- Crops
- Livestock
- Pests Diseases
- Careers in Agriculture
- Wildlife
- Dip Land Based Studies
- Teaching Curriculum Map
Production of Milk from Diary Cows.
Milk Taster
The 2.3 million dairy cows in the UK, each produce an average of 5900 litres per annum.
Half of the milk is used for liquid consumption the rest being processed, into things like yogurt, cheese and butters. Use in cheese making accounts for half of all processed use.
Billy Bull.
Billy Bull
As this page is aimed at various age pupils the language about bulls and mating has been kept very simple. I have tried to explain without creating misconceptions or giving too much detail for younger pupils. You may need to explain in more detail depending on your particular group. Feedback would be welcome if you think even what I have put is too much for the youngest pupils - my experience is limited at this age!
Calving.
Calving
This video shows a brief section of a calf being born - so make sure you watch and check content before using with your class.
Preserving Grass - making Silage
Making silage
For various reasons dairy cows are usually kept inside over winter especially. During this period cows are fed on preserved grass. This can be in the form of hay which is just dried grass, but it is more usually in the form of silage.
Silage is 'pickled' grass basically the grass is placed in a clamp or more commonly now wrapped in plastic like in the video. This removes the air and means that the bacteria which would cause rotting - like with your grass cuttings, cannot function. Instead a different type of bacteria work on this grass converting the sugars in the grass to acid and effectively pickle it - sometimes the cut grass is inoculated with this type of bacteria to promote the correct type of fermentation.
Milking Cows
Cows are generally milked twice a day around 5 am and then again at 4pm. Dairy Cows soon get to know the daily routine and will enter the parlor with little prompting keen to release their milk.
The cows udders are cleaned to so that the milk does not become infected with any bacteria they may have picked up. It also gives the cow man a chance to check the cows health.
The teat cups are attached to the cows udders. These work on suction and must be checked regularly so that they work safely. The cows stand quietly whilst the milk is gently sucked from their teats.
The amount of milk a cow gives each day varies depending on what stage of lactation the cow is at - i.e. how long since she had her calf. The peak of lactation is around 5 weeks after birth when she could be giving around 40 litres of milk a day. Towards the end of lactation when she is about to finish milking to have the next calf this could drop to below 10 litres a day.
Other jobs of a stockman / woman or herds person.
The farmer does not just have to milk cows twice a day, but has many other jobs to do too. A farmer who looks after animals or stock as they are usually called - be they sheep, cattle or pigs, is often referred to as a STOCKMAN or WOMAN or sometimes a HERDSPERSON. In terms of milk production the Stockman in this case will sometimes be called the Dairyman.
Dairy Products
What else is milk used for?
Milk is not just used as the 'white stuff', but used to make other dairy products such as cheese, butter and yogurt. Despite recent stories to the contrary diary products are fine as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Home
Contact
About Us 
Help