Dairy Cattle

Animal Science

History of Dairy 1611- The first cow arrived in the

Jamestown Colony. 1850 – Nearly every family had it’s own

cow. 1857 - Gail Borden condensed milk so

that it would take up less space. 1880 – Refrigeration 1894 The first milking machines were

invented.

History of Dairy

1895 – The first pasteurization machine was introduced.

1908 – First Pasteurization law 1919 – Homogenized milk sold

successfully. 1964 – Plastic milk container was

introduced.

IntroductionDairy Cattle main purpose is milk and milk

products. Other dairy products: Veal – meat of calves under three months of

age that are not used for replacement animals. (only fed milk)

Beef – Meat from cattle that are no longer profitable or steers.

Cattle By- Products – Cat and Dog food, medicines, marshmallows, cosmetics, furniture, and clothing

What does a cow eat?

The average dairy cow will eat 90lbs of food a day.

The average dairy cow will drink about 50 gallons of water a day.

To make one gallon of milk a cow must drink 2 gallons of water.

A cow can spend 6-8 hours eating a day

Do Cows Really Have

Four Stomachs?

NO!!!

A Cow is a Ruminant…

Ruminant- Animal that has one stomach that has four compartments.

Ruminants regurgitate their food commonly known as “chewing their cud” – Examples of Ruminants:

• Cows, Sheep, Deer, Giraffes, and Camels

The Four Compartments of the Stomach… Rumen – First compartment, Holds up to 50

gallons of partially digested food. Good bacteria break down help to digest food. Reticulum- Heavy Substances Sink to cause no further damage. Cud formation.

Omasum – Water Absorption Abomasum- True Stomach – Like your

stomach, used for gastric digestion.

4 Compartment Stomach

Saliva

An average cow produces 12 gal / day of saliva

Important for 2 main reasons: – Provide enough saliva for fermentation in

the rumen. – alkaline buffering - saliva is rich in

bicarbonate, which buffers the large quantity of acid produced in the rumen and is probably critical for maintenance of rumen pH.

Inside the Rumen or Fermentation Vat

The interior surface of the rumen forms numerous papillae that vary in shape and size from short and pointed to long and foliate

Rumen

The rate of flow of solid material through the rumen is quite slow and dependent on its size and density.

Water flows through the rumen rapidly.

An orderly pattern of ruminal motility is initiated early in life.

These movements serve to mix feed stuffs, aid in the release of gas, and push fluid and fermented foodstuffs into the omasum.

If motility is suppressed for a significant length of time, ruminal impaction may result.

A cycle of contractions occurs 1 to 3 times per minute. The highest frequency is seen during feeding, and the lowest when the animal is resting.

Reticuloruminal Motility

The Importance of Fermentation PROVIDE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS All vertebrates require certain essential amino acids which their cells cannot synthesize. Fermentative microbes can synthesize all the amino acids and thereby provide them to their host.

PROVIDE PROTEIN FROM NON-PROTEIN SOURCES Inexpensive source of protein.

Example: Urea – Sometimes fed directly to the cow.

SYTHESIS OF VITAMIN B Mammals can synthesize only two of the B vitamins and require dietary sources of the others.

Fermentative microbes are able to synthesize all the B vitamins, and deficiency states are rarely encountered.

Products of Fermentation

Metabolizes sugars to VFA’s or Voalital Fatty Acids. – This is the most important product of

fermentation. – Provides fuel for energy production ( Same

as glucose for you)

OTHER PRODUCTS INCLUDE:

Lactic Acid Methane Carbon Dioxide

Inside the Reticulum

Omasum

Rumination

Rumination – “Cud Chewing” Essentially breaking down food into a digestible form. – Regurgitation – Spit Up Food from Reticulum. – Remastication – Mix it up.

– Reinsalivation – Add Saliva.

– Reswallow- Food goes into rumen.

• 8 Hours Eating * 8 Hours Ruminating.

Steps in Milk Production

1. Cow or heifer reproduces. – Gestation – time between when the egg is

fertilized and parturition. – Parturition – technical term for birth. – Cow Gestation = 280 Days or 9 months.

Steps in Milk Production

2. In most cases the calf is taken from the cow directly after birth. – The cows milk directly after birth is known

as COLOSTRUM. – Colostrum- pre-milk fluid that provides

nutrients in concentrated form that is essential for newborns.

– Colostrum is fed to the calf for 3-5 days from a bottle or bucket bottle system.

Steps in Milk Production

3. The cows milk during the first 3 days after birth will be collected separately from the herd.

4. After 5 days the cow is then put back into the milking herd.

5. One month after cow has calved cow reaches peak production.

Steps in Milk Production

6. After peak production the cow is rebred to produce another calf.

7. The cow will continue to be milked until “dry period” – Dry period – Cow is taken out of production

60 –90 days before parturition to allow for colostrum formation.

Got Milk?

The Facts about Milk

Milk Legal – USDA

– Lacteal secretion. – Obtained by the complete milking of one or

more healthy cows, properly fed and kept.– Colostrum Free. – No less than 8.25% Milk Solids– No less than 3.25% Milk Fat

Composition of Milk

Water 87% Fat 3.8% Protein 4.2% Lactose (sugar) 5%

Processing Procedures of Milk

Pasteurization – Exposing milk to a temperature to destroy all bacteria.

Homogenization – Breaking fat droplets into small particles so the milk fat doesn’t separate in fluid milk.

Storage – Cool Under 40 Degrees, Sanitary, Oder

Free, No exposure to florescent lighting

Grading Milk

Grading – Based upon facilities & sanitary conditions of producers.

Grade A – 92 % of the U.S. Fluid Milk

Grade B – Used for products only.

Dairy Products

Milk 44% Cheese 24 % Butter 18% Ice Cream 10% Evaporated Milk 2% Condensed Milk 2%

From the Cow to the Consumer

Cow to Consumer is a 2 day process!

Cow…Milking Unit…Pipeline…

Bulk Tank…Milk Truck…

Processing Plant… Dairy Products…

Distribution…Grocery Store…

Consumer

Inside Today’s Milk Production… Today’s milking machines can milk

more than 100 cows per hour. Milking machines today are connected

to computers to track each cows milk production.

On most farms cows are milked twice a day and on some farms up to 4 times a day.

Old Fashion Style of Milking…

Some cows are still milked by hand into a bucket or by a pipe line.

Herringbone Parlor

Cows stand next to each other but away from the operator.

Parallel or Side by Side Parlor

Similar to Herringbone except cows stand side by side.

Rotary Parlors

Cows move on rotating platform.

Works stand in one spot performing each task in 10 –12 seconds.