1. The 10 cent mixed fodder model

A 10 cent plot (about 405 m²) grown with grass, cereal, legume and tree fodder gives a regular supply of green fodder through the year. Grass gives bulk and energy, legumes give protein, and tree leaves and Azolla fill the gaps

Expected output: about 6–8 tonnes of green fodder a year, or 16–22 kg a day. This covers most of the green fodder for one adult cow when fed with dry fodder and concentrate. A larger area under Napier is needed for two cows.

Key Practices:

• Land and manure. Plough to a fine tilth and apply about 100 kg farmyard manure per cent. Give basal phosphorus and potash as per the soil test.
• Top dressing. Apply about 0.5 kg urea per cent after every cut of Napier and cereal fodder. Do not top dress legumes.
• Every 7–10 days, and every 5–7 days in light soils in summer. Drip irrigation saves water.
• Continuous supply. Divide the Napier into 4–5 strips and cut one strip every 8–10 days, so fresh fodder is always ready.
• Chaff the fodder to 2–3 cm and mix grass and legume at about 2:1. Wilt legumes for a few hours before feeding. Give up to 1–1.5 kg fresh Azolla per cow per day.
• Make silage from extra maize or sorghum so the fodder lasts through summer.

2. Silage Preparation:

Silage is green fodder preserved by fermentation without air. Lactic acid bacteria turn the sugars in the fodder into acid, which lowers the pH to about 3.8–4.2 and keeps the fodder fresh for months. It gives a green, palatable feed in summer and the lean season.

Pit (Trench) Silage: Steps

1. Prepare the pit. Choose a high, well-drained site close to the shed. Line the pit with a plastic sheet. Plan about 1 m³ for every 550–600 kg of silage. One cow fed 15 kg a day for 100 days needs about 1.5 tonnes, or a pit of 2.5–3 m³.
2. Harvest and chop. Cut at the right stage and chop to 1–2 cm with a chaff cutter. Short pieces pack tightly and ferment well.
3. Add molasses if needed. For Napier and other low-sugar fodder, mix 2–4% molasses (20–40 kg per tonne) diluted in water. Lactic acid bacteria inoculants can be used as per the label.
4. Fill and compact. Fill within 1–2 days in layers of 20–30 cm and press each layer firmly by trampling or with a roller. Remove all the air.
5. Seal airtight. Mound the top, cover with a thick plastic sheet and press the edges down with soil. Weigh the sheet down with soil or sandbags, and make a drain so rainwater runs away.
6. Leave the pit closed for at least 45 days. Do not open it earlier.
7. Open and feed. Open one face only and remove a 15–20 cm layer every day. Re-cover the face with the sheet after each use.

Quality Feeding:

• Good silage smells pleasantly sour, is yellowish green, and has firm, clean leaves and stems.
• Bad silage smells rotten or like butter, is dark brown, slimy or mouldy. Throw away all mouldy portions.
• Feeding: Start with 5 kg per cow and increase slowly to 15–20 kg a day over a week, along with dry fodder and concentrate. Feed after milking so the silage smell does not taint the milk.

Baled Silage:

In baled silage, wilted fodder is pressed into round bales and wrapped tightly in plastic film. Each bale is a small airtight silo.

1. Harvest and wilt. Cut Napier, Bajra-Napier or sorghum at the right stage. Wilt in the field to about 40–50% dry matter (50–60% moisture). This takes a few hours to a day in hot weather.
2. Make dense, firm round bales with a baler. Loose bales trap air and spoil.
3. Wrap quickly. Wrap each bale with UV-stabilised stretch film within a few hours, and in any case within 24 hours. Use at least 4 layers, and 6 layers for wetter fodder or longer storage, with half of each layer overlapping the last.
4. Store:  Keep the bales on a flat, well-drained, hard surface away from trees. Protect them from rats, birds and stray animals. Patch any hole in the film straight away with tape.
5. Feed:  Bales are ready in 4–6 weeks and keep for 6–12 months if the film stays intact. Feed an opened bale within 3–5 days (2–3 days in hot weather).

3. Total Mixed Ration (TMR)

TMR is a ration in which all feed ingredients, including green fodder, dry fodder, silage, concentrate and minerals, are chopped and mixed so that every mouthful has the same balanced nutrients. The cow cannot pick out the tasty parts and leave the rest.

Why TMR

• Steadier rumen. A uniform feed keeps the rumen stable and lowers the risk of acidosis.
• Better feed use. Less wastage and better milk yield and animal health from the same feed.
• Lower cost. Cheap local by-products (maize stover, groundnut haulms, sugarcane tops, coconut cake) can be included safely.
• Less labour. One mixing and one feeding operation for the whole group.

How to Prepare:

1. Group the animals. Feed high-yielding, medium-yielding, low-yielding and dry cows with separate TMRs.
2. Chop the roughage. Chop dry and green fodder to 2–5 cm.
3. Mix in order. Spread the dry fodder first, then the silage and green fodder, then the concentrate, and last the mineral mixture and salt. Sprinkle a little water or diluted molasses to bind the mix. Use a mixer wagon, or mix by hand on a clean concrete floor for small herds.
4. Check the mix. The TMR should be moist but not wet (dry matter about 45–55%), with no separate lumps of concentrate.
5. Feed fresh. Feed once or twice a day and push the feed back to the manger often. Leave 2–5% as leftover and remove it every day.
6. Change slowly. Move animals from their old ration to TMR over 7–10 days.

Sample TMR (indicative)

For a crossbred cow of about 400–450 kg giving about 10–12 litres of milk a day: