Odisha CHSE +2 VOC Dairy Farmer / Entrepreneur (AGD) key terms

A person who organises land, animals, capital, feed and labour to produce and sell milk or milk products, taking the financial risk in the hope of earning a profit.

A cow or buffalo kept mainly for milk production rather than for draught work or meat. Its value depends on daily yield, lactation length, fat content and calving regularity.

A graph showing daily or weekly milk yield of an animal from calving to drying off. It rises to a peak in early lactation and then declines slowly.

Indigenous humped cattle of the Indian subcontinent, such as Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi and Tharparkar. They tolerate heat, resist tropical diseases and give milk with relatively high fat.

Cattle produced by crossing exotic dairy breeds such as Holstein Friesian or Jersey with indigenous zebu cows. They usually yield more milk but need better feed, housing and health care.

A popular Indian buffalo breed, black and heavily built with tightly curved horns. Known for high milk yield and fat, it is widely used for upgrading local buffaloes.

The physical shape and structure of an animal's body, judged at the udder, legs, feet, back and rump. Good conformation supports a long productive life and easy milking.

A shed system where animals move freely in an open area with a covered resting space, feed manger and water trough, instead of being tied in individual stalls.

The area of floor each animal needs in a shed, usually expressed in square metres. It varies with body weight, age and whether the animal is tied or loose.

The feeding trough in a cattle shed, built at a convenient height along the feed alley so animals can eat without wastage and without soiling the feed.

The planned arrangement of sheds, calf pens, feed store, silage pit, milk room, manure pit and access roads on a dairy farm so that daily work flows smoothly.

The portion of feed left after all water is removed. Feed intake, nutrient requirements and ration formulation are expressed on a dry matter basis.

A feed mixture that supplies all the nutrients an animal needs in the right proportion and quantity for maintenance, growth and milk production over 24 hours.

A blend of roughage, concentrate and supplements mixed together and fed as one feed, so that each bite contains the intended balance of nutrients.

Fodder preserved by controlled fermentation in an airtight pit or silo. It retains moisture and is fed when green fodder is scarce, especially in the lean season.

Green fodder dried to low moisture so that it can be stored without spoiling. Good hay keeps a green colour and leafy texture and is fed as dry roughage.

Freshly harvested leafy crops such as maize, sorghum, berseem, lucerne and hybrid napier, fed to supply energy, protein, minerals and vitamins at low cost.

The period of sexual receptivity in a cow or buffalo, when she stands to be mounted. Detecting it accurately is essential for timely insemination and successful conception.

Placing processed semen from a selected bull into the reproductive tract of a cow or buffalo in heat, using trained technicians, so genetic improvement is possible without keeping the bull.

The time from successful conception to calving. It averages about 280 days in cattle and about 305 to 310 days in buffaloes and is used to predict calving dates.

The number of days between two successive calvings of the same animal. A shorter interval, near 12 to 13 months, means more lactations and better profitability.

The rest period of about 60 days before calving, when milking is stopped so the udder tissue regrows and the animal prepares for the next lactation.

A written record of an animal's ancestors over several generations. It helps in judging breeding value, selecting replacements and avoiding close inbreeding.

Inflammation of the udder, usually caused by bacteria entering through the teat canal. It reduces milk yield and quality and can become a chronic herd problem.

A highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals causing blisters on the mouth, tongue and feet, fever, drooling and lameness. It is controlled mainly by vaccination.

A disease that spreads from animals to humans, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis and rabies. Dairy workers need gloves, hygiene and vaccination to stay protected.

Giving a vaccine to stimulate the animal's immune system against a specific disease. A planned schedule protects the herd and is recorded with dates and batch numbers.

Milking and handling milk with clean hands, clean utensils and healthy animals, then cooling it quickly, so that dirt, bacteria and antibiotic residues are kept out.

The number of white blood cells per millilitre of milk, used as a herd test for udder health. High counts indicate mastitis and lower the price of milk.

Heating milk to a set temperature for a set time and then cooling it rapidly, which destroys most disease-causing bacteria with little damage to flavour and nutrients.

Processing milk into products such as paneer, curd, ghee, butter or flavoured milk to raise its selling price, extend shelf life and reduce losses from surplus milk.

The level of milk sales at which total income equals total cost, so the enterprise neither gains nor loses. It shows the minimum output a dairy unit must sell.

Money needed for the day-to-day running of a dairy unit, such as feed, labour, veterinary costs and electricity, before milk sales bring in cash.

A farmer-owned organisation in which members pool milk, share collection and processing facilities, and receive payment according to the quantity and quality supplied.

A farm book or digital file listing every animal with its identification number, birth date, parents, calving and milk records, used for selection and management decisions.

Total cost of feed, labour, health care, depreciation and overheads divided by litres of milk sold. It tells whether the price received gives a profit.

Information and communication technology support for dairy farmers, such as mobile helplines, weather alerts, market price messages, breeding apps and herd management software.

Items such as gloves, boots, mask and apron worn while handling animals, chemicals or milk, reducing injury and the spread of infection to the worker.

A widely used animal welfare framework: freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain and disease, fear and distress, and freedom to express normal behaviour.

Fuel gas produced when cattle dung is fermented in an airtight digester. Using it for cooking or lighting saves energy costs and reduces pollution from manure.