Intro/Dairy Cattle Flashcards
What are the breed groups of domestic cattle?
Bos taurus
Bos indicus
Crosses
How can you tell a diary cattle from a beef cattle?
Dairy- triangular in shape
Beef-rectangular
What are the beef breeds?
Bos taurus Angus Hereford Charolais Blonde d-Aquitaine
Bos indicus
Brahman
Nellore
What are the dairy breeds?
Bos Taurus
- Holstein-Friesland
- jersey
Bos indicus
-guernesy
90% of diary cows are of what breed
Holstein-Friesland
What is the smallest diary breed?
Jersey
What breed of cattle is heat tolerant, docile and has a 4% milk fat?
Brown Swiss
Breed of dairy cow originally from Scotland. Has a good grazing ability and a 4% milk fat
Ayrshire
A beef cattle that is all black, smooth haired, and polled. Will have high-quality carcass and marbled meat
Angus
Beef cow with white faces and red bodies. They are docile and easily handled
Hereford
Beef cow originating from Northern England with short horns
Shorthorn/ polled shorthorn
Beef cow that is white haired, large, and heavily muscled. Will have high lean carcass yield
Charolais
A bos indicus breed of beef cow that is grey or red, heat tolerant, and has the ability to forage on poor pastures
Branman
Breed of cattle that is adapted to harsh environments, can survive of sparse rangelands, tolerant to disease and parasites, and has very long horns
Texas longhorn
What are composite breeds?
Intentional crosses of pure breed
-> combine hardiness with productive performance
90-95% of the dairy cattle are what breed?
Holstein-Friesland
How many months of the year are cows milked?
10months
What are the types of nutrition used on diary farms?
Gazing -> pasture and are supplemented with grain/hay
Minimal grazing -> pasture and are “hand fed” on total mixed ration
No grazing -> animals exclusively “hand fed” and have no access to pasture
In dairy cow production, what should occur between the dry period and the breeding period?
Voluntary waiting period
How long is the gestation period of a diary cow?
220 days
How long is the dry period in dairy cow production?
60days
How many times a day are diary cows milked
2x
T/F: milk production is increase but the number of dairy cows is decreasing
True
How are female calves raised on a dairy farm?
Female calves are on artificial milk, weaned at 35-45days
Reared for 420days
How long is the voluntary waiting period?
85days
What is the life span of a dairy cow, how long are they profitable?
20yr lifespan
Only profitable for 3-5yrs for lactation (lameness, mastitis, and infertility)
A heifer inseminated on 15th November 2016 will calve in ________ and will start the dry period in ___________
August 2017 (gestation is 20days); june 2018 (lactation takes 305days after calving, followed by the 60day dry period)
When does peak lactation occur?
Weeks 4-10
Milk production is limited by what two factors?
Genetic (25%)
Environmental (75%)
What are nutrients used for in dairy cattle?
Growth of immature animal Pregnancy Fattening/regaining normal weight lost Maintenance Lactation
T/F: a cow in lactation and fed correctly will used 1/3 of feed for maintenance and 2/3 of feed for milk production
False
1/2 -maintenance
1/2- lactation