DAIRY CATTLE BAG205

Learn to farm a dairy cattle more successfully

This is a very practical foundation course; providing unique and extensive support from university qualified and industry experienced experts.
If you want to learn about dairy cattle and their management, this is the course for you.

 

Learn about raising and caring for the dairy herd, milking and milk products; and more.


COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 9 lessons as follows:

  1. Dairy Breeds
  2. Dairy Products
  3. The Lactation Cycle
  4. Pests & Diseases of Dairy Cattle
  5. Feeding Dairy Cattle
  6. Managing Dairy Cattle
  7. Breeding Dairy Cattle
  8. Managing Dairy Facilities
  9. Dairy Business Planning

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

 

Duration: 100 hours

 

 

AIMS

  • Select appropriate dairy breeds for different farming situations.
  • Describe the different characteristics, including their nature and scope, of dairy products.
  • Explain the management of the lactation cycle in dairy cattle, on a farm property.
  • Manage general husbandry operations for the dairy cow.
  • Manage the wellbeing of a dairy cow, including consideration of its health and vigour, to optimise quality and quantity of production.
  • Explain the significance of animal breeding programs for milk production.
  • Explain the management of the facilities, including buildings and machinery, at a farm dairy.
  • Develop a business plan for the management of a dairy property.

 

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
  • Distinguish between three different breeds of dairy cattle, which are either significant in the learner's locality, or have potential in the learner's locality, including:
    • size
    • appearance
    • preferred conditions
    • milk
    • cost per head.
  • Evaluate the suitability of three different dairy cattle breeds to a specified property, in a locality with which the learner is familiar.
  • Select three appropriate dairy cattle breeds for each of four specified situations, with regard to:
    • pasture varieties
    • climatic conditions (eg. temperature and weather patterns)
    • locality
    • market requirements for the product
  • Judge a dairy cow, using a standard score card, such as the dairy cow unified score card produced (and revised in 1982) by the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association.
  • List the different dairy products which are commonly available, in the learner's locality.
  • Describe the composition of milk, with reference to different characteristics, including:
    • sediment
    • bacteria count
    • chemical impurities
    • somatic cell count
    • added water
    • flavour
  • Explain the different types of flavours in milk, referring to both cause and prevention factors, and using relevant terminology, including:
    • feed
    • rancid
    • flat
    • unclean
    • foreign
    • salt
    • acid
    • oxidised flavours
  • Explain how milk composition can affect its use for different purposes.
  • Explain how milk is processed, on a property visited by the learner, including the process of pasteurisation (sanitisation).
  • Explain how cheese is made, on a specific property.
  • Explain how yoghurt is made, on a specific property.
  • Explain how milk is processed to obtain cream, at a typical dairy.
  • Describe the lactation cycle of a dairy cow.
  • List the farm husbandry factors which can influence the lactation cycle.
  • Explain how three different variations in a cow's diet may affect lactation.
  • Prepare a plan for a feed flow program to support milk production on a specified property.
  • Produce a log book record of management tasks carried out, over a period of 1 month, to control the lactation cycle in dairy cattle on a specified property.
  • Milk a cow, verifying the proper undertaking of the task.
  • List the routine husbandry tasks carried out on different dairy cows, including those in milk and those that are dry.
  • Explain the routine husbandry tasks carried out on two different types of dairy cows, including those in milk and those that are dry.
  • Compare the management of heifers with that of milking cows on a specified dairy farm.
  • Describe the management of dairy cattle for meat production on a specified dairy farm.
  • Evaluate a production system on a dairy farm, in a locality familiar to the learner.
  • List the pests and diseases that are significant for dairy cattle in the learner's locality.
  • Develop a checklist for the signs of ill health, which should be routinely checked, in dairy cattle.
  • Describe three significant pests or diseases of dairy cattle, including mastitis.
  • Explain treatments for three different pests or diseases in dairy cattle.
  • Explain the irregularities which can occur in the functioning of the digestive system of dairy cattle.
  • Distinguish between a maintenance ration and production ration for a dairy cow.
  • Explain the nutritional requirements of a typical dairy cow on a specific property.
  • Calculate the rations for a dairy cow in accordance with specified characteristics, including:
    • weight
    • quantity of milk being produced
    • butterfat concentration
  • Prepare a collection of pasture plant species from two different dairy properties, and including:
    • samples of plants (ie. pressings of different plants in the pasture)
    • comments on the suitability of the pasture for dairy cattle.
  • Produce a twelve month plan to manage the vigour of dairy cattle, on a specified property, which includes:
    • a list of disease management procedures
    • feed program variations throughout the year
  • Explain a breeding program in use for dairy herd improvement on a specified property.
  • Explain the artificial insemination methods used with dairy cattle on a specified property.
  • List the criteria for selecting cattle for a dairy breeding program, in a locality which is familiar to the learner.
  • Plan a hypothetical breeding program, to improve milk quality and production for dairy cattle.
  • List the minimum physical facilities required for a viable dairy farm.
  • List factors affecting the siting of a dairy on a farm.
  • Prepare a plan for the construction of dairy facilities on a specified site, including:
    • sketch or concept plans of buildings, fencing surrounding buildings, and interior layout
    • a list of materials, including types and quantities required for construction
    • a list of equipment to be installed
    • a schedule of construction tasks
  • Develop a profile of an ideal dairy farm site.
  • Select the machinery needed to operate a specified, hypothetical dairy farm.
  • Develop a maintenance program for dairy farm machinery, on a farm investigated by the learner.
  • Explain the operation of typical milking machinery.
  • Explain the significance of farm water to the operation of a dairy farm.
  • Develop procedures for control of goods on a typical dairy farm, including:
    • ordering
    • receipt
    • dispatch
  • Explain two different ways to manage waste effluent from a typical dairy.
  • Develop guidelines for safe working practices at a typical dairy farm.
  • Explain legal requirements which are relevant to a dairy farm in a specified location.
  • Report on research, conducted by the learner from an information search, into innovations in the dairy industry.
  • Report on the implementation of recent innovations in the dairy industry.
  • List factors affecting profitability of a dairy property.
  • Explain factors affecting the cost of dairy production on a specified farm.
  • Write a job specification for one member of staff on a specific dairy property.
  • Develop criteria for assessing the management of a dairy property.
  • Prepare or evaluate a dairy farm budget for a specified property.
  • Prepare or evaluate a dairy farm financial report for a specified property.
  • Analyse marketing systems for marketing dairy products produced by a specified enterprise.
  • Explain factors affecting sales of dairy products on a specified farm.
  • Describe the selection and preparation of dairy cattle for sale in the learner's locality.
  • Develop a marketing plan for a specified dairy product which addresses:
    • product presentation
    • delivery of product
    • promotions
    • customer relations
  • Develop a business plan for a specified dairy property.
  • Describe how the sale of dairy meat can be managed, in accordance with a business plan, while adhering to relevant regulations.
 

How Much Do You Know about Milk?

Milk is the lacteal secretion of a healthy cow. Milk should not contain colostrum or abnormal constituents. 

Under this definition, milk may not contain any contaminant other than is secreted during the milking process. Therefore, an item such as sediment (dirt, debris, cells, etc) which has become entrapped in milk is not acceptable.

Similarly, the somatic cell count (SCC) which is a measure of the cow's health is recorded to ensure the animal is healthy and fir for milking. A high SCC will affect sediment. Added water and chemical impurities are obviously outside the definition for milk and are tested for at the processing factory/facility. All milk will contain bacteria at of just after milking and without due care and attention, this bacteria count will increase to a point whereby it is unsuitable for human consumption.

Flavour, for fresh milk is generally described as 'clean' and as such is of lesser importance in the acceptance or not of milk or its composition. Flavour is affected by such things as fat content, animal health, animal feed, and the age of milk, storage conditions and heat treatment. Flavours are generally cased by two chemical changes during storage. These are oxidation and lipolysis.

Oxidation 

This will cause oxidised (metallic) flavours and is brought about as the name suggests by exposure to oxygen by the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids. Sunlight will also 'oxidise' milk if it is directly exposed for even short periods. In this case, there is a reaction in the amino acid of milk protein rather than the fat phase.

Lipolysis 

Lipolysis is the breakdown of fat into glycerol and free fatty acids. It is noted by rancid flavours. Feed flavours are cased by strong flavours in the stock feed being passed to the milk (usually via fat content) (i.e. onion weed, carrot weed) Unclean, or acid flavours, are associated with excessive bacterial counts and usually indicates unclean conditions at some point in the process. Foreign denotes a flavour not usually associated with the product at hand and would suggest contamination. Flat is usually associated with the onset of rancidity or oxidation or age (ie. the milk is old). A salty flavour is fairly self explanatory although can be associated the chemical contamination or enzymic type reactions during storage

 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

ENROL TODAY!
Just go to the top of this page for pricing and enrolment options. If you have any questions you can contact us now, by:
Phone (UK) 01384 44272, (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752, or

Email us at [email protected]