Guest guest Posted August 23, 1999 Report Share Posted August 23, 1999 Dear Samba Prabhu; I woould very much be interested in learning more about this ipip ipil I think you called it. We are sub tropical here in Miss and I personally like the jersey cows the best. They arent't so large and they seem to be more adapted to heat. Plus they generally give higher qality milk, butter fat etc. YS Dvibhuja Das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 1999 Report Share Posted August 29, 1999 "COM: Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)" wrote: > [Text 2587619 from COM] > > Dear Prabhus. > Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. > > Can anyone reccomend the best breeds (European or Indian) for health, bull > calf trainability and milk production in tropical to sub tropical zones? The general principle is to stick with the local heritage breeds, if they are still available. Breeds that were used in your area, or areas of similar environmental factors, 100 years ago. Talking to local elders can be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 1999 Report Share Posted August 29, 1999 Darrell Martin wrote: > [Text 2588144 from COM] > > Dear Samba Prabhu; > > I woould very much be interested in learning more about this ipip ipil I > think you called it. We are sub tropical here in Miss and I personally > like the jersey cows the best. They arent't so large and they seem to be > more adapted to heat. Plus they generally give higher qality milk, butter > fat etc. > > YS > Dvibhuja Das The bulls have a reputation for being nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 1999 Report Share Posted August 29, 1999 On 28 Aug 1999, Samba das wrote: Ø Can anyone reccomend the best breeds (European or Indian) for health, bull calf trainability and milk production in tropical to sub tropical zones? Ø European cows (B. taurus) come from cold climates although there are breeds that are adapted to the hotter climes, i.e. West Africa. But when you get into these areas that are localized diseases which many outside breeds have little resistance to. In West Africa it is trypanosomiasis a group of diseases more commonly called sleeping sickness. Jerseys and other European breeds taken to West Africa usually succumb to these diseases. However there are local breeds that are also Taurean that are resistant to these illness. 1. So, the limiting factor is are their diseases that are very common in the area in question? 2. The next question is their native breeds in the area? Native meaning a breed that has been in the locality for 4 or 5 hundred years. It is always better to choose from these animals than importing into the area another breed that usually not adapted to local conditions. 3. Do the local disease resistant breeds produce enough milk for your needs? Are interested in producing enough for yourself and a few friends or are you wanting to support the family on many milk sales? For example one trypanosome-tolerant breed is the N'Dama of Guinea. They produce 2 to 3 litres per day (just under a gallon) for about eight months. For a family this is alright but commercially not so good. The America's and Australia are two large geographical areas that do not have local breeds. Cows are recent arrivals so the above does not matter as much because there is no breed that is really adapted. Except in America the Longhorn and the Piney Woods both these breeds are about 500 years old and well adapted to the southern part of the USA. They however are not seen as dairy animals though they do produce milk in similar quantities to the N'Dama mentioned above. It should also be noted that most Americans are use to store bought milk which is mainly from Holsteins (Freisland) which is low in butter fat (3.64%) and proteins (3.9%). The above mentioned breeds, N'Dama, Longhorn and Piney Woods all produce milk that is much higher in fats. I would advise that you look on Mauritius for your cows talk to the locals to find out who has the best cows in your area. Then get from him. Most likely they are Sanga-type animals from East Africa probably with some Indian blood. They are probably not large producers, but by being selective in your foundation stock and using improved farming methods to increase the quality of your feed and fertility of the land, great improvements can be made over local production. When buying animals you should engage the skill of an experienced cowherd to guide your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 1999 Report Share Posted August 30, 1999 Samba's problem is that before the colonial era, when France and England fought over posession of Maritius, it was a small un-inhabited island and the only heritage breeds were some now extinct birds. >> Can anyone reccomend the best breeds (European or Indian) for health, bull >> calf trainability and milk production in tropical to sub tropical zones? > >The general principle is to stick with the local heritage breeds, if they are >still available. Breeds that were used in your area, or areas of similar >environmental factors, 100 years ago. Talking to local elders can be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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