The Dairy Industry

Dairy Industry Provides milk and other dairy foods to consumers in North America and many foreign markets.

Beginnings Dairy cows were first brought to America in Early farms had only one or two dairy cows for their own use. Lack of refrigeration made it more difficult for people living in large cities to obtain milk.

The Dairy Industry Pasteurization, refrigeration, and bottled milk were developed in the second half of the nineteenth century. This allowed milk to be stored and transported to populated areas.

The Dairy Industry Small family dairy herds began to develop in response to improved storage and handling technology. Today there are 9.1 million dairy cows on farms in the United States.

The Dairy Industry These 9.1 million cows annually produce nearly 165 billion pounds of milk. Each dairy cow, on the average, produces nearly 18,000 pounds of milk a year. This is more than 3 times the production in 1950.

The Dairy Industry Today, one dairy cow provides 25 people with their dairy product needs.

The Dairy Industry The number of farms with dairy cows has declined. There are 95% fewer dairy farms today than in Each dairy farm is larger today.

The Dairy Industry Most herds range from cows. Some herds have as many as 10,000 cows.

The Dairy Industry Biotechnology has contributed to the changing dairy industry. BST for example -  Giving additional bovine somatotropin to cows causes them to milk at higher levels for a longer period of time in well-managed operations.

Dairy Cattle Dairy Cattle belong to the family bovidae, which includes ruminants with hollow horns. Members of this family also chew their cuds.

Conformation The udder should be well attached and have the capacity to hold pounds of milk. Four teats should be shaped and spaced uniformly for machine milking.

Conformation Cows also need good body capacity to hold feed for digestion. They should regularly reproduce. Milk production is associated with the reproductive cycle.

Conformation The gestation period for a cow is 283 days. Dry period - Milking is stopped and they are dried up days before the next calving.

Judging Dairy Cattle When judging dairy cows the most consideration is given to the udder. Scoring:TOTAL  Udder - 40 points  Frame - 15 points  Dairy Character - 20 points  Body Capacity - 10 points  Feet & Legs - 15 points

Holstein

Milking Shorthorn

Brown Swiss

Ayrshire

Jersey

Guernsey

Red & White Holstein

Dairy Terms Cow – Mature female dairy or beef animal. Bull – Male dairy or beef animal. Heifer – Young female dairy or beef animal. Calf – Young male or female dairy or beef animal. Steer – Castrated dairy or beef animal.

Dairy Terms Lactation – When a cow is milking. Typically a cow will milk for 305 days out of a year. Colostrum – first milk from a mammal; full of antibodies. Dry Period – Time when a cow is not giving milk (rest period before calving). Gestation – When a cow is pregnant. It takes 283 days or 9 months for a cow to have a calf. Temperature – The normal core body temperature of a healthy, resting cow is degrees.Fahrenheit.