BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE

US MILK PRODUCTION

•Trends

•Fairly steady slow increase in production

•Consistent decline in number of dairy operations

•Rise in number of cows per operation

US MILK PRODUCTION

• Since 1970, milk production risen by almost half, even though cow numbers have declined

• Milk production per cow has doubled

• Number of dairy operations has decreased

• Average herd size increased fivefold

US MILK PRODUCTION

• Top Producing States

• California

•Wisconsin

• Idaho

•New York

• Pennsylvania

US MILK PRODUCTION

•West & North

•Most diary cows are Holsteins

• Production rests largely in hands of individuals or families

• Producers belong to cooperatives

US MILK PRODUCTION

• 1/3 processed into fluid milk & cream products

• 2/3 goes into manufactured dairy products

• 9 billion pounds of cheese per year

• Mozzarella most popular variety of cheese

• 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream

CULLING

• Infertility

• Failure to conceive and reduced milk production

• Most fertile between 60-80 days after calving

• Failure to expel afterbirth from precious pregnancy, luteal cysts, metritis, uterine infection

• Mastitis

• Persistent mammary gland infection

• Reddeing & swelling of infected quarter of udder

• Whitish clots or pus in the milk

CULLING

• Lameness

• Persistent foot infection or leg problems causing infertility & loss of production

• High feed levels of digestible carbs cause acidic conditions in rumen

• Leads to laminitis

• Production

• Failure to produce economic levels of milk to justify their feed costs

ANIMAL WELFARE

• How often they’re impregnated

• Separation of calves from their mothers

• Culled at relatively young age

• Environmental concerns

HOLSTEIN

• Europe

• Highest producing dairy animals

• Black & white

• Can be red & white

• Large size

• Outstanding milk production

HOLSTEIN

BROWN SWISS

• Switzerland

• Second largest quantity of milk

• Brown

• Large size

• Large ears

• Cold & heat resistant

• Docile

GUERNSEY

• British Channel Island of Guernsey

• Known for rich flavor of milk

•Milk is golden color

• Fawn

•White markings

AYRSHIRE

• Scotland

• Brown markings

•Medium size

•With or without colored legs

• Low somatic cell count, grass into milk efficiently, hardiness, calving ease, longevity

JERSEY

• Channel Island of Jersey

• Small size

• Fawn

• Light band around muzzle

• Dark switch

• Black hooves

• High milk butterfat content, lower maintenance costs, gentle disposition

MILKING SHORTHORN

• Great Britain

• Average size

• Red, red with white markings, white, roan

• High fertility, grazing efficiency, ease of management, longevity, calving ease