by Lactation in a cow is a difficult process at the physiological level during the production of milk, which is created by the work of the nervous and humoral systems in the animal’s body.
Lactation is directly related to the function of overstraining the digestive system, as well as the lungs, heart and blood vessels. In this article, you will be able to learn more about all the details of cow lactation.
Description
Lactation (derived from the Latin lacto – “milk content”, “milk feeding”) is the process of development and accumulation of milk mixture in the udder of female cattle; secretion occurs during feeding or milking.
Under domestic conditions, thanks to humans, cows began to produce more milk and dairy products in general.
Quality and quantity mean nothing because the most important factor is the impact of the environment on the cow’s nutrition.
That is why the name lactation period appeared, which implies a certain time interval for obtaining milk.
How many days does it last?
The normal duration of lactation in cows is 305 days. But this is not a constant indicator, since everything depends on the fertilization of the female.
Ideally, if calving occurs at the same time after conception, which is approximately 1 year. In this case, lactation can last approximately up to 315 days, and the dry period – up to 60 days.
This stage is very individual, everything depends on the breed, the position of the cow, and, most importantly, on the content and nutrition.
The secretion of milky fluid is a reflex, since it cannot be artificially induced in principle, everything is natural. Milk arrives already during childbirth or before the day the calving is due, but this happens very rarely.
The mammary gland changes when the cow is still pregnant, that is, the fatty tissue of the udder is replaced by secretory alveoli, and after a certain time, the udder begins to grow.
Milk begins to decrease, and the cow is not milked until the next birth. The mammary glands are in a period of rest, during which time the recovery process occurs, and then everything starts all over again.
Hormones take over the main development of the udder, this is all visible during the first pregnancy. There are individuals in which the mammary glands can make up 3% of the total fat mass, from the side of the heart and its system there is a great load.
Preparations to increase milk production should be added to the diet.
Lactation period
The lactation period has three phases:
Colostrum
This is the initial stage after calving, which can last from 7 to 10 days. Colostrum contains a lot of nutrients, such as protein, fats, various vitamins, trace elements and other nutrients.
It also contains a high concentration of lactobacilli and other additional microorganisms that are beneficial for digestive function.
This is the very first food for a calf, thanks to which it develops immunity to the environment and the opportunity to create additional positive bacteria for the digestive system.
This is an unusual food for the human diet, as it has an unpleasant and unusual taste.
After the birth, the cattle needs to recover, so for the first few days the diet includes roughage, and after 4 or 5 days you can switch to combined, wet or semi-wet food.
Normal milk
It takes on a classic composition, a different consistency and taste. In terms of duration, this phase takes from 190 to 280 days, the amount of milk always changes, there are no identical indicators.
During the first months, a cow can produce up to 15 liters of milk per day, but over time the amount of milk fluid decreases.
Once the colostrum has been released, the cow needs increased feeding.
This includes roughage, wet and semi-wet, concentrated feeds. You can also add root fruits and feed based on dry nutrient mixtures – they increase lactation.
Old milk
Formed at the end of the lactation period. Can last from 7 to 10 days. Leukocytes and proteins increase several times, and acidity decreases significantly.
This milk liquid is of very low quality and is therefore not used in food production. At this stage, the cattle are transferred completely to dry food, to which vegetables and root crops can be added.
A cow can give milk for 9 to 10 months a year, although she remains at rest for 2-3 months before giving birth. During this period, she rests, gains strength for the birth of a calf. Bitter tastes predominate in milk, so milking stops.
How to feed cows during lactation?
In order for milk to be of high quality, a huge amount of blood must flow through the cow’s udder, which contains nutrients enriched with additional vitamins.
Therefore, a balanced and rich in quality nutrients nutrition during the lactation curve is considered a huge guarantee of high productivity of cattle and long-term feeding of the calf.
The cow is transferred to individual nutrition, that is, to a diet.
Let’s look at several types of feed:
- wet food – the composition includes succulent feed enriched with pieces of root fruits, or it can be all kinds of waste that are found in the food industry;
- semi-moist food – this is a coarse feed based on herbs, which are preserved in a sealed container, the composition contains special concentrates and additives to increase the productivity of the animal;
- roughage – this is hay, which contains various field and meadow grasses;
- dry nutrient mixture based food – this includes special feed granules, which contain concentrated nutritional elements, the basis of which is grass meal;
- concentrated feed – grain fruits, such as corn, millet and other crops;
- vegetable feed – fruits of vegetables, as well as root crops.
Before introducing any supplementary food into the animal’s diet, it is necessary to take into account its weight and the productive functions of the body, and, of course, age affects the amount of milk produced.
There should be half a feed unit per 100 kilograms. If you do not give the required amount of feed, the cattle’s body will be depressed, that is, starvation will begin.
Feeding frequency
Experienced farmers and veterinarians agree that a lactating cow should be fed 3 times a day. This is the optimal option for significant purebred cattle.
If the cow is from a highly productive breed and produces more than 5 thousand liters of milk in one year, then this food will be very little. Therefore, additional feeding is introduced into the diet, which will provide 4 or 5 meals a day.
Don’t forget to follow these tips to improve the absorption and effectiveness of your bait:
- mix root vegetables with a mixture of succulent feed;
- after milking, the cow should be given concentrated, dry or semi-moist feed;
- Moisture-dried bait is needed in large quantities.
Types of milking machines
Machines are classified by the types of engines installed. They are divided into dry-engine and oil-engine machines.
The difference is that the blades of a dry motor are made of graphite material, which very quickly becomes unusable and when it works, it creates a lot of noise.
Therefore, the price value is very low.
The device on the oil engine has blades made of metal material, which move due to special lubrication. There is almost no noise. Durable in use.
Milking machine is classified according to the principle of “smart action” and the characteristics of the working process.
- By the types of installed glasses, which can include both single-chamber and double-chamber glasses.
- By the method of milking, use of two-act or three-act machines.
- By pump type – piston and centrifugal. A piston pump can operate without a connected pulsator. It is distinguished by its low price and ease of use. A pump based on pulsators works better and performs high-quality milking.
- Milk collection. A household model with a convenient container that can be removed and easily drains milk. Thanks to the expanded production, there are special tubes that can be easily connected to the tank itself.
How to choose?
Today, the world market is rich in various milking machines. They can be distinguished by several criteria – dimensions, equipment and power.
When choosing this device, you should pay attention to how the milk fluid will be collected and how many cows can be connected to one device.
When a farmer chooses one or another device, it is necessary to start from certain indicators that are responsible for the technical properties during installation.
It can be individual or group.
Pump types:
- with membranes – used in small farms, has a low cost and can serve 3 cows, but cannot handle large volumes of load;
- with pistons – has a lot of power, heats up quickly, makes a lot of noise and has an overly compact cylinder;
- with rotors – the work is quiet, milk is collected quite quickly compared to other options.
Machines are indispensable assistants in human life. The use of technology reduces work time and increases the volume of dairy products.
Don’t be afraid to use the latest technologies, the most important thing is to follow all operating rules, and everything will definitely work out.
It happens that foreign brands of devices can be better than Russian ones, or vice versa. Therefore, you should not focus on the manufacturer, the most important thing is the quality and working functions of the device.
Conclusion
The lactation period of cows is a very complex and specific process that requires close attention. Its activity can be influenced by various methods.
However, the most important thing is to stick to the feeding regime and constantly monitor the conditions of keeping animals. This is the only way to achieve high milk yield and milk quality.
