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The cows teat is a projection of the mammary gland that is sealed during their dry period. A dry cow refers to a dairy cow that is in a stage of their lactation cycle where milk production ceases prior to calving. This part of their lactation cycle is referred to as the cows dry period and typically last between 40 and 65 days. [1]
More developed infants will typically require a longer gestation period. Altricial mammals needs less time to gestate compare to the precocial (well-developed neonate) mammal. A typical precocial mammal has a gestation period almost four times longer than a typical altricial mammal of the same body size. [34]
Of the 9 million dairy cows in the U.S., approximately 90% of them are of the Holstein descent. [66] The top breed of dairy cow within Canada's national herd category is Holstein, taking up 93% of the dairy cow population, have a production rate of 10,257 kilograms (22,613 lb) of milk per cow that contains 3.9% butter fat and 3.2% protein [8]
Use of milk production hormone, recombinant bST: A study in February 1999 determined the "response to bST over a 305-day lactation equaled 894 kg of milk, 27 kg of fat, and 31 kg of protein". [19] Monsanto Company estimates a figure of about 1.5 million of 9 million dairy cows are being treated with rBST, or about 17% of cows nationally. [20]
Cattle bred specifically for milk production are called milking or dairy cattle; [1] a cow kept to provide milk for one family may be called a family cow or a milker. A fresh cow is a dairy term for a cow (or a first-calf heifer in few regions) who has recently given birth, or "freshened." The adjective applying to cattle in general is usually ...
Dairy cows need to produce one calf each year in order to remain in milk production. Heifer (female) calves will nearly always become a replacement dairy cow. Some dairy heifers grow up to be mothers of beef cattle. Male dairy calves are generally reared for beef or veal; relatively few are kept for use as breeding stock.
Once bred, a heifer is pregnant for nine months and, after giving birth, is then considered a cow. During pregnancy, the udder begins to develop further. After calving, a cow will nurse its calf briefly and then typically be milked two to three times daily. Cows produce about 80 pounds of milk per day, though some can produce well over 100 pounds.
[2]: 142 A breed society, the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association, was formed in 1880; the first herd-book dates from 1889. By the end of the century breeding was directed towards dairy qualities; a production register for cows was opened in 1911. [2]: 142 From about 1940 the breed became more diffused across the United States.