Dairy Cattle Flashcards
What percent of cattle herds in the US are used as dairy cows?
10% - cows have increased productivity, so fewer cows are needed to meet demand
How often are dairy cows milked
2-3 times/day
Tie-stall barns
-low-cost investment
-individual cow care
-labor intensive and difficult for workers
-poor stall design can lead to lameness, broken tails, swollen hocks, and decreased cow cleanliness
-uncommon now
Free-stall barns
-give cows comfortable place to lie down and rest
-not restrained in the stalls
-able to enter and leave as they like
-cows must walk to another area of the barn for water
-milked in a different location
How many hours do dairy cows typically rest per day?
10-14 hours/day
Compost-bedded pack barns
-loose housing system
-no stalls or alleys
-bedded pack area to rest instead
-wood shavings or sawdust are used for bedding
-needs to be aerated twice daily
-milked in a different location
-cheaper to build
-cows can get lost (sick cows overlooked)
Parallel parlor
-cows stand on an elevated platform facing away from the operator area
-udder access is between the rear legs (reduces visibility and can make unit attachment and udder sanitation difficult)
-cows stand parallel to each other
-released from parlor one at a time
-fairly common
Herringbone parlor
-most popular in the US for “small” farms
-cows stand on an elevated platform at an angle facing away from the operator area
-milk is accessed from the side and there is room for an arm type attacher and associated equiptment
-cows stand at 45 degree angle
-all cows are released at once
Tandem parlor (side opening)
-cows handled one at a time
-slow milking cows do not delay the completion of milking and release of other cows
-cows stand nose to tail in individual stalls
-milker gets a side-on vantage of udder
-cows can be released one at a time
-take up a lot of space
Rotary parlors (carousel or turnstile)
-cow movement is largely automated
-frees operators for tasks more directly associated with milking
-more difficult to provide special cow care
-stalls arranged in a large circle on a platform that rotates slowly
-cows usually finish milking after a lap or two
-milker stays in one place and cows come to them
What are the 4 phases of the lactation cycle
- early lactation
- mid lactation
- late lactation
- dry period
Negative energy balance
not consuming enough feed to offset milk production
Early lactation (stage 1)
-day 0-100
-production begins at a high rate and increases for 3-6 weeks after calving (peak milk production)
-feed intake starts to lag and cows lose weight due to a negative energy balance
-cows stop losing weight at peak dry matter intake is achieved
-cows should be rebred withing 60-70 days in milk
-grain > 60% diet
-constant access to feed and protein is a critical nutrient
Mid Lactation (stage 2)
-day 100-200
-maintain peak production for as long as possible
-maximize dry matter intake
-should be eating 4% of their body weight
-protein requirements are reduced
-important to feed high quality forage
-cows maintain or increase body weight
Late Lactation (stage 3)
-day 200-305
-milk production continues to decline
-feed intake declines
-cows rapidly gain weight to support pregnancy and replenish tissues lost in early lactation
-calves weaned ~288 days
-feed consumed is going to weight gain not milk production
Dry period (stage 4)
-305 days to calving time
-dry period should last 45-60 days
-prepping for calving
-monitor salt, calcium, and phosphorus levels
-dry matter intake = 2% of body weight
Subclinical mastitis
-undetectable to human eye
-only detected with the California Mastitis Test (CMT) = a reagent is added to small wells with milk, if a reaction occurs the relative degree of subclinical mastitis can be determined
-measures somatic cells count
-high levels is an infection
Mastitis treatment
antibiotic - but the milk cannot be kept from that cow
Clinical mastitis
-easily observed
-small white clots appear in milk
-strip cup can be used = a fine screen on a dark background so white flakes, strings, or blood can be seen
-milk shows more clots and is watery as mastitis progresses
-udder is swollen, red, and hot
Ketosis
-occurs when fatty acids are transported to the liver in greater quantities than can be metabolized = negative energy balance created
-10 days to 6 weeks after calving
-occurs during stage 1 of lactation cycle
-can test urine for ketone bodies (using pH strips)
Ketosis symptoms
-depressed appetite
-decreased milk production
-rapid weight loss
-listless behavior
-constipation
-increased milk fat percent
-low blood glucose levels
Ketosis treatment
dextrose or glucose
Milk fever (hypocalcemia)
-occurs in fresh cows
-metabolic disease that occurs when a cow’s blood serum calcium drops below normal levels
-muscles are weak-lacking calcium for muscle contraction
-occurs during stage 1 of lactation
Milk fever symptoms
-dull eyes
-cold ears
-trembling
-weakness
-eventually coma
-eventually death if not treated
Milk fever treatment
-calcium administered either orally or an IV for an immediate response
-IV given first, then oral a few hours later
-may have to continue this for several days
How are the majority of the dairy cattle bred in the US?
artificial insemination
Sexed semen
-preferred by some producers
-costs more
Why do dairy producers try to avoid twins?
-smaller
-not as healthy
-could have free martins = a bull and heifer twin - the heifer twin would not be able to reproduce
Estrous cycle
21 days
Gestation
283 days
Ayrshire color pattern
red and white
Ayrshire physical description
medium sized and horned
Ayrshire country of origin
Scotland
Ayrshire avg. milk production
15,601 lbs.
Ayrshire is known for:
“ideal drinking milk” and low somatic cell counts
Brown swiss color pattern
light brown color with creamy white muzzle and dark nose
Brown swiss physical description
muscular build compared to other dairy breeds and horned or polled
Brown swiss country of origin
Switzerland
Brown swiss avg. milk production
18,074 lbs.
Brown swiss is known for:
closest milk protein/fat ratio and quiet temperment
Guernsey color pattern
ranges from yellow to reddish-brown with white patches
Guernsey physical description
horned or polled
Guernsey country of origin
Ilse of Guernsey
Guernsey is known for:
rich yellow colored milk and and highest beta-carotene levels
Guernsey avg. milk production
15,474 lbs.
Holstein color pattern
black and white
Holstein physical description
-horned or polled
-mature cow weighs 1,500 lbs.
Holstein country of origin
Netherlands
Holstein avg. milk production
20,318 lbs.
Holstein world record for milk production
78,170 lbs. (in 2017)
Holstein is known for:
highest milk production and most numerous breed in the United States
Jersey color pattern
light brown color (almost grey to dull black), sometimes white patches, black nose bordered by a white muzzle
Jersey physical description
small framed, mature cows weigh between 880-990 lbs.
Jersey country of origin
Isle of Jersey
Jersey avg. milk production
14,275 lbs.
Jersey is known for:
25% more butterfat compared to average milk and milk production at a lower cost
Milking shorthorn color pattern
burgundy and white, ranging from solids of those colors to roan
Milking shorthorn color pattern
burgundy and white, ranging from solids of those colors to roan
Milking shorthorn physical description
hardy, muscular appearance
Milking shorthorn country of origin
England
Milking shorthorn avg. milk production
13,930 lbs
Milking shorthorn is known for:
versatility
Red and white holstein color pattern
red and white color pattern (recessive Holstein gene)
Red and white holstein physical description
large framed, horned or polled
Red and white holstein country of origin
Netherlands
Red and white holstein avg. milk production
19,967 lbs.
Red and white holstein is known for:
milk production
