So, you buy milk daily for that refreshing cup of coffee. Have you ever wondered about the process behind how you get the milk from the store?
Many people just visit the store and buy a packet or bottle of milk and prepare their favorite drinks. Not many think deeply about how the milk is treated, etc.
Cattle farmers, or specifically, milk farmers, are the task force behind the cartons of milk.
The cows are raised on farms, and if it is a farmer with lots of land, the cows are allowed to graze freely and given enough care and food so that they give a good yield in terms of milk. The milking cows are treated with special care and groomed so that they do not fall ill. The newborn calves are also treated with care, and the female calves are retained, whereas the male calves may be sold after a while.
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People who raise cows or buffaloes for milk and do not own land often let their cattle roam freely and eat grass, but the challenge here is that such animals could consume waste from roads and choke on it. These animals could also be involved in accidents and such. These types of incidents happen in developing countries, and there are no hard and fast rules about preventing such animal abuse. Such farmers, if you can call them that, should be given training by societies that buy their milk and sell it.
Most farmers give their cows grass and cattle feed that is sold through milk societies such as MILMA or AMUL. They also use the services of the government veterinarians who visit farms at any time of the day or night if the situation demands it. It should be noted that farms are located in villages, and the community is close-knit, so vets would not have any trouble visiting the farms at any time.
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People who raise cows in closed spaces without allowing any freedom of movement are criminals. Such factory farms should be shut down. Period.
I am not aware of privately owned cattle care dispensaries or such. So, if you want to be a cattle farmer, the only help you will get is from the government vets.
There are many challenges in cattle rearing and milk farming. I will write it in detail in further posts.
If you ever have the chance, do visit a cattle farm someday and see for yourself how the cows go about.
