buffalo 305–315 days; dry period 60 days before calving.

Pregnancy diagnosis by rectal palpation at 45–60 days or ultrasound; non-return to heat at 21 days is a first signal.

Calving signs: relaxation of sacrosciatic ligaments, swollen vulva, udder enlargement, mucus discharge; normal calving within 2–4 hours of water breaking.

Newborn care: clear mucus, allow dam to lick, dip navel in iodine, colostrum within 1–2 hours, 10% of body weight in first 24 hours.

Calf feeding: whole milk about 10% of body weight or milk replacer; start calf starter and green fodder by 2–3 weeks, wean at 8–12 weeks.

Calf housing: individual pens or hutches, dry bedding, no draughts; disbud and identify at 2–3 weeks; deworm per schedule.

Cultivated green fodder for Assam: hybrid napier (CO-3, CO-4), para grass, guinea grass, berseem, cowpea, maize, and azolla as protein supplement.

Hybrid napier: plant stem cuttings with two nodes, spacing 60 × 45 cm, first cut 60–75 days, then every 45–60 days; yield 150–250 t/ha/year under irrigation.

Berseem: winter legume, sowing 20–25 kg seed/ha, first cut 50–55 days, 4–5 cuts; fixes nitrogen and improves soil.

Azolla: pond-grown fern, 20–25% crude protein on dry basis; feed 1–2 kg fresh/day per cow; doubles every 5–7 days.

Silage: maize or sorghum chaffed at 2–3 cm, moisture 65–70%, packed in silo pit, covered and sealed; ready in 45–60 days, pH below 4.2.

Hay: sun-dry to 12–15% moisture, store under cover on pallets; mouldy hay causes respiratory and mycotoxin problems.

Pasture: rotational grazing with rest period of 25–35 days; stocking rate about 1 adult cattle per 0.4–0.5 ha of improved pasture in humid tropics.

Fodder calendar: plan year-round supply, reserve dry fodder for monsoon floods, and store 1–2 months of buffer stock.

Zoonosis risk: brucellosis, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, anthrax, rabies; wear gloves, boots and mask for calving, abortion and sick animals.

Needle-stick and sharps: use sharps container, never recap needles, record injuries; vaccinate workers against tetanus.

Chemical safety: acaricides, disinfectants and anthelmintics stored in labelled locked cabinet; observe withdrawal periods and do not reuse containers.

Milking machine electrical safety: earthing, RCD protection, no wet hands on switches; wet floors need rubber mats.

Bull handling: never turn your back, use nose ring and bull staff, handle with two people; keep children away from adult bulls.

Animal welfare freedom: from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and disease; freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear.

Biosecurity: 30-day quarantine, footbath, visitor log, pest and rodent control, carcass disposal by deep burial or incineration.

Flood and storm preparedness in Assam: raise fodder and feed store above flood level, keep emergency feed and veterinary first-aid kit, plan evacuation route.

Welfare at transport: no overcrowding, watering every 4–6 hours, no transport of heavily pregnant or injured animals.

Dairy unit economics: fixed cost (shed, animals, equipment) plus variable cost (feed, labour, medicine, AI, electricity); break-even litres = fixed cost ÷ (price per litre − variable cost per litre).

Working capital: keep 2–3 months of feed and labour cost as cash reserve; milk income is daily but lumpy expenses come monthly.

Value addition: paneer, curd, ghee, sweets; paneer yield about 1 kg per 6–7 litres of milk; raises margin and extends shelf life.

Marketing channels: direct to consumer, milk vendor, cooperative society, private processor; price depends on fat and SNF, not volume alone.

Cooperative structure: village-level dairy cooperative society collects milk twice daily, tests fat, pays on quality, and federates into a district union.

Record keeping for business: daily milk sale, feed purchase, veterinary cost, loan repayment; use a simple cash book and monthly profit statement.

Government support: dairy loans under priority sector, subsidy on milch animals and equipment, insurance of animals, training and AI services via state veterinary department.

Licensing and hygiene: FSSAI registration for milk sale or processing, clean premises, trained handlers, potable water, pest control.

Oestrus detection practical: observe standing to be mounted, clear mucus, restlessness; record time and call AI within 12 hours.

AI practical: thaw semen straw at 35–37°C for 30–40 seconds, load in warm AI gun, wipe vulva, deposit in body of uterus, record bull code.

Milk yield measurement: weigh or measure milk in a graduated can, record morning and evening, compute daily total and lactation total.

Fat test (Gerber): add 10 ml sulphuric acid, 10.77 ml milk, 1 ml amyl alcohol, centrifuge 5 minutes, read fat % in butyrometer.

Clinical examination: take temperature, pulse, respiration, examine udder quarters, check mucous membranes, record findings before calling vet.

Deworming and injection technique: restrain animal, use correct needle size, give subcutaneous or intramuscular per label, record date and drug.

Silage and fodder practical: chaff length 2–3 cm, pack in layers, seal with polythene, check pH and smell at opening.

Assessed workplace tasks: cleanliness of shed and utensils, timely milking, accurate record entry, safe handling, and reporting of sick animals.