Dairy Cattle and the Industry

Place the following in order of high-low cost in the dairy industry: Vet Care, Feed, Machine/Labor

Feed, Machine/Labor, Vet Care

What is the feed conversion ratio?

Ratio of DM intake to liveweight gain

What is residual gain?

Difference between actual gain and predicted fain

What is RG based on?

Animals body weight, intake, composition

What 3 milk breeds are commonly used in the dairy industry?

Holstein-Friesan, Jersey, Brown-Swiss

What is sperm sexing?

Flow cytometry of sperm to isolate XX from XY by weight

Sexed semen is used for _______ offspring

Replacement

Beef breed semen is becoming popular due to the byproduct of _____ _____ since sperm sexing is not 100% guaranteed

Male calves

What is the CWT? (Cooperatives working together program)

Voluntary, producer-funded, marketing-focused national program developed by the national Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) to assist family farmers

What 4 factors are important for biological feed efficiency?

Feed intake, milk, production, BW change

What is the VWP and how long is it?

Voluntary waiting period, 60 days

How long is the estrus cycle in cattle?

20days (21)

Gestation is ______ days long in cattle

283

How many days into the lactation period will cows undergo estrus?

60-80 days

How long is the lactation period in cattle?

305 days

During gestation, the last two months of a dairy cow that is lactating will become the ____ period where milk production ceases until birth

Dry

How long is the dry period in cattle?

60 days

Cows will remain in a _______ ________ balance state until after 80 days of lactation (peak)

Negative energy

Feed intake will be equal to energy needs during peak lactation True/False

False

What is the desired breed interval for dairy cattle?

12-12.5 months

What is the calving index?

Number of calves born per number of cows bred per year (days)

Calving index will include maiden heifers True/False

False, calving index is retrospective

What is the focus in dairy cattle health?

Herd health

What is the average cost from birth to 60 days of dairy calves?

$326

When should dairy heifers have their first calf?

22-24months

Dairy heifers should be _____% of their mature BW at time of breeding

55

Dairy heifers should be _____% of their mature BW and have a BCS of _____ at calving

85, 3.5

What are the 4 classes of veal?

Bob, special-fed, non-special fed, heavy/western

Name 3 common reasons to cull dairy cattle

Mastitis, infertility, poor production, lameness

What 4 animals should be examined for disease prevention from a herd health perspective?

Fresh, problem, pregnant or replacement cows

What 2 disease can have persistently infected carriers?

BVDV, Neospora Caninum

What is the ideal lying time per day?

10-12hrs

Increased lying time is associated with decreased ______ and decreased exposure to ______ _____

Lameness, manure slurry

Where should rubber or soft mats be placed for dairy cattle?

Return alley, holding pen, feed lane, back lane