What Are Dairy Products And Their Benefits?

Milk in its natural form can last two hours without going bad. Unfortunately, contamination makes it difficult to store milk longer. The only sure bet is preserving it as dairy products. What are dairy products? Dairy products are products made from milk. This may include cow milk, goat milk, camel milk or even buffalo milk. Some of the popular dairy products include yogurt, cheese, milkshake, ice cream, butter and kefir among others.

Healthy milk secreted from a healthy udder is almost sterile. It contains natural inhibitors such as lactoperoxidase and lactoferrin. These inhibitors prevent the rise of bacteria for 3-4 hours after milking. Cooling the milk below 40C maintains the milk in its original form.

Milk refrigeration is not feasible in all parts of the country. Sometimes, milk production exceeds the farms’ refrigeration capacity. At such seasons, the best way to ensure effective milk preservation and dairy profitability would be value addition.

Milk in itself is good enough but what about making a few products out of it! This definitely sounds interesting and digging deeper into some of these Milk products such as cheese, Milkshakes, Yoghurt, and ice cream is all this post is about. Let’s take the scroll together.

1. Yoghurt

What Is Yoghurt?

The basic definition of yoghurt is a semi solid sourish milk product curdled by action of cultures. Yoghurt was accidentally invented decades ago and has recently gained great popularity across the globe.

What’s The Origin of Yoghurt?

There is the common believe that yoghurt has its origin in Mesopotamia where it was invented thousands of years ago. Around 500 B.C, residents of Mesopotamia had domesticated sheep and goats. These animals were kept for milk and meat and the milk collected was stored in gourds. The warm climatic conditions naturally turned the milk into curd and there you get it, the first form of yoghurt.

Yoghurt wasn’t so popular until 30-40 years ago when fruit flavoring of yoghurt came into play. This gave it various flavors and served to be ready made breakfast. This didn’t only warm people’s hearts but also fueled the commercial yoghurt production.

What Are The Benefits Of Yoghurt?

As you may have realized, yoghurt is now in almost every convenient store and comes in various flavors. It has gained popularity not only because of the amazing taste but also for the numerous benefits.

1. Rich supply of probiotics

Yogurt has its origin from milk. This gives it a dose of animal proteins, nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B 12, B 2, magnesium and potassium. This is a combination that is rare to find and that’s not all yoghurt boasts of containing the ‘hard to find’ probiotics.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics can simply be described as friendly bacteria commonly found in fermented foods and are similar to the bacteria found in the body. They are normally found in the lower section of the digestive tract and its estimated that the number of bacteria found in the intestines is higher than a combination of all the bacteria found in the rest of the body.

Probiotics health benefits
I) Balancing of friendly bacteria in the digestive system

The probiotics being ‘good’ bacteria have the ability to restore natural gut bacteria balance. The imbalance is a result of too many bad bacteria and may result from medication, illness or poor diet. In such situations, one tends to have digestive issues, obesity, mental problems and allergies. The probiotics found in yoghurt come in handy in resolving the problem and tends to be the safest way of restoring the balance.

II) Prevention and treatment of diarrhea

One of the side effects of an imbalance in the gut is diarrhea. This is a condition that not only drains the body fluids but also leaves one in severe pain. Studies have shown that 42% of diarrhea associated with antibiotics can be prevented or controlled by the use of probiotics. The Lactobacillus rhamnosus, yeast Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus casei strains are known to significantly reduce the risk of diarrhea.

III) Improving heart health

Keeping your heart healthy is vital and probiotics make that a possibility. The natural probiotics such as those found in yoghurt play a major role in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. The bacteria produces lactic acid that breaks down the bile found in the gut thus lowering cholesterol levels.

2. Reduced Allergy and Eczema severity

Eczema is common in children and infants and studies have shown that children fed on yoghurt or probiotic supplemented milk had improved compared to children fed on milk without probiotics. The effect of probiotics is also seen in pregnant mothers who take probiotics as their children tend to have a lower risk (83%) of developing eczema. More research however needs to be done to establish a clear link between eczema and probiotics.

3. Enhancing complexion

Yoghurt has countless benefits on your skin. Whether you will be using it as a face mask on drinking it, you can be sure that the effects will be evident on your skin. It not only makes the skin supple but also radiant.

If you thought wrinkles only come with age, you will be surprised to learn the many reasons behind wrinkled skin. It however needs not bother you as there are numerous solutions and yoghurt may be the ultimate remedy for you. Yoghurt contains lactic acid that comes is handy in skin exfoliation thus making it easy to shed the topmost skin layer that contains unhealthy wrinkled cells. This leaves you with a smooth, elastic and brighter skin.

Well, yoghurt also has a solution to those battling with acne. In addition to the lactic acid, yoghurt also contains a significant amount of zinc. It is this zinc that works magic on acne and applying plain yoghurt daily ensures that the acne doesn’t reoccur. Some skin experts may advice the combination of lemon juice with plain yoghurt to erase acne pigmentation and blemish but you may need to seek advice on the same as we all have different skin and the products will react differently.

4. Prevention of hypertension

In addition to the probiotics, yoghurt contains a notable amount of potassium. Potassium is a potent mineral that has gained popularity among nutritionists and cardiologists for its ability to regulate blood pressure. Potassium helps in the elimination of excess sodium and decreases its re-absorption in the body. Sodium is linked with high blood pressure that results in kidney disorders and hypertension and yoghurt plays the vital role of keeping it in check.

5. Provision of omega-3

Yoghurt has so much to offer and vegetarians have one more reason to stock it, omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids are very effective in blood sugar regulation, weight loss, cancer prevention, decreased inflammation but is mostly found in animals. This means that vegetarians have limited sources of these vital fatty acids. Lucky enough, yoghurt has enough amounts of these fatty acids. With daily yoghurt intake, one is assured of an adequate supply of omega 3 and the results will be evident.

6. Prevention of yeast infections

Yeast infections are not new especially among women. They are even more predominant in women suffering from diabetes with vaginal infections topping the list. Women suffering from diabetes have imbalanced pH levels and the combination with abundant glucose creates a breeding hub for Candida albicans which is the parasitic fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections.

The Lactobacillus acidophilus contained in yoghurt is a probiotic bacterium that produces hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide destroys yeast and hinders its reoccurrence. For the bacterium to be introduced, one needs to eat yoghurt on a daily basis and also apply it directly to the affected area.

Note: Only use plain yoghurt for yeast infection treatment

2. Cheese

Cheese is normally in its solid form and is produced from proteins and fats from milk. It is one of the milk products that are commonly used in homes and the fact that it can be used in multiple recipes makes it very popular. There has been concerns about the fat and sodium content in cheese making it necessary to have a deeper understanding of cheese.

Types Of Cheese

Cheese can either be used alone as a snack or appetizer or even as an accompaniment to foods such as pizza, burger, sandwich and salads. There are numerous varieties of cheese depending on the flavors, fat content and origin. Some of these varieties include:

1. Reduced fat cheese

This is the cheese that is popularly known as low fat cheese. It is made with 2% milk making it very healthy. Skim milk or 0% milk is used to make non-fat cheese.

2. Whole milk cheese

Just as the name suggests, this is the cheese that contains a considerably high amount of milk. One serving of whole milk cheese contains 6-10 grams of fat per 1 ounce.

3. Fresh cheese

These are the cheeses that are yet to be aged or matured. This is to mean that they have high moisture content, milder in taste and have a soft texture. Some of the cheese that fall in this category include cream cheese, ricotta, mascarpone and cottage cheese.

4. Mature/aged cheese

This definitely would be the opposite of fresh cheese and has a firmer texture, less moisture and sharp taste. The cheese that falls in this category tends to be aged for six months or longer. The cheese gains more flavor and concentration with age. Some of the cheese that will be referred to as aged cheese include Swiss, gruyere, cheddar and parmesan cheese.

5. Processed cheese

This is a category that may not necessarily contain cheese in its original form and the products in this category aren’t referred to as cheese. Such products include American cheese, cheese flavored and cheese food. These are not categorized as cheese as they are shelf stable products with ingredients such as emulsifiers and flavor enhancers.

6. Non-dairy cheese

Cheese is commonly made from dairy products but it’s not every type of cheese that will contain dairy products. Cheese such as daiya and soy cheese are non-dairy varieties. They are an excellent choice for individuals who wouldn’t prefer taking dairy products.

Cheese Benefits

Just like other dairy products, cheese has numerous health benefits most of which are inherited from milk. These benefits include;

I) Bone health

Cheese contains vitamins A, K and D, calcium, zinc, magnesium and proteins that play a major role in bone development. There is the fear that dairy products contain high acid levels which is a risk to bone health but there is no scientific evidence to justify that. Cheese thus remains to be a great option bone strengthening.

II) Dental Health

The calcium contained in cheese contributes to dental health by enhancing teeth and gum strength. Calcium is vital in teeth formation and also ensures that teeth remain healthy and strong. Studies have also shown that cheese can raise the dental plague pH which means that the teeth will be protected from dental cavities.

III) Omega 3 fatty acids

Some types of cheese, especially those from cows fed on alpine grass, have been known to contain a lot of omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are of great benefits to the body as they help fight cardiovascular related diseases.

IV) Regulating blood sugar

Despite cheese being rich in sodium and fats cheese lovers have been known to have low blood sugar. This is because cheese contains calcium that considerably lowers blood sugar. It is however advisable that one goes for the low-sodium, low-fat cheese such as Swiss cheese to be on the safe side.

3. Milkshake

A milkshake is served cold. It’s a sweet beverage made from ice milk, ice cream or milk. Milkshakes will add value to your milk and sweeten your dairy profits.

Milkshakes are common across the globe. The name used may vary from one region to the other. In the United States, a thick shake or thick milkshake refers to milkshake made from ice milk or ice cream. The same product is known as frappe in New England.

Types of milkshakes

Milkshakes can take different forms and shapes. Everyone wants to personalize their shake to suit their taste buds. Some of the common types of milkshakes that are popular across the globe include;

1. Pre-made milkshake

These types of milkshakes are available in stores. They are ready made and may come in different flavors. Most of the common shakes are made from a mix of milk, sweeteners, flavored concentrate and carrageenan thickener.

2. Hand blend or homemade milkshake

Traditionally, milkshakes were made from home. This was until retail shops introduced premade milkshakes. Well, homemade ice cream is still popular.

Homemade milkshake gives you the opportunity to tweak your ingredients. This is very important to individuals who want to watch their weight or those on a healthy diet. You have the freedom to add all that you want to make the milkshake healthy and tasty.

Milkshake health benefits

I) Calcium for strong and healthy bones and teeth

Milkshake, especially those made from milk products, a packed with calcium. A single cup of the milkshake may contain up to 300g of calcium. This is a generous supply of the precious mineral salt.

Calcium is very important in bone and teeth formation. With a constant supply of the calcium from milkshakes, you will be guaranteed of healthy and strong bones and teeth. You will not only have the coveted grin at old age but will also have the freedom to eat even the toughest foods at old age.

II) Appetite boost

Loss of appetite has been a bother for many people. Intake of drugs and medication tends to suppress one’s appetite and this may affect the overall health negatively. Milkshakes come in handy to boost appetite.

Traditional foods can be boring or hard to take in especially for individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancers. The inclusion of milkshakes in diets lets them enjoy a healthy yet tasty meal.

Milkshakes will supply the much needed calcium, protein, potassium, fat and iron among other vitamins and mineral salts. This is not to mention that the shakes are sweets and will be appealing to all.

4. Ice cream

It may not first strike you as a dairy product but ice cream is a dairy product. The soft frozen food is made from milk and cream and can be flavored with fruit or vanilla to give it that delicious taste. Ice cream traces its origin in Egypt and Mesopotamia where drinks with ice were serve to the rich and those in power.

Types of Ice Cream

1) Hard/Ordinary ice cream

The commonly known ice cream cross the globe is the hard ice cream. This is the ice cream made of 10% milk fat, 12 to16% sweeteners, sugar, eggs, cream and stabilizers. It can either be served plain or with toppings that have ensured that it remains relevant in the ever changing industry.

2) Reduced-fat ice cream

Many people keep off ice cream for the fear that they will add on weight. What they do not know is that it’s not every type of ice cream that is unhealthy. Reduced fat ice cream is one of the healthy ice cream options. This type of ice cream contains low-fat ingredients and low sugars making them a great option for those on a diet.

3) French ice cream

This ice cream coins its name not only from its popularity in France but also from its ingredients. It is a unique summertime treat as it includes whole eggs or egg York, milk, and cream.

4) Light ice cream

Just as the name suggests, this type is slightly different as its base contains 25% less milk fat. It would be a good option for those looking for considerably lean options.

Ice Cream Benefits

Ice creams make our summers bearable and memorable. On top of that, they bring along so many benefits that you can’t resist to have a bite. These benefits include;

I) Provision of energy

Ice cream has nutritional value and also serves as a great source of energy. It is rich in fats, carbohydrates and proteins which are essential in provision of energy in the body. It is a great option for those who need instant energy boost especially for those with diabetic conditions. You only need to be careful on the amount of ice cream you are taking as too much of it can see you gain unwanted weight.

II) Source of vitamins

Ice creams are packed with a number of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, B-12, B-6, D, C and E. On top of that, it also contains vitamin K that aids in blood clotting. Studies have also shown that it also contains thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

III) Source of minerals

Milk products are known to be rich in minerals and ice cream is no exceptional as it contains phosphorous and calcium. Calcium plays a major role in bone development and also reduces chances of kidney stones development.

IV) Brain stimulation

The ultimate goal of every human being is to be happy and ice cream has the secret behind happiness. Ice cream is known to stimulate the hormone thrombotonin, hormone of happiness, which keeps one’s moods on a high note. A constant intake of ice cream will guarantee you stress free days and a desirable social life.

How To Make Ice Cream

Ice cream making is not as complicated as some people tend to think. It is particularly very simple if you have an ice cream maker. You however need not worry if you do not have an ice cream maker. There are dozens of recipes that do not require an ice-cream maker.

There are several options that will serve as yogurt maker alternatives. These include;

Home-Made Ice Cream Made In Bags

Freezer bags will go a long way in aiding you make ice cream with ease. Simply pour the ice cream base in the bag. Mix with sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Pour in rock salt and ice into the bag and seal it. Shake for 10-15 minutes. Your ice cream making process will be over.

Hand Blended Ice Cream

If you have a hand-held whisk, food processor or a high-powered blender you are on your way to making creamy ice cream treats. Mix the ice cream base and pour into a freezer bag.

Break your frozen cream base into large pieces and place them in the blender. If using a whisk, place in a bowl. Blend the mixture to achieve a smooth tasty treat.

The above methods should help you make delicious home-made ice cream with ease. You can also check out of publication on how to make ice cream for more insight.

Conclusion

Milk is naturally rich in nutrients and can significantly contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Whether served as milk or as one of the milk or dairy products it still remains to be a very rich diet and diet supplement. With the many forms of milk preservation now available to you, you can now preserve milk in its natural milk form or as cheese, ice cream or yoghurt which are very healthy options too. You just have so much to experiment with milk and its products.

Tips To Designing Your Dairy Cow House

A cow’s comfort is paramount. It goes a long way in enhancing production. One of the major factors that influence cow’s comfort is the cow house design. Popularly known as a barn or pen, the cow house ought to be very comfortable for all cows. Some of the principles that dictate the barn design include;

  • Cow comfort
  • Durability
  • Labor efficiency and concentration
  • Cost efficiency
  • Safety
  • Feed, manure, people, materials and information flow
  • Simplicity, flexibility and expandability

In regards to animal health, the cow shed is designed to accommodate all types of dairy cows. This is done to ensure that the animals get enough free-walking area all year round regardless of their size or age. Such a shade should be able to accommodate all the activities that take place in the shed. Some of the features that will make this possible include;

Free Stall System

This is the cubical system adopted in most dairy cow house designs. This is just but one of the many designs such as loose housing and tie stall designs. The free stall system is very popular among large and small scale farmers as it accommodates all types of animals. It gives a higher level of cow comfort which has been found to increase production.

With the free stall system, dairy cows tend to be very clean. This is very important to a dairy farmer as hygiene plays a major role in determining animal health. Some of the major health challenges farmers face such as mastitis in dairy cows can be managed or avoided with improved hygiene.

The free stall system allows dairy farmers to keep more animals. This makes it more economical compared to other systems such as loose housing. Though the construction cost of the stalls will be high, the extra cost will be justified if it will give you enough space to keep an extra cow.

Milking Parlor

A milking parlor is the section of the cow house where milk is collected from the cow. In some cases, the parlor will be a completely separate room from the cow house while in other cases, especially zero grazing, it will be part of the cow house. Milking parlors are equipped with milking machinery and is designed to accommodate one or more animals at a go depending on the demand.

As you may have found out in our post on milking parlor designs, there are different parlor designs. Different farms will adopt or install different parlor designs depending on the number of animals kept. From an ergonomic point of view, the parlor ought to have sufficient light and ventilation. This is not only important to the cows but also to the milk man.

Cow Handling And Treatment Area

A good cow house design should include a treatment and handling area. This is the section of the house where dairy cows are singled out for specialized care. Normally, it will be located next to the milking parlor and will be used for hoof trimming, veterinary treatments and artificial insemination.

The treatment and handling area should have a treatment box. This box is used to confined individual dairy cows for treatment. Large dairy farms with 60 or more cows ought to have a separate attention area. This section is used to hold animals temporarily with close supervision. With such a room included in your dairy cow house design, it becomes quite easy for you to isolate cows suspected to have contagious diseases.

The handling and treatment section will particularly be very important is mastitis starts to creep in. animals with lameness or any other condition that demands specialized care should be kept here.

Milk Machine And Storage Room

The purpose of keeping dairy cows is getting milk. You therefore need to give great attention to milk collection and storage. The milk machine and storage room is dedicated to serve as the collection and reception area. It is designed in such a way that the milk will be stored in a cool and hygienic environment.

The storage room serves as the dispatching center. It is at this station that the milk will be stored and only released to meet a certain demand. Milking equipment is also kept here. It is at the same station that the equipment will be cleaned.

In some dairy cow house designs, there will be a machine and equipment room. This is part of the section but is meant for the placement of compressors and vacuum equipment. A good design should separate the cooling equipment from heat radiating equipment. In such a design, the milk tanks are kept in a milk room away from other equipment in a bid to avoid inconsistent heat flow and contamination from oils and lubricants.

Office And Sanitation

Dairy farming is a business just like any other. It is thus paramount that you have an office. This is where all managerial and administration functions should be undertaken. Some of the important functions of the office include farm record keeping, veterinary records, animal health and AI record keeping.

In addition to the office, there should be a sanitation room. This can be the same room but serving different functions. The sanitation station hosts a cold storage facility. Veterinary medicine and AI utilities such as bull semen are kept here.

It is recommended that the sanitation room is located in the office’s vicinity. It can play host to the cleaning house or have a washing area for the cleaning and sanitization of the milking equipment. The washing area may be separate but shouldn’t be far from the milking parlor and milk collection center.

Conclusion

Designing a cow house will definitely be one of the major investments that you make when starting a dairy farming business. It therefore needs to be thought through to ensure that you are coming up with a design that will give you value for money. The design can be changed later as the farm grows to accommodate arising needs.

The design you choose to begin with should be flexible enough to accommodate the changes without necessarily making major adjustments. We hope that these tips will help you come up with the best dairy cow house design that will be comfortable, affordable, flexible and durable.

Insight On Dairy Herd Health Management And Disease Control

Modern dairy cow farming has evolved over the years. As the farming techniques change, dairy farms are now inclined towards production efficiency. One of the secrets behind dairy cattle profitability has been the ability to maintain top of the range dairy herd health management.

The goal of dairy herd health management is ensuring optimal care and cattle well-being. This not only boosts dairy productivity but also reduces dairy losses. A herd management program is normally structured in consultation with the herd veterinarian. It is designed in such a way that it will be keyed with dairy herd visits, reproductive examinations, and review of performance records.

Scheduled Dairy Farm Visits

Dairy farm visits are not only necessary but are very vital to the growth and sustainability of the farm. In a farm with less than a hundred animals, a single visit per week is enough. These visits will increase as the number of cows increase.

Farm visits can be categorized into four broad categories; technical visits, emergency and individual animal care, quality control visits and training and analytical visits. All these visits are necessary and should be undertaken on the right time.

Traditional, Scheduled And Technical Visits

These are visits that are planned ahead of time. Normally, they will be reproductive examination visits. The sustainability of the herd is pegged on reproductive success. These visits are aimed at identifying productive and unproductive cattle.

Non-pregnant animals are returned to the farm’s breeding program. It is important to generate data to aid in determination of success or failure of the dairy breeding program.

On small dairy farms, the veterinary will only make routine visits for treatment. These visits include IV injections, vaccinations or dehorning. These are tasks that may not be performed by farm staff and require the attention of the veterinary or technician.

Emergency And Individual Cow Health Care Visits

Much as the better part of the herd may be well and healthy, there are some animals that will require close supervision. These are animals that are prone to diseases. Such animals require individual attention.

Frequent visits to the farm allow the vet to assess the herd’s overall health. These visits are quite vital in the identification of infections and diseases.  The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to treat and manage it.

Ideally, a dairy health management program should include a system to detect cattle whose performance is below expectations. High risk dairy cows should receive special attention. This should include monitoring the cow’s temperature, rumen activity, sleeping and eating habits.

Analytic And Training Visits

These are visits that will only be effective if there’s a good system. This is a system that should capture all the activities and their results. The collected information enables analysis and decision making for ongoing revision.

The dairy herd health management system should include these visits to allow the farmer and the veterinary discuss dairy management issues. Set specific training sessions if the dairy farm relies on hired professionals.

Training visits are very beneficial to the dairy farm. They give the farm personnel an opportunity to learn the standard treatment procedures for the common diseases. They also come in handy in the scheduling of treatment plans.

Quality Control Visits

These are visits aimed at ensuring performance consistency. They are focused more on management processes such as milking management, young stock management and nutrition management. Housing and environment quality control visits may also be factored.

Milk management is considered to the standard element of dairy farm quality control programs. This makes it necessary to perform important tasks such as teat scoring and milking routines. These should be done at-least four times (quarterly) per year.

One of the crucial training that should be done is that on mastitis treatment. The dairy farm personnel need to be trained on how to screen for mastitis. The screening should be done on heifers, dry cows and fresh cows. The veterinary should also teach them how to perform a California Mastitis test. Cow udder quarters that show signs of mastitis should be submitted for culture.

The quality of a dairy herd is determined at the early development stage. New born calves and young replacement heifers need specialized care. These are the future of the dairy herd. They are placed away from lactating cows and the veterinary should ensure that the farm personnel are well versed with the feeding rations and procedures.

Generally, the quality control visits should be able to address all areas pertaining dairy cow health. These visits should be able to establish if quality standards are met in udder cleanliness, housing conditions, hock and hoof lesions and herd walkabouts.

Record Keeping

A successful herd health management program requires proper record keeping. The records should be well maintained and should capture all aspects of the cows’ health. One of the sure ways one ensuring success is having cow collars, ear tags and branding. Transponders or neck and ankle straps may also be used to identify cows electronically.

Data collection should be done at all stages of the cow’s growth. The farm should ensure that proper records in calving, breeding, milking, treatment; culling and other crucial stages are maintained.

Data analysis is vital in cow health management cycles. Properly maintained records can be accessed electronically with computerized systems such as Dairy Herd Improvement system. Monitoring programs such as hand-written cards and on-farm computer program may also be used.

Cow Health And Production Problem Investigation

Health problems are a norm in dairy farms. They will attack regardless of the efforts put to manage dairy animals’ health. Dairy herd health management incorporates surveillance programs. These are programs aimed at detecting diseases and health problems beforehand.

Dairy cow health investigation goes a long way in curbing considerable costs associated with treating cow diseases. The health systems help in investigation of outbreaks, effects of drugs and disease prevalence.

Conclusion

Every dairy farmer needs to have a clear understanding of their herd health and the challenges faced. Ongoing scientific advancements have been very instrumental in enabling farmers understand their animals’ health.

It’s now easy for farmers to identify diseases, understand different vaccines and their usage and the solution to various health challenges. Though there are numerous dairy health challenges today, you are now better equipped to handle them. We have gone an extra mile to discuss some of the common cow diseases and health challenges. We hope that our research will help you run a healthy dairy farm and boost your production and productivity.

Increasing Dairy Cow Production: Cow Comfort

Cow comfort has a number of definitions that range from the zone of thermo neutrality or cows comfort zone to the physical comfort. A cow is considered to be comfortable when she has the ability to do what she wants when she wants without straining.

As such the overall definition of cow comfort would be the overall well being of the dairy cow that takes into account it’s physiological as well as its psychological needs.

So, What Is Cow Comfort?

Defining Cow Comfort

Cow comfort to many people simply means the cows comfort zone (climatic environment). This is a state in which the cow is in a zone of thermo neutrality. It may also be defined as the ambient temperature range in which there exist no measurable fluctuations in the physiological processes. At this stage, all the biological functions are at optimum level. For lactating dairy cows, this stage occurs in the range of 6-180C.

Cow comfort may also be related to the physical environment. This is considered to be the ability for the cow to do what she wants when she wants. This practically means that the cow should have 12-14 hours of undisturbed rest every day.

Cow comfort should take into account the cow’s appetite for food and water. In regards to feeds, the appetite should be sufficient to provide the required nutrients at different production levels. In regard to water, the appetite should ideally enable the cow to drink enough water regardless of the weather and other environmental factors. Ideally, cows should be provided with clean fresh water every day.

Cow comfort ought to be extended to the cow’s overall wellbeing. This basically means covering her physiological as well as psychological needs. According to Klindworth et al. (2003 chapter 4), cows shouldn’t be continually fearful. Fear is the natural response to perceived or real threat. Their comfort seeks to protect them for such threats or danger.

Taking into account all the factors mentioned above, a good definition of cow comfort ought to take into account climatic conditions, dairy cow housing (cow parlors), stock facilities and behavioral stress from other cows and human beings. This could be summed up as a cow being at peace with its perception of the world.

A comfortable cow should thus be at peace with its environment. This being the case, more intensive feeding and herd management should result in increased production. This is to mean that any resultant higher feed/ nutrient intake should be directly proportional to milk production.

The best assessment of a cow’s comfort would be its potential appetite. This is to mean that if she is offered more, she will eat it. Too often, a cow’s efficiency to utilize additional feeds declines with increased food intake (Moran 2005). Therefore, cow comfort can’t be defined in terms of production response to additional feeds.

Physical Cow Comfort

It is vital to take into account whether your dairy cow feels comfortable while standing, walking, lying down or exercising. Studies have been conducted on physical cow comfort and the results have shown that comfort demands account for more than 20% of the cow’s potential.

Cows suffer less injuries and lameness with well-designed pens, laneways, lying surfaces, resting stalls and walking surfaces. This is because they can act naturally without the fear of falling or getting injured. Cows act naturally and experience less stress.

Walking

The cow’s hoof is structured in a special way in that blood is able to flow in the claw. This enables the claws to work like a sponge. As the load presses, blood flows out of the tissues. When the foot is lifted, pressure eases on the hoof and blood flows into the claw thus supplying nutrients.

The anatomy of cow feet is designed for soft surfaces. This means that the cow will feel comfortable while walking on soft surfaces. You will notice that a cow’s activities will double when on soft surface compared to hard surfaces like concrete.

Less cow movements, resulting from hard surfaces, can lead to reduced blood flow to the hooves. This consequently leads to inferior hoof horn.

Surprisingly, dairy cows are more likely to let bulls mount them while on soft surfaces than hard surfaces! This implies that they will have few open days and shorter time to first breeding.

Standing

As a cow walks, the weight is evenly distributed on each of the feet. This is a little different when the cow stands. Cows will spend some hours standing which makes it necessary to ensure that they are comfortable while standing.

In most instances, the cow will stand while feeding, stretching after lying down and while ruminating. At such a time, the cow needs to stand undisturbed whether it is in the laneways or the stalls. Ensure that the surface is comfortable to enable the cow stand as long as she wants.

Exercise

Exercising is very vital in cow health and profitability. Cow exercises go a long way in reducing incidences of leg and hoof problems, mastitis, calf related disorders and bloat. A cow should exercise whether she is outdoor or indoors.

Outdoor exercises improve bovine health and the overall cow wellbeing. Free-stall housed cows that get access to outdoor exercises are known to have better hoof and claw health. They are less likely to suffer from tarsal joint lesions, lameness or teat injuries.

Providing part of the day’s portion outdoor gives the cow ample time to exercise. It not only doubles the time a cow spends outdoors but also its fitness. Such exercises reduce plasma lactate levels and heart rate. Studies have shown that the duration of oestrus and rate of detection are high in cows on dirty pasture or yard.

Lying

Lying down allows the cow to rest and ruminate. On average, a cow should lie down for 12 to 14 hours per day. The lying down period allows the hooves to dry out. It also eases pressure on the hooves allowing blood to flow naturally.

Cow comfort plays a major part in determining the amount of time a cow will lie down. Overall cow comfort can be assessed based on the time a cow lies down. Soft lying surfaces such as cow mats increase the cow’s lying time and milk production.

Tethering

Tethering is a way of restricting cow’s movement and manipulates lying down sessions. With time, tethering tends to increase the lying time due to forced inactivity. Tethering has however been found to result in increased stress. The increased lying time results in swollen joints.

Tethering ought to be conducted in such a way that the cow will be comfortable. The cows should have clean and dry lying down areas. This encourages the cow to lie down without necessarily hurting her joints.

A cow’s production will increase with increased comfort and resting hours. It is expected that with every additional sleeping hour above 7 hours, the cow will produce an extra kilogram of milk. This is because blood flow to the udder is 20-30% higher than while standing up.

Summary Of Cow’s Time Budget

  • Eating: 5.5 hours/day with 9-14 meals/day
  • Resting: 12-14 hours/day including 6 hour rumination
  • Walking or standing in alleys: 2-3 hours/day including grooming, socializing, rumination and other activities.
  • Drinking: ½ hour per day

Total time: 21-22 hours/day

This implies that a cow has little time to waste. This being the case, time away from the pen should be minimized. Let the cow visit the milking parlor twice a day to ensure that time is properly managed.

Proper Milking Techniques

Milk is the ultimate goal of keeping dairy cows. Milking thus needs to be the most comfortable stage to ensure maximum productivity. Dairy cows require proper milking management to maximize their production and prevent advent of diseases such as mastitis.

Comfortable Milking Environment

The milking system adopted in a dairy farm should guarantee maximum comfort not only for the cows but also the milker/operator. Poorly designed milk houses, milk parlors and milk machines result in cow discomfort. They may also result in teat damage, mastitis and lameness.

Dairy cows tend to be comfortable while entering a well-lit and designed milking parlor. Generally, animals are afraid of dark areas. It is thus important to ensure that the milking section is not only spacious but well lit and ventilated.

Well-lit milking parlors play a major role in controlling bullying, crowding and competition. Herringbone and turnstile rotary milking parlor designs are known to be very efficient in such control.

 Friendly Milking Machines

A cow’s production will greatly be determined by the milking mode. Normally, a cow should be milked at least twice a day. If the farmer happens to skip one of the milkings, the cow is likely to develop sores or swell. This depicts what a rigorous job awaits every farmer.

Dairy farming needs not be stressful. Well, milking hundreds of cows by hand can be very stressful. It’s actually impractical and results in huge losses. The easiest and most efficient way of milking not only numerous but even a single dairy cow is the use of a milking machine.

Milking machines are cleaner and faster. This means that they will not only increase milk quantity but also improve milk quality. Lucky enough, there are all sorts of milking machines in the market. You just need to select the milk machine that suits your needs and fits your budget.

Vacuum Pumps

Vacuum pumps are designed to remove air from the milking system. This creates a vacuum that in-turn draws milk from cow teats. Vacuum pumps can be classified into;

· Lobe or Blower pumps

These are pumps that rely on an extremely small clearance to create a vacuum seal. This clearance is found between the pump lobes. These pump are known to be very efficient as no oil or contaminants are added to the air stream. Their energy efficiency is estimated to be 420 lmp air movements per kW.

· Rotating Vane Pump

These are the oldest types of pumps. Most of them use oil for cooling and lubrication. These pumps are not very popular as they tend to contaminate the milk. The pump discharge contains oil vapor and droplets that can easily mist with milk.

Manufacturers have made an effort to improve the rotating vane pump efficiency by installing oil recovery systems. This seems to bear results but great care is needed when selecting the pump location.

Some milking machines, especially the large one, are fitted with more than one vacuum pump. This allows such milking machines to keep working even with the failure of one vacuum pump.

Vacuum Regulation

The vacuum regulation system is meant to control vacuum levels in a milking machine. Vacuum control is very essential in ensuring cow comfort. On average, the vacuum receiver shouldn’t fall more than 0.6 In. of mercury or 2 KPa below the desired point.

Conventional vacuum regulators maintain steady vacuum levels by admitting air to balance incoming air.

Vacuum Gauge

Every milking machine should have a vacuum gauge. This gauge should be strategically placed to ensure that it can be seen by all operators during milking sessions. Such a gauge should be checked regularly for accuracy.

Mercury manometers may be used in calibration of technician’s gauges. They however shouldn’t be mounted on milking machines as there’s the risk of mercury loss.

Producing high quality milk requires comfortable and healthy cows. Milk machines thus need to be efficient and comfortable.

Conclusion

Cow comfort is quite wide and requires to be addressed in more than one dimension. Cow comfort will affect the cow’s general and overall health as well as determine its milk production levels and profitability.

Work with professionals to help you boost cow comfort by installing sprinklers, sunshades, fans, sleeping mats, lights as well as dietary modification. This way, you will be sure of having dairy cows that can produce up to 36Ltrs. of milk per day.

Dairy Cows Feeding Management

Dairy farming is very diverse and there is a lot that goes into it. Today, dairy farmers are not only paid based on their milk quantity but also based on the quality. In the Upper Midwest, farmers are paid based on the cheese yield (protein and fat yields) while in the Southeast farmers are paid based on the butterfat content.

This being the case, it’s important to understand what affects milk quality and how to maintain the highest milk quality. While there may be many factors affecting the quality, we shall zero in on dairy cow feeding management in this post.

What Is Dairy Cow Feeding Management?

Dairy cow feeds are quite essential in milk production. It is estimated that they take up 50-60% of the total milk production cost. The feeds determine how healthy the animals will be, milk production, reproductive performance and animal lifespan. This being the case, cow feed management needs to be understood by every farmer.

Dairy cow feeding management simply refers to the cows feeding habits, the nutrition content and the feed relevance. As the cow goes through the different stages, it ought to be fed on the feeds that will give it optimum performance. Some of these stages include;

Feeding Dairy Cows At Different Stages

The feeding system adopted should be one that is envisaged to minimize wastage and maximize production. Generally, most farmers use a concentrate mixture characterized with protein supplements (oil cakes), energy sources (maize, jowar) and laxative feeds (bran).

Seasons

 

Type of cow

 

Feeds Variety

 

Amount (kg)

 

Seasons when green grass is in plenty

 

Dry cow

 

Concentrate mixture

Green Grass

 

0

25 – 30

 

Milking (Lactating)

 

Concentrate mixture

 

Green Grass

 

1 kg for every 2.5kg to 3.0kg of milk

30

 

Pregnant (In-calf)

 

Production Allowance of + 1 to 1.5 kg.

Counted from the 6th month of pregnancy

 

When the major roughage is paddy straw

 

Dry cows

 

Green Grass

Concentrate mixture

Green Grass

Paddy straw

 

25 – 30

1.25

5.0

5-6

 

Milking

 

Concentrate mixture

 

Green Grass

Paddy straw

 

1.25kg +1kg for every 2.5 to 3.0kg of milk

 

5

5-6

Pregnant

 

Concentrate mixture

 

 

Green Grass

Paddy straw

 

Production Allowance +Maintenance + 1 – 1.5kg. Counted from the 6th month of pregnancy

 

5.0

5-6

 

Tips On Dairy Cows Nutrition And Feeds

Ensure that concentrates are fed individually. This helps you ensure that every cow is getting the right amount according to its production requirements.

Always adhere to regular feeding habits. The concentrate can be fed before or during milking sessions. The daily ration should be divided into two. One half fed in the morning and the other in the evening. When it comes to the roughage, it should also be divided into two. One half may be fed at forenoon after cleaning and watering of cattle and the other half in the evening after milking. Feeding after milking is quite significant as you may have noticed in our post on mastitis as it allows the cow to remain upstanding and let the teat pores close to avoid contamination.

It’s needless to over feed your dairy cows on concentrate. Overfeeding results in indigestion and off feed. If you have plenty of straw, you can include them in your feeding system. 1Kg of dry straw equates to 4-5Kgs of dry grass.

You can save on concentrates with good roughage quality. 1 Kg of concentrate mixture can be replaced with 6-8kgs of lumen fodder such as Lucerne or cowpea or 20kg of grasses such as nappier or guinea.

  • Avoid abrupt change of feeds or feeding system
  • Chop thick-stemmed fodder such as nippier and corn
  • Grind grains to medium degree before feeding them to your cattle
  • Wilt tender and highly moist fodder. You can also mix them with dry straws. The same should apply to legume fodder to avoid indigestion or bloating.
  • Feed silage and other feeds that have the tendency of affecting milk flavor after milking. Preferably feed them in the evening.
  • Moisten mash concentrate with water. Pellets may be fed as they are.
  • The roughage: dry matter ratio for high yielder cows should be 60:40.  Always store your feeds in a well-ventilated place to avoid formation mold that may destroy your feeds.

Conclusion

Feeding dairy cows on the right rations gives the cows the required nutrients necessary in keeping them healthy and at their optimum production levels. You can always formulate your rations at home and with the information provided above you will be at a better position.

Always remember that dairy cows feeding systems will vary from one cow to the other. You should also remember that the cow will needed different rations as it goes through different stages. More attention should be given to lactating cows that require 17-18% protein, 18% acid neutral detergent fiber and at least 28% of neutral detergent fiber of the dry matter. Include calcium phosphorous in grain mix. This should be 1-2% and you will be sure of having high yielding healthy cows.

Well, there is quite a lot that goes into dairy cow profitability. In addition to the feeds, you need to learn about other factors that will affect your margins. Our post on ways to increase dairy productivity should give you some insight on the same.

 

 

Increasing Dairy Profitability: Milk preservation

Milk production fluctuates with different seasons. Every year, farmers complain of milk influx, especially between May and July. At such times, milk prices drop to rock bottom. It is at such times that farmers incur huge losses. These losses end up eating into previous months profits.

Much as you may stagger breeding times, large scale milk production will always tend to be a challenge. Milk is a major ingredient in most recipes. It adds flavor and loads of nutrients. But how do you preserve your milk to guarantee its presence in your recipes?

Well, milk preservation dates back decades ago when windmills were in use before the arrival of refrigeration. The secret behind milk preservation is low temperatures as this inhibits the activity of bacteria that turn the milk bad.

Today, we can proudly say that you can preserve every droplet of milk harvested from you high yield goats or cows. There is actually no reason why you should be having some milk going to waste. Explore to find out the skills and techniques, as well as the milk storage and preservation equipment that can help you make the best of your milk production. Do not feel left out if you only need to preserve milk in your home but you aren’t a producer, this will be very helpful for you too.

Milk Preservation Techniques And Equipment

Salting

Has it ever occurred to you that you can salt your milk? Probably not but to many people’s surprise this is one of the renowned milk preservation techniques. You may not necessarily need to salt your milk but what about milk products? Salting is a technique that is popularly used to preserve cheese and butter.

Salting not only preserves milk products but also adds flavor and weight while reducing water content. Water reduction is very vital as it slows the ripening process by inhibiting fermentation. This guarantees you of higher quality cheese that will have a longer shelf life.

Dehydration

Just like other foods, milk can also be dehydrated. This basically means turning the milk into powder form. From its nature, milk is in liquid form and converting it into powder is not an easy task. Milk in percentage contains 3.5%-4.5% fats, 8%-9% non-fat solids. This means that typically only 12.5% is solid and 87.5% fluid.

The principle behind milk dehydration is the use of dry, hot and moving air to remove the water or solvent content in the milk. With hot air, you are guaranteed that the moisture will be absorbed with the heat making the drying process even faster. If the air is stagnant, it tends to retain the water vapor collected. This makes the dehydration process less efficient thus the need to keep air moving.

There are different drying methods that may be used which include; spray drying, bed dryers, supercritical drying, freeze drying, dielectric drying, Roller/drum drying and Shelf drying. Let’s discuss some of the commonly used methods.

Spray Drying

Milk is a closely monitored product and the standards are quite high. This being the case, selecting the right dehydration method becomes quite important as it determines the quality of products to be produced. Spray drying has proven to be one of the most reliable techniques explaining why it is widely used in industrial processes.

Basically, spray drying starts where the milk is atomized into a spray of droplets. The droplets then go into the drying chamber where it comes into contact with hot air. Here, the temperatures are controlled to allow the formation of dry particles. As the powder dries, it is discharged from the chamber.

Cyclones or bag filters (sometimes a combination of the two) are used to recover the powder from exhaust gases. Some people have also invented a way of using wet scrubbers.

Freeze Drying

Just like the name suggests, freeze drying/ lyophilisation involves freezing of the solvent before the drying process can begin. The frozen solvent is then dried and sublimed to convert it into gas form. This is done below the solvent’s melting point which retains the biological properties of proteins, bioactivity compounds and vitamins.

Freeze drying can be done at atmospheric pressure in the presence of dry air. Alternatively, a vacuum pump may be used to remove the vapor produced during sublimation and converting it into ice. Once that is done, the vacuum can be broken by the use of inert gases such as nitrogen before sealing and packaging of the milk product.

Roller/Drum Drying

Roller drying is a common liquid drying method where the fluid is dried at low temperatures over high capacity, over rotating steam heated drums. At the end of the process, sheets of drum dried products which are then milled into powder or flake are produced. Normally, the roller drier will be 1 to 6 meters long depending on the capacity. Its performance is pegged on its surface temperature, film thickness, dry matter content and the roller speed.

One of the reasons behind the roller’s popularity is the ability to retain most of the original nutritional value, color and flavors. The high temperatures however may denature milk proteins and result in brown discoloration.

Condensing

Milk condensing basically involves boiling the milk to evaporate the water content and adding sugar. The end product is sweetened condensed milk that is mostly used in baking. Unsweetened condensed milk, also known as double concentrated milk, is also in high demand and we shall discuss how you can preserve your milk using the condensing method whether sweetened or not.

Unsweetened Evaporated Milk

The large scale manufacture of evaporated milk starts with the pumping of heat treated milk into an evaporator to be concentrated. This is then followed by the homogenization and cooling of the concentrate. At this stage, checks on the coagulation stability are done and stabilizing salts (trisodium or disodium) are added.

When condensing milk at home, the process may be a little different and here are the steps you can follow;

  • Have a heavy bottomed pan and pour two of the four cups of milk.
  • Use a wooden spoon and stick it into the milk holding it straight to mark the milk level.
  • Pour the other two cups into the pan.
  • Heat the milk to bring it to a simmer. Keep stirring to ensure that it does not singe.
  • Remove the skin forming as milk reduces.
  • Regularly measure the milk level using the wooden spoon. When the level hits the mark you made earlier, your milk will have reduced by approximately 60% and that’s good enough.
  • Leave the milk to cool before canning.

Note: If you need to reconstitute the evaporated milk, you can add an equal amount of water to it.

Sweetened Evaporated Milk

Sweetened condensed milk is very popular in the kitchen as it is used in numerous recipes. The major advantage of having such milk is that you do not necessarily need to store sugar that attracts ants and rodents in the house yet you won’t have challenges sweetening your foods. It’s also ready to eat and contains vital fats and calcium.

The process of making sweetened condensed milk varies slightly to that of making unsweetened evaporated milk. You will need to have 1 1/2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Here is how to go about it;

  • Have a heavy bottomed pan and place one cup of milk.
  • Use your wooden spoon or spatula to mark the milk level in the pan.
  • Add your sugar into the milk.
  • Heat and bring the mixture to a slow simmer. Stirring regularly will prevent burning.
  • Observe the liquid level and remove from heat when it reaches the level marked earlier.
  • Add the butter and vanilla and whisk.
  • Let the mixture cool and preserve in the desired way.

Note: You can use honey instead of sugar as it is a healthier option.

Milk Canning

Just like other farm products milk can also be canned. The secret behind milk canning is air tight seals and hygiene. If you have decided that you will be using milk canning to preserve your milk, hygiene should be paramount and should start right from the milking process.

Use extremely clean milking equipment and ensure that the cow’s udder and teats and clean and disinfected. Pasteurize the milk and store it in clean covered bowls to ensure that nothing contaminates it.

Wash jars and containers that you intend to use in hot soapy water to remove all the dirt and rinse thoroughly. Keeping these containers submerged in hot water until use helps keep off germs that may contaminate your milk.

When filling the jars with milk, leave half an inch for headroom. Carefully clean the jar rims and place the sterilized hot rings and rims on them. Place them in the pressure canner and ensure that the recommended amount of water is filled.

Place your canner on the stove, preferably the hottest part of the stove. Set the pressure at 10 or less and cook pints for twenty minutes or quarts for twenty five minutes. Ensure that a constant pressure of 10 is maintained else you will need to start all over again.

The reason behind using pressure canner is the susceptibility to botulism normally found in the soil. Pressure canning ensures safe temperatures thus killing any bacteria. That way, your milk will easily hit two or more years without going bad.

Conclusion

Milk is a common ingredient in most recipes but is not common place. You will thus need to make the best of the available milk and preserving it while in plenty. The methods discussed in this post will help you preserve your milk, in milk form, without necessarily having to refrigerate it.

The tips will come in handy in survival situations and the dairy cow’s drying period. We will be discussing other forms of milk preservation and milk products in a different post. Go ahead preserve your milk for the tough times ahead.