The Dairy Industry

Animal Science

ClassificationBovine: Scientific name for cattle.Cow: A mature female bovine.Bull: A mature male bovine.Calf: A newborn bovine.Heifer: A young female bovine.Steer: An altered male bovine.

The Dairy Industry

Dairy cows were first brought to Jamestown in 1611.Early farms had 1 or 2 cows for their own use. Lack of refrigeration made it difficult for city dwellers to obtain milk.

The Dairy Industry

Pasteurization, refrigeration and bottled milk were developed in the second half of the 19th century allowing milk to be shipped to population centers.

The Dairy Industry

PasteurizationA process that destroys bacterial and other tiny organisms by heating the milk to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds.

The Dairy Industry

HomogenizationA process used to keep the fat and milk liquid from separating by breaking the fat droplets into very small particles so they stay in suspension.

The Dairy IndustryThere are 9.3 million dairy cows on U.S. farms producing 150 billion pounds of milk each year.Each cow produces about 16,000-21,000 pounds per year.1 Gallon weighs 8 pounds.

The Dairy Industry

There are half the farms today than in the 1950’s but each farm is larger and each cow produces more milk through biotechnology.

The Dairy Industry

The use of rbST (Bovine somatotropin)-a natural growth hormone-has increased milk production since 1994.

The Dairy IndustryDairy production is concentrated near large cities.

California is #1 followed byNew YorkPennsylvaniaMinnesota

Making MilkUdder: Mammary glands, teats, and associated structures on female mammals.Cows have four mammary glands or quarters.Each quarter has a teat.A canal in each teat allows removal of milk.

Making Milk

The milk is produced in the alveoli.Alveoli remove nutrients from the blood and convert the nutrients into milk.

Making MilkLactation: Secretion of milk by the mammary glands; the production of milk by a female mammal.Dry Cow: A cow that has stopped producing milk; most cows in a herd produce mild 305 days for each lactation.

Making MilkColostrum: the first milk given by an animal after parturition: baby animals need colostrums to help develop disease immunity.Immunoglobulin: Antibodies passed from a cow to her calf in colostrums; provides passive immunity to disease.

Making Milk

Milk is 87% water.Fat and protein make up less than 4%.It has 4% lactose (milk sugar)Nutrient Dense-Large amounts of nutrients relative to calories.

BreedingSelection is choosing or picking the animals for the herd.Culling is choosing the cows or heifers to remove from the herd.Selection and culling criteria

Production factorsGenetic makeup

BreedingDairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA)

National testing and record-keeping program.USDA work with producers to compile herd data with others in the area state and nation.

BreedingProgeny

The offspring of animalsUseful in selecting dairy animals by identifying the genetic worth of the sires and dams.

Feeding a Dairy HerdTotally mixed ration (TMR)

All feedstuffs are mixed together to provide all feed ingredients in each mouthful a cow eats.

Feeding a Dairy HerdNutrient Requirements

Related to body sizeLactationState of maturation (age)Dry or not

HealthPrimary Objective:

Prevent and control disease by knowing the normal and abnormal behavior of the animal.

HealthMetabolic disorder

Related to unbalanced to nutrition. Most occur shortly after calving.Due to stress associated with high milk production.

HealthMetabolic disorder

Milk FeverA metabolic disorder characterized by low blood calcium and paralysis of cows.

KetosisCharacterized by a poor appetite and dullness; results when a cow is struggling with a health problem in early lactation.

HousingCold housing

Unheated building kept cold during the winter.

Warm housingKept warm in the winter.

HousingFree-stall barn

Cows are allowed to roam freeHard to monitor feed intake

Tie-stall barnCows are chained in individual stallsFeed intake can be monitored