16. Dairy Cattle Flashcards
List 3 potential fates for male calves born on a dairy farm
- ) Breeding
- ) Beef
- ) Veal
Describe life cycle of a female calf born on a dairy farm
(Non-Seasonally polyestrous)
- ) A heifer is bred at about 15 months in age, usually through artificial insemination.
- ) About nine months later, she will give birth
- ) The calf is fed her colostrum
- ) when her lactation begins, the cow becomes part of the milking herd where she will produce milk for about 10 months
What is a Heifer?
young female cow that has not borne a calf
How much milk does a dairy cow produce a day?
about 27 litres of milk per day?
At what percent of adult body weight and height can heifers begin to breed?
60-65% of body weight by 13-15 months of age
Heifers would then calve for the first time at ____ months of age.
22 to 25 months of age
Describe the cow estrous cycle and length of pregnancy.
- ) length of pregnancy is 9 months
- ) The normal non-pregnant cow enters estrus every 18-24 days unless cyclicity is interrupted by a pregnancy or pathology. Estrus lasts about 18 hours and ovulation occurs approximately 12 hours after the end of estrus.
How did the Land Grant College system contribute to the modernization of dairy farming?
the grant (1862) gave universities acres of land in order to would EDUCATE PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURE, home economics, mechanical arts etc. This program is available to all people who are in search of higher education, no matter what social class.
How did refrigeration contribute to the modernization of dairy farming?
Allowed trains to be packed with ice and sawdust and then pack dairy products to export
How did pasteurization contribute to modernization of dairy farming?
Achieved through electricity which allowed Louis Pasteur to explore microbe work
How did TB testing contribute to modernization of dairy farming?
Caused the cattle infection rate of TB to be <0.5% and allowed farmers to notice signs of TB
How did the use of artificial insemination contribute to modernization of dairy farming?
It is now relied on by >66% of dairy cattle forms which allows more specific and safer breeding to occur
How did cooperative testing associations contribute to modernization of dairy farming?
allowed groups of farmers to hire a tester who would give farmers data about their herd and how to benefit the
Classify the cow estrous cycle
Non-seasonally polyestrous
How long is cow pregnancy?
9 months
At what age do calves freshen?
22 to 25 months
List the top 5 dairy producing states (from highest to lowest)
- California
- Wisconsin
- New York
- Idaho
- Pennsylvania
Which breed of dairy cattle is dominant in the U.S.?
Holstein-Friesian
Why is Holstein-Friesian the dominant dairy cattle breed in the U.S.?
It has the largest volume of milk production
Which breed produces less milk (by volume) but produces the highest percentage of milkfat?
Jersey
What is colostrum?
Initial milk containing more protein, fat, minerals and vitamins than milk produced later
What is passive immunity?
A foal greater than 24 hours of age is considered to have failure of passive transfer if circulating antibody levels are less than 400 mg/dl
What is freshening?
When a cow can produce milk
What is drying off?
Approximately 45 to 60 days prior to calving, cows are removed from the milking herd to allow for the completion of calf development and for repair and regeneration of udder tissue
What is total mixed ration (TMR)?
a method of feeding cows that combines all forages, grains, protein feeds, minerals, vitamins and feed additives formulated to a specified nutrient concentration into a single feed mix
List the components of milk
87-88% water
12-13% Solids
(8.6% solids-non-fat, 3-4% milk fat and minerals)
Summarize current trends in the U.S. dairy industry
There are fewer cows than in history, but more milk is being produced
Summarize the “testing” of milk
Safety: 1.) Temp 2.) Antibiotics 3.) somatic cell count 4.) bacterial count Quality: 1.) % milk fat 2.) % protein 3.) milk Urea Nitrogen
Summarize the “processing” of milk
- ) Separation
- ) Standardization
- ) Fortification
- ) Pasteurization
- ) Homogenization
- ) Rapid cooling
Be able to Draw a lactation curve and label the axes. Explain each sage of milk production on the curve relative to reproduction (calving, breeding, drying off, calving interva)
be able to draw the curve