Dairy Cow Week 1 Study Questions

Question 1

What percentage of the calories in the American diet comes from dairy products?

Answer 1

10%

Question 2

What are the trends in fluid milk, cheese, and butter consumption in the USA since 1970?

Answer 2

Decline in fluid consumption

Question 3

Where does the USA rank in the world for total milk production?

Answer 3

3rd

Question 4

What percentage of US dairy products are exported?

Answer 4

15%

Question 5

What countries do we export to? (top three)

Answer 5

Canada, Mexico, China

Question 6

How many dairy cows are in the USA?

Answer 6

9.4 million

Question 7

What are the three largest dairy states for number of cows?

Answer 7

California, Idaho, Wisconsin

Question 8

How many dairy cows are in Missouri? Where do we rank with respect to other states?

Answer 8

71,000 dairy cows, MO ranks 25th

Question 9

What is the average dairy herd size in the USA?

Answer 9

317 cows per herd

Question 10

Where are most of the large dairies located in the USA?

Answer 10

Down south (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico)

Question 11

What is the average herd size for Missouri?

Answer 11

109 cows per herd, ranked 45th out of 50

Question 12

What is the average milk production per lactation per cow in the USA?

Answer 12

23, 984 lbs cow per year

Question 13

Approximately how many gallons of milk per day does the typical cow produce?

Answer 13

7.6 gallons of milk per day

Question 14

What three states have the highest milk production per cow?

Answer 14

Michigan, Colorado, Wyoming

Question 15

What is Missouri’s average milk production per cow and where do we rank for milk production per cow?

Answer 15

14,225 lbs per cow per year. MO 45th/50

Question 16

What is a major reason that Missouri has low milk production per cow?

Answer 16

grass based diet

Question 17

Does low milk production per cow = low profitability per cow? Why or why not (use grass-based dairying
in Missouri as an example)?

Answer 17

No, grass based diaries are inexpensive because food costs are low. So the profits of the milk are higher.

Question 18

How does the Zeal Grass Milk Creamery increase the profitability of their dairies?

Answer 18

Advertise as grass based because consumers like this

Question 19

What are the two major dairy breeds in the USA?

Answer 19

Holstein and Jersey

Question 20

What is a Hojo cow?

Answer 20

A crossbreed of a Holstein and Jersey

Question 21

How many gallons of milk per day did Selz-Pralle Aftershock 3918 make during peak lactation?

Answer 21

30 gallons of milk per day

Question 22

Why was the cow “Old Jo” important to Dairy Science at Mizzou?

Answer 22

She held the record for milk production and put MO on the map for dairy production

Question 23

What is the “stress” that we put on a dairy cow?

Answer 23

milk production

Question 24

How is the “strain” different from the stress?

Answer 24

strain is when the cow is sick, unable to produce milk

Question 25

How do we reduce the strain on a dairy cow?

Answer 25

improved genetics and good management

Question 26

What are the two most genetically tested species?

Answer 26

Cows and Humans

Question 27

How have the number of dairy farms and number of cows per farm changed in the USA in the past 50 years?

Answer 27

Traditional dairies are dying --> small dairies are going out of business and cows are moving to larger farms

Question 28

The “Life Cycle of a Dairy Cow”.

Answer 28

Cow has calf --> lactate for 1 year --> dry (60 days) --> repeat the calf is a replacement heifer --> 8-10 months (then hits puberty) --> cycles (4 months) --> (AI) then pregnant(9 months)

Question 29

What happens to bull calves on dairies?

Answer 29

get sold

Question 30

What is “Dairy beef” and why do you breed dairy cows to beef bulls?

Answer 30

breed a heifer that has unwanted genes with a beef cow so you can see it into beef

Question 31

What do we mean when we say “replacement rate” for a dairy? What is a typical replacement rate?

Answer 31

replace 30% of cows each year

Question 32

When should first breeding occur in a dairy heifer?

Answer 32

12-14 months

Question 33

When should first calving occur in a dairy heifer?

Answer 33

22-24 months

Question 34

What is colostrum?

Answer 34

first secretion from the mammary gland and is full of antibodies

Question 35

Why are the antibodies found in colostrum so critical to calf health?

Answer 35

Calves are born without antibodies -- colostrum cues time for the calves immune system to develop

Question 36

What is the difference between “active” and “passive” immunity?

Answer 36

active --> own body develops antibodies passive --> (colostrum) ingestion or infusion

Question 37

Is the disease protection that colostrum provides long- or short-lived?

Answer 37

short lived

Question 38

What are the three Q’s for colostrum feeding?

Answer 38

Quantity -- Quality -- Quickly Quantity: how much colostrum a calf gets (calves over 100 lbs get 4 lbs at birth and 2 its at 12 hours) Quality: amount of antibody in colostrum Quickly: capacity of absorption of antibodies declines after 24 hours

Question 39

What should you do to ensure that the heifers get adequate colostrum after birth?

Answer 39

Get the cow up and milk, bottle feed calf --> tube feed if won't take a bottle

Question 40

What do calves eat after the colostrum feeding period (before weaning)?

Answer 40

grain and water and milk

Question 41

What are conventional versus accelerated growth programs for calves before weaning? How do they differ with respect to what is fed and how much is fed?

Answer 41

Conventional: max starter grain intake Accelerated (norm): max milk/milk replacer intake

Question 42

What is a “calf hutch”?

Answer 42

individual living

Question 43

What is a “calf ranch”?

Answer 43

someone raises the calf for you

Question 44

What is one advantage of housing calves in hutches compared with group housing?

Answer 44

less likely to transfer disease

Question 45

What is one advantage of housing calves in groups compared with hutch housing?

Answer 45

they are more social and have improved behavior

Question 46

What are automatic calf feeders?

Answer 46

a computerized feeder that tracks the weight of the calf and how much they have eaten

Question 47

How can the unique features of an automatic feeder be used to determine if a calf is growing and eating enough?

Answer 47

it tracks their weight and how much they have eaten

Question 48

What would you do if the automatic feeder tells you the calf is not eating or not growing?

Answer 48

check the calf for illness, separate, feed

Question 49

What are mob feeders?

Answer 49

a milk barrel with nipples

Question 50

What is one distinct disadvantage of a mob feeder for group housed calves?

Answer 50

easily spreads disease

Question 51

What are some advantages of housing calves in pairs?

Answer 51

improved behavior, more social, improve feed intake, faster weight gain

Question 52

How many days do calves stay in hutches before they are weaned?

Answer 52

60 days

Question 53

How much should a calf growth from birth to weaning (body weight change)

Answer 53

double in weight

Question 54

How do you house and feed calves after weaning?

Answer 54

put them in bigger groups, feed hay and grain

Question 55

What are the approximate growth rates (lbs/day) for heifers before 2 years of age?

Answer 55

2 lbs a day until first calf

Question 56

What are growth targets for heifers at first breeding and first calving (% mature body weight)?

Answer 56

first breeding --> 55% first calving --> 85%