CHAPTER 11DAIRY PRODUCTION

Facts: Sources of milk

are from goats, camels, llamas, sheep, reindeer, and water buffalo.

Dairy Cattle are the main source of milk in the USA

Dairy Industry: First brought to Jamestown

Colony in 1611 Farms had only 1 or 2 cows Lack of refrigerator was the

reason The second part of the 19th

century brought pasteurization, homogenization, refrigeration, and bottled milk

9.1 million dairy cows in the USA on farms

165 billion pounds of milk are produced by US cows each year

Dairy Industry: Each cow produces nearly

18,000 pounds of milk per year

One cow can provide for 25 people with their dairy needs

Dairy farm numbers have declined since 1950, by 95%

Herd sizes range from 35 -500 to as much as 10,000 cows

High tech milking equipment is used

Dairy Industry: Growth hormones are

used to increase milk production

California leads in total milk production, Wisconsin is 2nd , then New York

Calves are used for veal (males)

Older cows are used for bologna and hamburger

Dairy Cattle as Organisms: Kingdom – Animal Phylum – Chordata –

vertebrates Class – Mammalia –

warm blooded Order – Artiodactyla

(Even toed, cloven hoofed)

Family – Bovidae – Ruminants

Genus – Bos Species – taurus and

indicus

Dairy Cattle Conformation and Type:

Should appear angular

Lack muscle development

Well shaped udder

Four teats

Dairy Cattle Breeds:Seven Top Dairy

Breeds: Jersey Holstein- Friesian Brown Swiss Guernsey Ayrshire Milking Shorthorn Red and White 

Dairy Cattle Reproduction: Selecting Sires – One per

herd Artificial Insemination Nutrient requirements – Look

at their rations Feeding calves – Colostrum

first 6 hours Feeding young stock – creep

feeding Feeding Dry cows – no

concentrates only roughages Feeding lactating cows – one

pound of concentrates for every 3 pounds of milk produced. Roughages are fed at a rate of 2% of body weight.

Environmental Modifications: Animal/Human

interaction Stress modification

– space (housing), feed on time, milk on time

Climate Modification – temperature, humidity or precipitation, wind, and radiation

Dairy Cattle Health Metabolic

Health Disorders

Milk fever – overfeeding calcium

Ketosis – Blood sugar low

Mastitis – inflammation of the mammary glands

Facilities and Equipment: Cold Housing Warm Housing Milking Parlor Mechanized feeding Manure handling

systems 15-20 tons manure is

produced per dairy cow Solid manure system –

low cost – daily labor Liquid manure system –

high cost – move every 4-5 months

Lagoons (ponds) lots of land needed, odor problems

Showing Dairy Cattle: Training Washing Grooming Clipping Trimming In the Ring

The End