1 Most of the cattle in a dairy herd are cows. 2  Bulls-the fathers of the dairy herd. 3  Only a few are needed on a dairy farm though these days most dairy farms use artificial insemination instead. 4  Heifers-young female cattle, they’re the ‘teenagers’ of the herd and haven’t had calves yet. These are: 1  Pasture: plants grown in grazing paddocks that can be a mix of grasses such as ryegrass or protein-rich legumes such as clover. 2  Fresh pasture is the largest part of an Australian dairy cow’s diet. 3  Hay: extra pasture that’s been dried, cut and made into bales to feed to cows later. Holstein Friesians (often shortened as Friesians in Europe, and Holsteins in North America) are a breed of cattle known today as the world's highest-production dairy animals.  They also need to drink a large amount of water because milk is mostly made of water. Cows can drink about about 100 litres of water (a bathtub full) in a day. There are five main types of food in a dairy cow’s diet. These are: 1  Pasture: plants grown in grazing paddocks that can be a mix of grasses such as ryegrass or protein-rich legumes such as clover. 2  Fresh pasture is the largest part of an Australian dairy cow’s diet. 3  Hay: extra pasture that’s been dried, cut and made into bales to feed to cows later. Climate change. Dairy production has a considerable effect on climate change due to emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. In the US, the greatest sources of these emissions in milk production include feed production, enteric fermentation and manure management. Impacts. Dairy cows add substantial amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In some places they contribute to the conversion of natural habitat to agricultural land due to the increasing demand for feed crops such as corn, alfalfa and soy. Put simply, dairy cattle don’t like the heat, and the stress that hotter weather places on them is close to a $1 billion annual problem, according to a national expert, Professor Robert Collier. He's a dairy specialist at the University of Arizona, where they know something about soaring temperatures. Comments. We know a stressed cow is not a profitable cow, so we want to keep them as comfortable and as stress-free as possible. - Farmer Curtis Martin. Some may like it hot, as the old movie title has it, but count Holsteins out of that equation. Ankole-Watusi Breed Abstract. Ayrshire. The Ayrshire is a dairy breed that has an alert and active disposition. In spite of their bovine beauty, Ayrshires are best known as hardy, useful cattle, well adapted to cold climates and rugged environments. The cows are excellent grazers, able to maintain condition, reproduce efficiently, and produce up to 20,000 pounds of milk per year, primarily on a forage die Major Dairy Cow Breeds. Ayrshire: The first cows of this breed were thought to have arrived in New England from Scotland's County Ayr in the early 1820's. Well adapted to rocky farms and harsh winters, the Ayrshires thrived, eventually spreading to dairy farms all across the country. Brown Swiss: Believed to have originated in the Alps of Switzerland, these hardy animals are tolerant of harsh climate and produce large quantities of milk, close behind the Holsteins. Officially recognized as a breed in the U.S. in 1906, the first small group of cows arrived here in 1869. The dairy-climate change dilemma in New Zealand is two-fold. Not only does the dairying itself have a hugely negative impact on the climate, but because of high commodity prices and ever-increasing returns for farmers, there has been a clamber to convert land to dairy. In many instances, this means clearing forests to make way for pasture. So the climate receives a double-blow. Milk production impacts the environment in various ways, and the scale of these impacts depends on the practices of the dairy farmers and feed growers. Dairy cows and their manure produce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. Poor handling of manure and fertilizers can degrade local water resources. And unsustainable dairy farming and feed production can lead to the loss of ecologically important areas, such as prairies, wetlands, and forests. Impacts. Dairy cows add substantial amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In some places they contribute to the conversion of natural habitat to agricultural land due to the increasing demand for feed crops such as corn, alfalfa and soy.
http://www.dairy.edu.au/discoverdairy/learning-resources/background-information/s19-caring-for-our-animals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_(cattle) http://www.dairy.edu.au/discoverdairy/learning-resources/background-information/s19-caring-for-our-animals http://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/dairy http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/04/keeping_cows_cool_critical_to.html http://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/resources/internal/heritage-cattle-breeds http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/dairy_cow_breeds.html http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/campaigns/climate-change/smart-farming/agriculture-and-climate-change/dairy-and-climate-change/ http://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/dairy
what type of climate do dairy cows do well in