References
- Holstein cows have the highest production rate of any cow breed
- The Holstein can produce around 11,000 litres of milk each lactation (after giving birth) and approximately 35 litres a day
- Bernie Kamphof, Dairy Farmer
- www.holsteinusa.com
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian_cattle
- http://www.wikihow.com/Artificially-Inseminate-Cows-and-Heifers
- A dairy cow has her first calf around 24 months old.
- On average, she gives birth to 6 calves in a lifetime, and produces 60,000 litres of milk.
- This is the point when a cow is ready to have her first calf, around 15 months.
- Most dairy cows are artificially inseminated.
- There is a 60-70% chance of the cow to become successfully pregnant with artificial insemination.
- Birth
- Weaning at 6-8 weeks
- Breeding at 15 months
- First calf at 24 months
The Life Cycle of a Dairy Cow
and other facts
- Growth
- Anatomy
- Diet
- Production
- Credits
- These are the first days of a calf's life.
- Over 90% of births are successful.
- A newborn calf is approximately 40 kg.
- A newborn is typically fed pasteurized milk, so there is a lower chance of disease or infection (versus their mother's milk).
- A calf starts weaning (getting taken off a diet of primarily milk) at 6-8 weeks.
- Most calves do not drink their mother's milk up until now, but are fed pasteurized or powdered milk.
- This is the time the calf changes to an adult diet.
- A full grown Holstein has 32 permanent teeth.
- She has no teeth on the top jaw, but instead a tough piece of skin called a dental pad.
- A cow has four stomachs to digest the tough food they eat.
- The diet of a dairy cow consists of:
- Grass
- Hay
- Corn silage
- Alfalfa silage
- Barley
- Soy beans