Question

Enumerate the various steps involved in cattle farming which not only ensure quality but higher quantity of milk yield.

Answer 1

Answer:

Factors affecting milk production

The amount of milk a cow produces depends largely on the environment it’s in. It’s all about comfort: The more comfortable the cow, the more milk it will produce. The less comfortable the cow, the less productive it is. Environmental factors include:

Weather, climate and geography – Temperate climates with milder seasons put less stress on cows than climates with more extreme weather. Geography is closely tied to weather and climate. For example, cows in Wisconsin and Michigan tend to be more productive than cows in New Mexico due to heat in the latter region. Heat and humidity are the factors with largest impact. If nighttime temperatures cool, cows get a chance for cover even in hot seasons. However, if they don’t have a chance to cool down, they will eat less feed and produce less milk.

Feed – Weather and climate can also affect the abundance and quality of feed, which translates to quantity and quality of milk produced. Feed prices and availability can have a large impact on what farmers can use.

Accommodations – When cows have comfortable places to rest, space to graze and farmers who work to keep everything clean, they’re more productive.

Biology and the way farmers interact with it also affects milk production. Factors include:

Species – Different cow breeds naturally produce different quantities (and qualities) of milk.

Age – Younger cows generally produce more milk than older ones. Farmers constantly face the decision of letting a cow give milk versus when it’s economically better to slaughter for beef and let a younger cow replace it.

Milking frequency – Farmers are very precise about how frequently cows are milked. The amount of milkings per day adds to labor and equipment costs. But waiting too long between milkings means quantity and quality will suffer.

Health – Sick cows produce less milk —and poorer quality milk (which is discussed below)— than healthy ones.

Dry period – How long a cow is allowed to be “dry” in between calvings impacts how much milk it will give during lactation.