Dairy Cows

The cow is the most productive, efficient creature on earth. She will give you fresh milk, cream, butter, and cheese, build human health and happiness, and even turn a profit for homesteaders and small farmers who seek to offer her bounty to the local market or neighborhood. She will provide rich manure for your garden or land, and will enrich the quality of your life as you benefit from the resources of the natural world. Quite simply, the family that keeps a cow is a healthy family. Originally published in the early 1970s as The Cow Economy and reprinted many times over, Keeping a Family Cow has launched thousands of holistic small-scale dairy farmers and families raising healthy cows in accordance with their true nature. The book offers answers to frequently asked questions like, 'Should I get a cow?' and 'How Much Space do I need?' in addition to extensive information on: • The health benefits of untreated milk; • How to milk a cow effectively and with ease; • Choosing your dairy breed; • Drying off your cow; • Details on calving and breeding; • The importance of hay quality and how to properly feed your cow; • Fencing and pasture management; • Housing, water systems, and other supplies; • Treating milk fever and other diseases and disorders; • Making butter, yogurt, and cheese, and, of course . . . • . . . Everything else the conventional dairy industry doesn’t tell us! Now revised and updated to incorporate new information on the raw milk debate, the conversation about A1 vs. A2 milk, fully grassfed dairies, more practical advice for everyday chores, and updated procedures for cow emergencies. Keeping a Family Cow has not only stood the test of time, it still remains the go-to inspirational manual for raising a family milk cow nearly forty years after its first publication. Joann Grohman has a lifetime of practical experience that has been bound into this one volume and presented in the spirit of fun and learning.

An intimate memoir on the work and wonder of ranch life, critiquing the inhumane and environmentally destructive factory farm system and offering sustainable alternatives for ethical omnivores. Although there are nearly 100 million cattle in the United States, these animals are often ignored or dismissed. In Meditations with Cows, Shreve Stockton inspires a more reverential attitude toward these affectionate and intelligent creatures as she shares captivating stories and photos of ranch life. At the center of the narrative is Daisy, the matriarch of the herd. Through the daily ritual of milking, Stockton forges a relationship with Daisy that deepens with each passing season: "When you have a milk cow, you are together every day, no matter the weather, no matter either of your moods. The hind leg of this twelve-hundred-pound animal towers over you as you crouch beside her... both of you aware of the fact that one well-aimed kick could kill you if she wished. Yet you are allowed to rest your cheek and forehead against her warm belly as you milk... her trust in you entwined with your trust in her, you become family." For anyone who loves animals or cares about the environmental impact of their food, Stockton explores conservation and the important role of cattle in local ecosystems, models the humane treatment of animals, and shows how pastured cattle can be our allies in averting climate crisis. Blending together narrative, science, and thoughtful reflection, Meditations with Cows offers a moving portrait of the rhythms of work, life, and hardship on the ranch.

A comprehensive and thoroughly revised text on dairy science that contains information on the most recent developments The fully updated third edition of Understanding the Dairy Cow explores the scientific principles that provide a foundation for understanding the animal’s body system. The comprehensive text also reveals how to properly manage dairy cattle with economic efficiency whilst taking into consideration the cow’s welfare. The revised new edition contains expanded coverage on topics including insight into cow behaviour and welfare, genetic selection indices, new strategies for control of mastitis and lameness and information on the overworked cow. It also contains the most recent developments in breeding, nutrition and management. Is an authoritative text on the dairy cow that covers a wide-ranging subject area including the science, disease and husbandry Presents the information and knowledge necessary for the efficient and humane management of cows Includes expanded coverage on a variety of topics such as cow behaviour and welfare, and genetic selection indices Highlights major new developments in the field Covering both the basics and recent developments in dairy science, Understanding the Dairy Cow 3rd Edition is ideal for students in agriculture and veterinary science and for professionals working in the complex business of dairy farming.

This lively book examines recent trends in animal product consumption and diet; reviews industry efforts, policies, and programs aimed at improving the nutritional attributes of animal products; and offers suggestions for further research. In addition, the volume reviews dietary and health recommendations from major health organizations and notes specific target levels for nutrients.

This book summarizes the results achieved so far by application of various biological systems (including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) involved in the pathomechanisms and early diagnosis of periparturient diseases as specific biomarkers of disease in cattle. These emerging technologies help to extensively enhance our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of periparturient diseases of transition dairy cows. The book includes a chapter dedicated to ‘omics’ sciences and one that discusses the myths established in animal and veterinary sciences in recent decades and emerging, new paradigms. The diseases discussed include metritis, mastitis, laminitis, ketosis, rumen acidosis, periparturient immunosuppression, gastrointestinal microbiota and their involvement in disease, infertility, fatty liver, milk fever, and retained placenta. This book is intended for academics, veterinarians, animal nutritionists, researchers, and graduate students working in the field of ‘omics sciences’ with a special interest in dairy cattle health.

REBHUN'S DISEASES OF DAIRY CATTLE, 2nd Edition is your all-in-one guide to bovine disease management. With thorough, up-to-date coverage of differential diagnosis methods, surgical and therapeutic treatment options, and prevention strategies, it provides vital information for battling bovine diseases in both dairy and non-dairy cattle. The book is organized by body system for quick, convenient reference, and this new edition meets the growing need for management of both diseases of individual cows and problems affecting whole herds. Individual case presentations provide a valuable tool for differential diagnosis. Practical overviews for procedures such as blood transfusion, abdominal paracentesis, and ECG give you reliable support for some of the most common procedures in bovine care. Body systems organization makes diagnosis easier and more effective by isolating system-specific diseases and conditions. Full-color design and over 200 new photographs depict disease processes in realistic clarity and ensure the most accurate diagnosis and treatment. Emphasis on herd health addresses the dairy industry's increased concern over population medicine. Expanded coverage of lameness highlights key problem areas in bovine feet. Revised drug usage recommendations and legal considerations present the most current information in these critical areas to help you prevent dangerous or costly errors. Additional public health/safety considerations identify diseases that pose a substantial public threat and detail special measures for related care of dairy cattle. New, innovative DVD features real-time videos of neurologic case studies, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures, and imaging techniques that familiarize you with the latest technological equipment and protocols. Features coverage of the latest treatment innovations including antibiotic residue testing, care of individual metabolic disease, troubleshooting, and much more.

1. A novel, illustrated classification system to define the causes of bovine perinatal mortality internationally / John F. Mee -- 2. Resetting priorities for sustainable dairy farming under global changing / I. Blanco-Penedo, J. Perea, J.O.L. Cerqueira and R. Payan-Carreira -- 3. Somatic cell count as the factor conditioning productivity of various breeds of cows and technological suitability of milk / Joanna Barlowska, Zygmunt Litwińczuk, Aneta Brodziak and Jolanta Król -- 4. Strategies to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle / L.S.R. Marinho, F.Z. Machado and M.M. Seneda.

The aim of this manual is to improve the welfare of dairy cattle in tropical developing countries, and by doing so, optimise cow and herd performance. It gives the stockmen and farmers directly concerned with the cattle a better understanding of animal behaviour and the ways cattle communicate their comfort or distress. The book discusses normal cattle behaviour and shows how domestication and breeding can affect behaviour to achieve high levels of production of milk, live weight gain and fertility. Animal welfare is important for producers because it can affect the health, production and contentment of cows. Animal welfare practices which adversely affect cow and herd performance on tropical small holder dairy farms are identified. Advice is then given to change the animal's environment or modify a handler's technique to ensure cattle have the degree of comfort needed to achieve more profitable and sustainable systems of livestock farming. Cow Talk will be a beneficial resource for farmers who want to improve animal welfare, farm advisers who can assist farmers to improve their welfare practices, educators who develop training programs for farmers and dairy advisers, and other stakeholders in tropical dairy production such as local agribusiness, policy makers and research scientists.