Dairy Cattle Flashcards
world dairy cow numbers and milk production
head: india, brazil, pakistan, china, Ethiopia
milk production: united states, india, brazil, germany, russia
production/cow: israel, united states(23,055lb), korea, denmark, estonia
other products from dairy cattle
larger export market for butter, cheese, and dried milk products
milk is perishable and heavy
united states dairy industry
dairy industry makes up 10% of all US agriculture
of all animal agriculture: 23.6%
efficiency of dairy cattle
best at converting feed to human food; milk is a continuous production for a cow
dairy cattle prior to 1960
out grazing on pastures, no grain in diet
smaller herds
milk production/cow was moderate
dairy cattle post 1960
maintained in confinement
herds are larger and more efficient
more grain in diet-more energy
milk production/cow 2 to 4 times increased
capitol investments
refrigerated bulk tanks
confinement facilities
feed harvest and storage
better quality feed
minimal waste during harvest and storage
feed delivery
movement away from component diet
replaced with total mixed rations (TMR); deisgned to meet that cows needs, esp at peak lactation
united states dairy cattle milk production
california, wisconsin, idaho, new york, texas (just kicked out PA)
trends
fewer dairy cows but increase in milk production
dairy type
sum of physical characteristics that adapt an animal to a particular use
-product=milk
-quantity of milk
-% fat content
dairy type- general appearance
dairy character: lean, no excess fat cover, lack of muscling, angularity
energy is going to milk production
dairy type- mammary system
support of udder
attachment
synthesis of milk components
high metabolic demand
dairy type- body capacity
produce calf
ruminant
large volume forage/feed
dairy type- soundness
teat structure
mouth and teeth
feet and legs
dairy breed origin
dairy cattle have all been imported from Europe- temperate climates
crossbreeding not as common as other species
the six major breeds (in order of popularity)
holstein, jersey, brown swiss, guernsey, ayrshire, milking shorthorn
holstein
originated in the netherlands and northern germany
second oldest of the pure dairy breeds
black and white, or more rarely, red and white
unmatched milk production
mature cow size is about 1500lbs
most common breed in US
jersey
originated on the island of jersey (off the coast of the British Isles)
color is fawn or cream with black muzzles
smallest of the dairy cow breeds (~1000lbs)
highest amount of fat in the milk
guernsey
originated on the isle of Guernsey (off the coast of the British Isle)
fawn colored with white markings
mid size of the dairy breeds (mature cow size ~1100lbs)
milk produced has high fat content
^makes cheese and butter
brown swiss
originated in switzerland
oldest of the pure dairy breeds
cattle are light to dark brown. nose tongue and tail are black
large framed strong and rugged
ayrshire
orignated in scotland
they are light to deep cherry red, mahogany, or brown with white patches or solid white
mature cow size ~1200lbs
milking shorthorn
originated from england
the color is either red, red and white, or roan
mature cow size is 1250lbs
multipurpose- beef and milk
dairy cow reproduction
majority of repro is done AI for dairy cattle
DHIA dairy herd improvement association
collects and processes information on dairy cows
milk weights and milk samples collected on each cow
provides information to herd owners
records used by the USDA for sire evaluation purposes
dry cow
not lactating-not producing milk
short period of cycle -approximately 60 days
have lowest nutrient requirements- maintained on forage
lactating cows
cows are milked two to three times a day
lactating cows have the highest nutrient requirements
feed intake is critical
heaet stress can reduce milk production (shade, sprinklers, fans)
calves
colostrum- first milk, very important for immune system, contains antibodies
milk replacer- from the dairy cows, not nursing mom
calf hutches- individual stalls, easier to track- individual attention
replacement heifers
growth- nutrition and management success determines maturity
reproduction- breed at 15 months, calve at 2 years
need to be at least 65% of adult weight at time of breeding
holstein steer in feedlots
15-20% of all steer in feedlots are holsteins
their rate of gain faster than beef animals but their efficiency is poorer
less muscle than beef breeds
if fed long enough, 1500lbs+, they will marble well (next under wagu for asian markets) and grade choice or prime
daughter pregnancy rate
has decreased across all breeds since 1960s- the energy focus has gone towards lactation, not to conceive
reproductive management
produce a calf at 13 month intervals
the cow must recover from calving, start her heat cycle again, and conceive within 115 days to achieve this goal
she must do all of this while producing a sizable quantity of milk that is larger each year
cow generally loses weight for the first few weeks after calving- nutrition is so important
heat detection- artificial insemination
herd health
mastitis: inflammation of the udder
caused by a variety of bacteria or occasionally other types of infectious organisms
poor milking practices, faulty milking machines, and unsanitary conditions increase risk
milk fever (parturient paresis): sudden loss of calcium, cows undergo a period of restlessness and muscle tremors before becoming unable to stand, occurs most commonly around the time of calving
nutrition in dairy cattle
feed accounts for 45-65% of the costs of the dairy
dry diet- 90% forage + 10% grain
transition diet- 70% forage + 30% grain
lactation diet- 50% forage + 50% grain
traditional dairy production cycle
365 days- lactation
60 days- dry
typical dairy production cycle
345-365 days- lactation
45-60 days- dry
transition period- 21 days before lactation
dairy facilities
intensive
manure management is important
loose or free stalls: a large housing system with stall areas and feeding areas
tie stall or stanchion- tie areas or head gates that retrain the cows and keep them in one area; makes individual feedings possible
milking parlor- clean area for milking; herringbone, parallel, carousel
maternity barn- calving barn
what is milk
colloidal suspension of solids in liquid
milk nutrient dense: high nutrient content in relationship to total calories
collostrum
first milk
higher in protein minerals and milk fat
high in immunoglobulins
milk composition
fluid whole milk is approximately 87% water, 8.6% solids-not fat (SNF), and 3-4% milk fat
fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K) are normal components in milk fat
carbohydrates: lactose- 4.8% of cow’s milk
proteins: 3.3% protein, caseins
vitamins
all vitamins essential to human nutrition are found in milk
minerals
milk is a rich source of calcium
reasonably good source of phosphorous and zinc
milk is not a good source of iron and iodine content is dependent on animal’s diet
milk tanks
milk is tested for somatic cells and graded
milk grades are based on facility maintenance and herd health
Grade A milk: highest quality and is used for fluid milk
Grade B: higher somatic cell counts as well as lower facility qualities and is sued to produce processed milk products such as butter and cheese
Babcock Cream Test: tests for milk fat
fluid milk
milk sold for consumption in liquid form
homogenized and pasteurized
whole milk- contains no less than 3.25% milk fat and at least 8.25% SNF
low fat milk- contains fat levels of 0.5%, 1.0%, or 2.0% milk fat with at least 8.25% SNF
skim milk- contains less than 0.5% milk fat with at least 8.25% SNF
evaporated and condensed milk
evaporated milk has at least 7.5% milk fat and 25% SNF, with 50% of water removed
cream
portion of milk containing milk fat
must have no less than 18% milk fat
half and half: 50/50 mixture of cream and milk containing between 10.5% and 18% milk fat
dry milk
made from removing water to final content of about 5%
fermented dairy products
buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese
selected cultures of bacteria convert lactose to lactic acid
butter
dairy product made exclusively from milk or cream or both which contains not less than 90% by weight of milk fat
cheese
more than 400 different kinds
most cheeses and cheese products are classified into one of four main groups
soft, semisoft, hard, very hard
cheese manufacturing
milk is treated with rennin to coagulate
curd is a custard like product that is pressed and this will become cheese
whey removed
100lbs of milk to make 8-16lbs of cheese
ice cream
frozen dairy products with high milk fat and milk solid content
ice milk contains less milk fat, may be made from skim milk
