David Shaw, a fourth-generation farmer, established the jersey herd in 1968 with 13 heifers from a dispersal sale in Totnes, Devon. He and his wife, Anne, were married in 1972 and have developed the herd over 50 years together. David’s family has been at Grey Leys since 1876. Find out more about the farm’s history.

Total Integration". Joseph Farms. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016 . Retrieved 26 September 2008. a b "Table B12 – Production of milk and eggs" (XLS). FAO statistical yearbook 2010. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Statistics Division. 2010 . Retrieved 15 October 2011. David J. Wolfson (4 June 2013). "Beyond the Law: Agribusiness and the Systemic Abuse of Animals Raised for Food or Food Production, 2 ANIMAL L. 123–154 (1996)". National Agricultural Law Center. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018 . Retrieved 13 March 2020. Find sources: "Dairy"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( January 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Regulatory Definitions of Large CAFOs, Medium CAFO, and Small CAFOs" (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency . Retrieved 26 September 2008.

Milking routine best practices

The Construction of Milking Sheds". New Zealand Journal of Agriculture. 66 (5): 275. 15 May 1943 – via Papers Past. Safeway milk free of bovine hormone". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (via AP). 22 January 2007 . Retrieved 4 April 2008. Cool temperature has been the main method by which milk freshness has been extended. When windmills and well pumps were invented, one of their first uses on the farm, besides providing water for animals themselves, was for cooling milk, to extend its storage life, until it would be transported to the town market. Contagious mastitis can easily be spread by milking equipment and even by the milkers themselves. Bacteria in milk from infected quarters can spread to other quarters by: Dairy 2007 Part II: Changes in the U.S. Dairy Cattle Industry, 1991–2007" (PDF). Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2010 . Retrieved 27 January 2010.

Mussell, Al; Seguin, Bob; Sweetland, Janalee (5 March 2013). Canada's Supply-Managed Dairy Policy: An Agenda for Reform (PDF) (Report). George Morris Centre. p.14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2016 . Retrieved 13 July 2018. Most dairy producers aim for a replacement heifer to give birth to her first calf, and thus join the milking herd, on her second birthday. As the cow's gestation period is a little over 9 months this means the cow must be inseminated by the age of 15 months. Because the breeding process is inefficient, most producers aim to first breed their heifers between 12 and 14 months. Before a heifer can be bred she must reach sexual maturity and attain the proper body condition to successfully bear a calf. Puberty in cattle depends largely on weight among other factors. [17] Holstein heifers reach puberty at an average body weight between 550 and 650 lbs. [17] Smaller breeds of cattle, such as Jerseys, usually reach puberty earlier at a lighter weight. [18] Under typical nutritional conditions, Holstein heifers will reach puberty at the age 9–10 months. Proper body condition for breeding is also largely judged by weight. At about 800lbs Holstein heifers will normally be able to carry a healthy calf and give birth with relative ease. [17] In this way, the heifers will be able to give birth and join the milking herd before their second birthday. [18] Estrous cycle [ edit ] Dairy cattle housing systems vary greatly throughout the world depending on the climate, dairy size, and feeding strategies. Housing must provide access to feed, water and protection from relevant environmental conditions. One issue for housing cattle is temperature extremes. Heat stress can decrease fertility and milk production in cattle. [11] Providing shade is a very common method for reducing heat stress. Barns may also incorporate fans or tunnel ventilation into the architecture of the barn structure. [12] Overly cold conditions, while rarely deadly for cattle, cause increases in maintenance energy requirements and thus increased feed intake and decreased milk production. [13] During the winter months, where temperatures are low enough, dairy cattle are often kept inside barns which are warmed by their collective body heat. Supply Management: Total Quota". Canadian Dairy Commission. January 2015 . Retrieved 16 September 2018.

Pre-milking procedures

Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference The higher the energy levels (fat and protein), the less starter feed (feed which is given to young animals) the animal will consume. Weaning can take place when a calf is consuming at least two pounds of starter feed a day and has been on starter for at least three weeks. [39] Waste disposal and wastewater management [ edit ] Manure spreader going to the field from a dairy farm, Elba, New York Worldwide, leading dairy industries in many countries including India, the United States, China, and New Zealand serve as important producers, exporters, and importers of milk. Since the late 20th century, there has generally been an increase in total milk production worldwide, with around 827,884,000 tonnes of milk being produced in 2017 according to the FAO. Ali M.; Arslan, Bilge (7 February 2022). "Analysis of the Thermal Environment and Determination of Heat Stress Periods for Dairy Cattle Under Eastern Mediterranean Climate Conditions". Journal of Biosystems Engineering. 47: 39–47. doi: 10.1007/s42853-021-00126-6. S2CID 246655199.

Leptospirosis in Cattle". National Animal Disease Information Service (UK). Archived from the original on 19 June 2014 . Retrieved 7 June 2014. Worldwide, the largest cow milk producer is the United States, [49] the largest cow milk exporter is New Zealand, [50] [51] and the largest importer is China. [52] The European Union with its present 27 member countries produced 158,800,000 metric tons (156,300,000 long tons; 175,000,000 short tons) in 2013 [53](96.8% cow milk), the most by any politico- economic union. Doug Reinemann (18 July 2018). "Milking Machines:The First 100 Years". pbswisconsin.org . Retrieved 10 June 2021. Safeway milk free of bovine hormone". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Associated Press. 22 January 2007 . Retrieved 4 April 2008.In the last century or so larger farms specialising in dairy alone have emerged. Large scale dairy farming is only viable where either a large amount of milk is required for production of more durable dairy products such as cheese, butter, etc. or there is a substantial market of people with money to buy milk, but no cows of their own. In the 1800s von Thünen argued that there was about a 100-mile radius surrounding a city where such fresh milk supply was economically viable. Yogurt (or yoghurt) making is a process similar to cheese making, only the process is arrested before the curd becomes very hard. As of 2009 there were 1.2billion cattle in the world, with around 82% in the developing countries; [73] the totals only increased since then, with the 2021 figure at 1.53billion. [74] As of 2020, it was found that in the current Eastern Mediterranean climate, cattle experience mild heat stress inside unadapted stalls for nearly half a year (159 days), while moderate heat stress is felt indoors and outdoors during May, June, July, August, September, and October. Additionally, June and August are the months where cattle are exposed to severe heat stress outside, which is mitigated to moderate heat stress indoors. [75] Even mild heat stress can reduce the yield of cow milk: research in Sweden found that average daily temperatures of 20–25°C (68–77°F) reduce daily milk yield per cow by 0.2kg, with the loss reaching 0.54kg for 25–30°C (77–86°F). [76] Research in a humid tropical climate describes a more linear relationship, with every unit of heat stress reducing yield by 2.13%. [77] In the intensive farming systems, daily milk yield per cow declines by 1.8kg during severe heat stress. In organic farming systems, the effect of heat stress on milk yields is limited, but milk quality suffers substantially, with lower fat and protein content. [78] In China, daily milk production per cow is already lower than the average by between 0.7 and 4kg in July (the hottest month of the year), and by 2070, it may decline by up to 50% (or 7.2kg) due to climate change. [79] Some researchers suggest that the already recorded stagnation of dairy production in both China and West Africa can attributed to persistent increases in heat stress. [80] :747 See also [ edit ] While cattle were domesticated as early as 12,000 years ago as a food source and as beasts of burden, the earliest evidence of using domesticated cows for dairy production is from the seventh millennium BC – the early Neolithic era – in northwestern Anatolia. [2] Dairy farming developed elsewhere in the world in subsequent centuries: the sixth millennium BC in eastern Europe, the fifth millennium BC in Africa, and the fourth millennium BC in Britain and Northern Europe. [2]

Advances in technology have mostly led to the radical redefinition of "family farms" in industrialized countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. With farms of hundreds of cows producing large volumes of milk, the larger and more efficient dairy farms are more able to weather severe changes in milk price and operate profitably, while "traditional" family farms generally do not have the equity or income other larger scale farms do. The common public perception of large corporate farms supplanting smaller ones is generally a misconception, as many small family farms expand to take advantage of economies of scale, and incorporate the business to limit the legal liabilities of the owners and simplify such things as tax management. [ citation needed]Puberty coincides with the beginning of estrous cycles. Estrous cycles are the recurring hormonal and physiological changes that occur within the bodies of most mammalian females that lead to ovulation and the development of a suitable environment for embryonic and fetal growth. The cow is considered polyestrous, which means that she will continue to undergo regular estrous cycles until death unless the cycle is interrupted by a pregnancy. [18] DairyGood.org | Home". Ilovecheese.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013 . Retrieved 17 July 2014. The next 30 to 60 days of the lactation cycle is characterized by peak milk production levels. The amount of milk produced per day during this period varies considerably by breed and by individual cow depending on her body condition, genetics, health, and nutrition. [10] During this period the body condition of the cow will suffer because the cow will draw on her body stores to maintain such high milk production. Food intake of the cow also will increase. After peak lactation, the cow's milk production levels will slowly decline for the rest of the lactation cycle. The producer will often breed the cow soon after she leaves peak production. For a while, the cow's food intake will remain high before also beginning a decline to pre lactation levels. After peak milk production her body condition will also steadily recover. [10] MacDonald, James; Newton, Doris (1 December 2014). "Milk Production Continues Shifting to Large-Scale Farms". Amber Waves. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015 . Retrieved 24 March 2015.