The Dairy Industry #1: Introduction (AEST Ag System)

veal industry

Confinment of young cattle (usually dairy calves) where movement and exercise are restricted (stalls) or eliminated (crates) and they are fed a diet of milk replacer until slaughter. This diet keeps them borderline anemic, which gives them "milky" colored tender meat instead of red meat, and produces a watery diarrhea for most of the life of the calf. Veal calves are usually separated from the cows within hours to 3 days after birth. Mother cows bellow in distress sometimes for days. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbsmVxxWvHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrYkgubR8bc "Bobby Veal": about fifteen percent of veal calves are marketed up to 3 weeks of age or at a weight of 150 pounds. These are called Bobby Calves.

calf

Cow's offspring; baby cattle of either gender up until about 9 months. Almost all calves are separated from cows within hours or days of birth on dairy farms. This allows farmers to sell the milk that the calves would otherwise drink.

bull calf

Cow's offspring; young male cattle: in the dairy industry, male calves are considered by products since they cannot grow up to produce milk (males) and they are not efficient at turning feed into muscle (dairy breeds). They are either slaughtered at birth (usually shot or captive bolt) or sent to the veal industry.

rennet

Enzyme used to curdle milk and make it solidify when making cheese. The most common form of rennet used in cheesemaking is animal rennet, which comes from the lining of the fourth stomach of a young ruminant - generally a calf.

6-7

Gallons of milk the AVERAGE dairy cow can produce in a day.

30-50

Gallons per day of water a dairy cow must drink.

artificial insemination

Injecting semen from a purebred operation bull into the uterus of a cow in estrus by artificial means. Most common form of breeding in dairy cattle. AI increases conception rates in cows, which allows them to produce one calf each year.

buttermilk

Liquids made when butter is churned which are drained off and used to make ice cream.

natural service

Mating of a bull and a cow under normal conditions and environment. Rarely seen in the dairy industry, but common in swine and beef industry.

cow

Mature female of the cattle family that has given birth.They can live for about 18-20 years, and can start producing milk from the age of 2-3 years, once she gives a birth to her first calf.

organic

Milk that meets certain standards for what the cows are fed and how they are cared for. Includes no pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics.

milk alternatives

Oatmilk, almond milk, banana milk, soy milk, rice milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, flax milk, hemp milk... plus lower carbon emissions, how much land they take up, and how much water they use. Soymilk and peamilk even match the protein in cow's milk!

steps of producing milk from cow to fridge

Production: 1. Raising quality cows in a breeder operation. 2. Testing each teat for infection. 3. Milking 4. Testing milk again Processing: 5. Pasteurization/homogenization 6. Chilling to below 40*F. 6. Transport (chilled tankers) 7. Packaging/processing (gallons, products...) Distribution: 8. Transport products to wholesale/retail outlets Consumer: 9.Purchase 10. Refrigerate and enjoy!

dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.)

Products of the dairy industry.

gestation

The growth process from conception to birth is 9 months for cows (just like humans:).

whey

The liquids formed during cheese making that are drained off and used in othec by-products.

lactation

The process of forming and secreting milk as nourishment for the infant, only happens after the animal gives birth. After giving birth, mothers lactate for about 9-10 months. During their 2-3 months off laactation, they are impregnated again. To produce milk on an ongoing basis, dairy cows are continually impregnated. This cycle continues until cows are around 5 years old or when they go lame, get mastitis, or just give up.

churn

The process of making butter.

curds

The solids formed in the process of making cheese.

dairy by-products

Veal (baby male calves), leather, gelatin (including in marshmallows), surgical sutures, rennet (for cheese making), and tripe (first or second stomach lining of ruminants fried up as food).

produce a calf

What must a dairy cow do each year in order to keep producing milk?

freshening

When a cow gets pregnant with her first calf. ncludes conception: when sperm unites with the egg.

Northern Crescent

Where the most/the biggest dairy farms USED to be located in the US. (Currently, CA is the top producer.)

a) Artificial breeding increases conception rates in cows, which allows them to produce one calf each year.

Why are most dairy cows bred using artificial breeding practices? a) Artificial breeding increases conception rates in cows, which allows them to produce one calf each year. b) Cows bred using artificial breeding practices only produce heifer calves, which increases the size of the milking herd. c) Artificial breeding reduces the gestation period for cows, which allows the cow to produce more calves throughout their life. d) Cows bred using artificial breeding methods produce high levels of BST, which reduces inflammation of their udders.

heifer

Young female cattle who hasn't given birth. In the dairy industry, these are seperated from their mothers at birth, or after drinking their mother's colostrum, and are isolated in calf hutches until ready to join the heifer herd. Heifers may be raised on pasture in a herd and join the dairy herd when they are about 2 years old.

BST (Bovine Somatotropin)

A hormone produced in the pituitary gland of cattle that increases milk production. If dairy cows are given a supplementary dose of BST they will produce more milk. Not allowed in Canada or the EU due to concerns for human health (cancer) and animal welfare (increases chances of mastitis and lameness).

cheese

A product of the dairy industry where bacteria and enzymes (rennet) must be added to ferment and curdle it are added to milk.

yogurt

A product of the dairy industry where milk is inoculated with bacteria for fermentation to occur.

colostrum

A specialized form of milk produced at the onset of lactation that delivers essential nutrients and antibodies in a form that the newborn can digest, higher in nutrients than regular milk.

cultures

Bacteria added to cheese and yogurt to cause fermentation.