Current situation and problems of dairy farms in Yenice district of Çanakkale province

This study was conducted to determine the current situation, feeding, and breeding habits of dairy cattle farms operating in the Yenice district of Çanakkale province. The main material of this study consisted of surveys conducted with producers in dairy cattle farms in the district. Surveys were conducted on 238 farms obtained through sampling from a total of 783 farms. According to the findings of the study, it was determined that the ages of the breeders ranged from 26 to 66, with an average of 49.50. The duration of dairy cattle breeding ranged from 2 to 51 years, with an average of 25.83 years. The number of dairy cows in the examined farms ranged from 6 to 24, with an average of 10.90, while the total number of cattle ranged from 12 to 28, with an average of 18.28. It was concluded that dairy farming in the farms was generally done with the indigenous black and white cattle breeds. The average milk yield per cow was calculated as 17.77 liters across all farms. It was found that 72.7% of the examined farms did not produce concentrate feed, while 24.4% produced it on the farm and 2.9% produced it outside the farm. The rate of concentrated feed being "procured only from the cooperative"; was found to be quite high. It was determined that 87% of the animals in the examined farms were fed mixed feed, while 13% were fed individual feed. The rate of animals being taken to pasture in the examined farms was 21.8%, while the rate of animals not being taken to pasture was 78.2%. It was determined that feeding was done in the morning and evening in almost all of the examined farms. It was found that a low percentage (26%) of the breeders surveyed received education on dairy farming. In conclusion, the education provided by breeder unions and cooperatives on dairy cattle feeding and ration preparation will contribute significantly to the effective use and increase in productivity of our feed resources. These training programs aim to increase efficiency in dairy farming by providing breeders with the skills to manage feed resources effectively.