Every day, dairy farmers go to great lengths to care for their cows – the humans can’t rest until the cows are comfortable. So we asked some of our real farm wives to share the times they went the extra mile.
A Calf in the House
You know the journey milk makes from the grocery store to your fridge, but have you ever wondered how it got to the store in the first place?
Here are five things you need to know about how milk gets from the farm to your fridge.
Did you know there are different kinds of dairy farms? Similar to the differences between your home and friends’ homes, dairy farms are designed differently for various climates and each farm’s individual needs.
A farmer’s first priority in selecting a type of dairy farm is always cow comfort. Dairy farmers know comfortable and content cows are the most productive cows. In the Dairy MAX region, there are three common popular farm styles: freestall, drylot and pasture-based.
If livestock were Olympic athletes, dairy cows would be the marathon runners. Just like the time and distance marathon runners achieve, dairy cows produce milk 24 hours a day, during their lactation period.
Dairy cows also have an off-season. They produce milk about 300 days a year and take a two-month vacation to relax and prepare for the birth of their calves. To achieve marathon-worthy milk production, superior nutrition is key at all stages – whether cows are producing milk or in their off-season.
There are a lot of scary claims out there about milk and how it’s made, but when you look past the hype at the real science, and talk to the farmers who produce the milk, you’ll find that new research and technology have made dairy even safer than it was when people first started eating and drinking it thousands of years ago.
So here’s the truth behind the top five dairy myths out there.
Ever wonder where your milk comes from? I mean, what kind of cow it comes from? There are six different breeds of dairy cow in our region, and each has its own unique personality.
When you think of a dairy cow, you probably picture a black-and-white Holstein. Holsteins make up about 90% of the dairy cows in America, and they owe their popularity to their productivity – on average making nearly nine gallons of milk every day. Holsteins are originally from Holland, and came to America in the 1850s.
Did you know that cows spend up to eight hours a day eating?
Did you know that cows make more milk when they listen to music?
They’re pretty interesting creatures. And now there’s a cool way to teach your kids a little more about them – and where that glass of milk comes from.
You may have seen the cool interactive LegenDairy Cow feature in our traveling Dairy Discovery Zone exhibit at your local rodeo or fair. If not, it’s your lucky day – now you and your kids can play it online!
Dairy farmers go above and beyond to care for their calves. With adorable faces like these, what’s not to love? Get a glimpse into how farmers care for calves on the farm.
In case that video wasn’t enough, prepare for another dose of adorable:
The National Dairy Council is turning 100 this year. We’re celebrating with 100 things we love about dairy. We covered the first 25 back in January; here’s the next batch.
