While the dairy industry is one of the United States' top agricultural industries, the life of a dairy farmer is certainly not all rainbows and butterflies. In fact, there are many issues with which dairy farmers must contend. Here are just a few issues that you might have to handle if you were a dairy farmer.
Animals produce waste and dairy cows are not exempted from this waste issue. Waste is typically stored in large pits and these are called waste pits or waste lagoons. The waste of these animals needs special manure treatment so that it will not become hard and solidified, and it is better to have this in liquid form. The poorly treated waste matter however, will turn to solid matter or sludge layer forming in the bottom of the waste pit or lagoon. Hard crust can also form on the top and this is odor forming and also attracts flies.
In preventing these problems, the dairy farmers treat the waste with chemicals. In these days however, there are already some natural products used as agricultural waste treatments. These are the manure digesters called Activator Plus, a manure digester that eats away and liquefy the top crust in the pits. There is also Agra Sphere and also Lagoon Agra Sphere, the ready to use biodegradable spheres that are just tossed into the lagoons and pits, and these eats away the sludge and also prevent the formation of top crust. These are manure treatment products that are not containing chemicals but only special bacteria that deal with the animal waste.
Individual cows also can have a host of problems. One problem that sometimes occurs is infertility. In order to produce milk, a cow must constantly be producing calves. When a cow cannot become pregnant, this animal also can no longer be used to produce milk. Therefore the cow will be culled, which means to be separated from the herd. Often these animals then are used as a source of beef.
Another common problem faced with the dairy cows is mastitis. This condition can become fatal because this is caused by infection in the mammary glands. Treatment with antibiotics is done until there is no more infection and when all traces of antibiotics are gone and milk production resumes again and is suitable to the market, the cow is spared or this is also culled
The milk produced by the cow every day is also taken into special considerations. In general, a dairy cow often produces six gallons of milk every day. If there is already little milk produced, this cow may also be culled. There are studies however that say that the lesser level of milk production will also lead to longer longevity of the cow. If you are just producing four gallons of milk from this cow, it may also live longer and thus also produces milk for a longer time than a cow producing seven gallons of milk every day. Stress in the cows is also related to milk production, and there are studies that show cows that are allowed to roam in the pastures and also with calming music played while lactating, can increase the amount of milk produced.
Animals produce waste and dairy cows are not exempted from this waste issue. Waste is typically stored in large pits and these are called waste pits or waste lagoons. The waste of these animals needs special manure treatment so that it will not become hard and solidified, and it is better to have this in liquid form. The poorly treated waste matter however, will turn to solid matter or sludge layer forming in the bottom of the waste pit or lagoon. Hard crust can also form on the top and this is odor forming and also attracts flies.
In preventing these problems, the dairy farmers treat the waste with chemicals. In these days however, there are already some natural products used as agricultural waste treatments. These are the manure digesters called Activator Plus, a manure digester that eats away and liquefy the top crust in the pits. There is also Agra Sphere and also Lagoon Agra Sphere, the ready to use biodegradable spheres that are just tossed into the lagoons and pits, and these eats away the sludge and also prevent the formation of top crust. These are manure treatment products that are not containing chemicals but only special bacteria that deal with the animal waste.
Individual cows also can have a host of problems. One problem that sometimes occurs is infertility. In order to produce milk, a cow must constantly be producing calves. When a cow cannot become pregnant, this animal also can no longer be used to produce milk. Therefore the cow will be culled, which means to be separated from the herd. Often these animals then are used as a source of beef.
Another common problem faced with the dairy cows is mastitis. This condition can become fatal because this is caused by infection in the mammary glands. Treatment with antibiotics is done until there is no more infection and when all traces of antibiotics are gone and milk production resumes again and is suitable to the market, the cow is spared or this is also culled
The milk produced by the cow every day is also taken into special considerations. In general, a dairy cow often produces six gallons of milk every day. If there is already little milk produced, this cow may also be culled. There are studies however that say that the lesser level of milk production will also lead to longer longevity of the cow. If you are just producing four gallons of milk from this cow, it may also live longer and thus also produces milk for a longer time than a cow producing seven gallons of milk every day. Stress in the cows is also related to milk production, and there are studies that show cows that are allowed to roam in the pastures and also with calming music played while lactating, can increase the amount of milk produced.
About the Author:
Lianne Derocco likes writing about agricultural matters. For further information about agricultural waste solutions, please visit the BioverseAG.com site today or click here.
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