Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
drying off, the teats form a keratin plug that prevents new infection. The plug disappears a
couple of weeks before calving.
Handling and Feeding
Dairy cattle have some special handling considerations because they usually spend more time
in close proximity to humans when they are milked. Dairy cattle in a herd become accus-
tomed to a routine, and the routine should be adhered to in order to keep the cattle calm. In
every herd, there is a leader cow. It is important when bringing cows into a barn or area where
they are to be milked to give them enough space to follow one another and to maintain visual
contact with the leader cow. Cattle rely on their vision; in fact, they have almost panoramic
vision. They will hesitate to enter into a dimly lit barn or if made to walk up steps unless they
are allowed time to investigate these conditions. Bright lights, shiny reflections, and shadows
also will alarm cattle.
Calm cattle will be able to put their energy into producing milk and will not be nervous and
jumpy when being milked. Because the act of milking places human and cow in such close
contact, a dairy cow that kicks or swings her rear from side to side can injure the person doing
the milking. Always speak in a low, calm voice and move slowly and deliberately around
cattle. In addition to the physical danger posed by an agitated cow, a nervous or scared cow
will not be as easy to milk. This will decrease milk yield and may contribute to mastitis due to
milk retention in the udder. The process of releasing milk into the udder is called milk let-
down. It is brought about through the release of a hormone, oxytocin, at the base of the cow's
brain. In most milking herds, handling the teats by gently massaging the udder for 15 seconds
is practiced to stimulate the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin affects the muscle cells surrounding
the udder's milk, which produces cells, causing them to contract. This squeezes the milk out
of the cells into the milk ducts that drain to the teat. Within one to one and a half minutes after
this action, the teats will be full of milk. If a cow is fearful, it will disrupt the oxytocin release.
They also will release another hormone, adrenaline, which will block the action of oxytocin
for up to 30 minutes.
Dairy cattle are fed similar to beef cattle and have the same general requirements. However,
because they are producing a lot of milk, they will need to have more high-energy grain (such
as corn and soybean meal) to convert into milk. Most dairy cattle produce 6 to 7 gallons of
milk a day, and they will eat about 100 pounds of feed (hay, grass, silage, and grain) a day.
You will want to feed a dairy cow a high RFV value hay or good quality pasture. They should
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