Cattle Fodder with Hybrid Grasses and Azolla

Muralikrishna Halemane
Nov 7 · 5 min read

Dairy cattle

Cattle are one of the best pet animals in the farming community. It is mainly because the cattle not only provide highly nutritious milk to the owner but also it provides many other benefits. By understanding these facts, the cattle have been the best companions of the farmers from the prehistoric period. A clean and nice shining cow is the richness of the farm.

In most of the countries, dairy farming is a full-fledged enterprise. The milk is collected, homogenized, chilled and packed for distribution by the milk processing plants.

Whenever the cattle yield milk, the enterprise runs on a profitable condition. But, subsequently, once the milk yield diminishes, the dry period starts, it will be a non-profitable venture.

To overcome the non-profitable gaps, the farmers are opting for different ways and means. The farmers, stop giving cattle feed and feed only locally available fodder. Some other farmers just sell the cattle, so that they can overcome the burden of managing these ruminants during the dry period and the overheads of feeding the cows.

At this point, if proper strategies are not adopted, then the profits which the farmer has accumulated during the milk yielding period will all be depleted.

Hybrid CO-3 grass as fodder

Ways to overcome deficits

Items which help the farmers to overcome deficits include having on-farm valuable fodder inputs such as fodder hybrids, germling stacks, silage making, Azolla, grazing pasture, etc.

Hybrid grasses

Nowadays, hybrid fodder grass is popular to overcome the expense of fodder. The fodder hay stalks or wild grasses alone cannot keep the cows nourished.

If the farmers can manage to earmark some 10 cents of land for each cow they can make incredibly self-sustaining dairy farming. Compared to the dry grasses or the low-quality cattle feed, fresh fodder grasses are highly nutritious. Grasses not only help in overcoming the hunger of cattle but also provide a good amount of proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates as well as some qualities of mineral nutrients. These are potential dry-spell sustaining elements and most complete package for the cattle management during dry-spells.

Depending on the seasons, the fodder grass availability will vary. So, planning has to be done according to the weather conditions in which the estimates of the quantity of fodder grass availability has to be determined well in advance. Whenever irrigation facilities are available it is good to cultivate hybrid fodder grasses.

Silage production

Within the farm, silage preparation is another method, which can help the farmers to harvest available grasses during the growing periods. Prepared silage can be used at the time in which the fodder grass is not available. Silage from fodder grasses has to be done anaerobically by covering air-tight and fermented and allowed to get processed naturally to the final stages of the nutritious silage. The time required for this will depend on the type of grass used. Prepared silage can be stored in sealed bags.

Abundant grass on hilly pastures
Six-feet height fodder grass on the hilltop
Azolla pit for fodder
A close-up view of Azolla

Maintaining Azolla

Small artificial pond containing Azolla is an asset of the dairy farm. Azolla is a tiny pteridophyte, which is shade-loving and grows on water. A five square yards pond of Azolla is good enough to feed a cattle throughout the year. The pond can be prepared artificially by digging the soil one foot deep and covering it with HDPE sheet or by seasoning and waterproofing the bunds. If HDPE sheet is used, mix 5 kgs of pure soil in water per square yard. This will supply nutrients to the growing Azollae. Alternatively, phosphorus and micronutrient fertilizers can be mixed in the pond, which will be the inorganic hydroponics.

Azolla multiplies vegetatively. In order to start Azolla cultivation, a handfull of seed material of fresh Azolla plants are sufficient. Within two weeks, it will fill the entire pond with a green cover. At this stage, we can start harvesting by using nets. Then the harvested Azolla needs to be washed in water and can be fed fresh or can be mixed with cattle feed and fed within two days.

Azolla is highly nutritious which provides amino acids and proteins as well as mineral ingredients as well as some quantities of vitamins. Half of the cattle feed can be supplemented by Azolla plants as fodder. It meets all the protein and mineral requirements of the cattle. Regular harvest and pit maintenance are the only requirements for successful Azolla farming.

Green pastures

The availability of green pasture is always, good to allow the cattle free for grazing, which not only helps the cattle to fill its stomach but also gives a good amount of exposure to sunlight and development of good physiology and resistance to diseases and deficiencies.

Germling sprouts

Sprouts of maize made in sprouting trays are highly nutritious to cattle. These supply most of the essential amino acids and nourish the conceived cows. This helps to have healthy growth and subsequent better milk yields.


Proud dairy owners

A well-planned chart of cattle farming activities will always keep the farmer deficit free. Nice and healthy cattle makes the dairymen happy and love it. Attachment of the farmer grows with affection for healthy cattle. For those who use the milk for the households, it is always good to remember that instead of the packaged milk it is always good to have the natural milk, from the neighbouring dairy farm, which is near equal to the mother’s milk for the children. Most of the disorders now affected are said to be associated with consuming preserved milk. So always go green and keep healthy cows on your farm for your use.

Muralikrishna Halemane

Written by

Author is a villager, M.Phil Botany, MBA Marketing, a certificate in IPR and a practicing editorial officer from South India. Natural farming is his passion.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade