Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Dairies depend on new mothers to provide milk to sell. On conventional dairies, calves
are fed milk replacer solutions. Because grass-fed dairies aim to give cattle as natural
a feed as possible, these dairies must find other ways to provide milk for their calves.
Thesemethodsincludelettingmothersnursetheirowncalves,divertingmilkfromthe
herd into barrel feeders for the calves, or using
nurse cows
that nurse their own calf
and the calves of others.
• Dairy farms also require extra equipment, such as milking machines and coolers.
•Itisespeciallyimportanttoknowyourstate'slawsaboutsellingrawmilk,whichisone
of the most hotly debated issues in agriculture. Eleven states allow licensed dairies to
sell milk to retail outlets, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Twenty states allow people to buy raw milk off the farm or get milk if they buy own-
ership shares of an animal.
•Eachstatehasdifferentlawsgoverningmilksales.Itisimportantthatyouspeaktostate
agricultural officials to familiarize yourself with the laws in your state. You probably
will need a license to sell milk to processors or milk companies. If you sell milk, gov-
ernment officials will have to inspect your dairy facilities.
Building Your Herd
You need the right animals for your farm. You want animals suited to your climate that can
grow strong, stay healthy, and that produce good quality meat or milk. You have many options
when it comes to breeds. There are dozens of breeds in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Each
breed has characteristics that make it desirable to certain farmers — for example, the Angus
breed has a reputation for producing high-quality meat.
If you are starting a herd from scratch, you can choose what breeds you want to work with.
Although certain breeds are used more often than others, many farmers say breed is not as im-
portant as choosing the best individuals from within a breed. Cattle used most often in grazing
systems are smaller with wide bodies, because it is easier to pasture-finish a 1,100-pound an-
imal than one that needs to grow to 1,500 pounds. Dual-purpose breeds used for both milk
and meat often are used in pasture-based systems because of the flexibility they provide in the
types of products you can sell. On most dairies, male calves are not desirable because they
cannot be milked, but if you use a dual-purpose breed, the male calves born on dairy farms
can grow into acceptable beef animals.