How much do you know about dairy cattle breeding and milk production?

Cattle Bred for Milk Production: A Detailed Summary

• Dairy cattle are cattle bred specifically for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made.

• Historically, the same cattle were used for both meat and milk production, but the bovine industry is now more specialized.

• Dairy cows may be found in herds or dairy farms where farmers own, manage, care for, and collect milk from them, or on commercial farms.

• The United States has an estimated 9 million cows in around 75,000 dairy herds, with an average herd size of 120 cows.

• Dairy farming can be split into intensive and extensive management systems, with the system used depending on the climate and available land of the region.

• A dairy cow must be bred to maintain lactation, with female calves kept as replacement cows and male calves used for beef or veal.

• The production levels of dairy cows peak at around 40 to 60 days after calving and decline steadily until milking is stopped at about 10 months.

• The Holstein Friesian is the main breed of dairy cattle in Australia and has the world's highest productivity at 10,000 liters of milk per year.

• Cow comfort is important for milk production, with certain behaviors such as eating, ruminating, and lying down related to cow health and productivity.

• Feeding behaviors and rumen health are important factors for productivity, with cows with good rumen health likely to be more profitable.

• The productivity of dairy cattle is most efficient when the cattle have a full rumen and lie down for at least five to six hours after every meal.

• By-products of milk include butterfat, cream, curds, and whey, and the dairy industry can be divided into two market territories: fluid milk and industrialized milk.Dairy Cattle: Breeds, Reproduction, Hormone Use, Nutrition, and Animal Welfare

• The protein from curdled cheese is used in protein bars, beverages, and concentrated powder due to its high-quality amino acid profile.

• Artificial insemination (AI) is used at most dairy farms since the 1950s, using estrus synchronization to indicate when the cow is going through ovulation and is susceptible to fertilization.

• Estrus is the time in the cow's cycle when the female is receptive towards the male and can be detected through certain behaviors.

• Embryo transfer has been used to enable the multiplication of progeny from elite cows, where cows are given hormone treatments to produce multiple embryos.

• Hormone treatments to dairy cows are administered in some countries to increase milk production and reproduction, such as the use of bovine somatotropin in the United States.

• Forages are the most common type of feed used in dairy cattle diets, and cereal grains are important in helping to meet energy needs.

• Ensuring adequate body fat reserves is essential for cattle to produce milk and keep reproductive efficiency.

• Diets can be formulated to reduce methane emissions, using feed additives and supplements such as 3-nitrooxypropanol and red seaweed.

• The seven major dairy breeds in the United States are Holstein, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Jersey, Red and White, and Milking Shorthorn.

• Proper animal handling is crucial to dairy animals' welfare and safety, and stockmanship training is important for workers.

• Dairy production has been criticized by animal rights proponents, citing ethical concerns regarding impregnation, separation of calves from their mothers, and culling at a young age.

• Dairy operations include both the production of milk and the production of calves, where bull calves are either raised as steers for beef production or used for veal.