Dairy Flashcards
Features of modern dairy industry
Fewer but bigger herds
Increased per cow production
Less time per cow
Less owner animal interaction
Increased input costs
Static milk price
Less profit
7 dairy breeds
Holstein Jersey Aussie red Ayrshire Brown Swiss Guernsey Illawarra
3 goals of dairy farming
Produce quality product from happy healthy cows
Be profitable
Be sustainable
How do farmers get paid by?
Volume of milk
Milk solids including fat and protein
Quality (somatic cell counts and bactoscan counts)
How’s dairy business decisions influenced by?
Farmers belief
Values economic social cultural
Consumers opinion
Mature intact male
Bull
Mature female
Cow
Offspring
Calf
Castrated male
Steer
Dairy systems
Pastoral
Non pastoral
Types of dairy systems
TotL mixed ration
Partially mixed ration
Components feeding
Cut and carry
Features of pasture based system
Seasonal calving pattern to match grass growth with milk production
Feedlot system
Happens seasonal or year round calving
Different housing systems
Non housed (may or may not provide shelter)
Housed
Tie stalls
No cubicles at all
Free stalls
3 calving pattern
Year round with 1-2 months break
Seasonal at spring or autumn
Split 2-3 times a year
Why having difference in calving pattern?
Ease of management
Feed availability and quality
Demand for milk
Milk price
Personal preference
Climate
3 milking methods
Hand milking
Machine milking
Milk parlour types by rotary or robotic milking
Importance of cow fertility
Loss of milk
Loss of genetics
Reduced calf sales
Avoidable AI costs
How to increase volume of production
Produce more milk in early lactation
Dairy fertility facts
Oestrus cycle at 21 days
Ovulation 12-18 hours after oestrus
Conceptually arrived in interns around day 5
Maternal recognition of pregnancy of day 15
Fertility KPI in year round system
Good nutrition
Good management
Cycling cows
Good heat detection
Timely artificial insemination
Fertility KPI in seasonal calving system
Good nutrition
Good management
Cycling cows (timely intervention for non cyclers)
Heat detection use of oestrus or ovulation synchronisation
Use of mop up bulls
How to improve heat detection
Training staff on heat behaviour
Activity monitors
Computer software to expect oestrus dates
Pressure devices
Progesterone in milk
Use of oestrus and ovulation synchronisation program
Reproductive options for dairy industry
Insemination
Artificial insemination
Natural
Stimulation of oestrus in cows not cycling
