How much milk does a black-motley cow give in winter. How many liters of milk a cow gives per day - the timing of the start of collection, the number and reasons for reducing milk yield, as well as the best breeds of cattle. In what cases milk yield is reduced

Milk is an affordable and inexpensive product, a gift from nature. How much milk does a cow give per day, and what kind of livestock is needed to provide the population of many countries with dairy products? The creation of highly productive breeds and the conditions for keeping a dairy herd make it possible to obtain from one cow up to 80 liters of milk in ideal feeding and keeping conditions.

What determines the productivity of a cow

Keeping a bucket cow in the household means having milk, cottage cheese, sour cream on the table for 10 months a year. The annual offspring provides the family with meat. At the same time, a healthy daughter is selected, which is raised to replace an aging and losing productivity cow. The milk yield and character of the animal are inherited. Heifers from a good cow are ready to be bought by neighbors without stint.

Several particularly productive breeds are known in the world:

  • – daily milk yield up to 110 kg;
  • Yaroslavskaya - up to 62 kg;
  • Kholmogorskaya - up to 78 kg.

But this is the maximum milk yield of an individual at the peak of lactation in ideal conditions. Productive breeds require special feed and maintenance. Local breeds are more suitable for a homestead, less productive, but adapted to the climate of the region. So, the Yakut cow of small stature with long thick hair feeds on roughage, on grazing until a stable snow cover. How much milk does this cow give per day? For 2 milking 10 liters of milk, in winter it survives even on straw in a cold paddock.

Simmental cows are recognized as the best in the world. They are the property of Switzerland. With a milk yield of 5000 l / year, they have a fat content of 3.8-4%.

Signs of high milk yield when choosing a wet nurse will be:

  • the body is elongated and flattened on the sides;
  • the legs are long, the stomach is brawny, the head is neat, light;
  • neck thin, wrinkled skin;
  • the back is even, the backbone is protruding, the ribs are oblique;
  • the udder of the cow is smooth, without seals and dips, the skin and teats are clean, there are folds, a reserve for increasing during milking.

On inspection, the cow should not kick or butt. The grumpy nature of the animal will not bring joy in communication. The anxiety of the animal may be a reaction to pain during the touch, this should alert the buyer.

What cow is considered good for a homestead

The main indicator will be how much milk a cow gives per day. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that nature has laid lactation in the genetics of cows to feed offspring. The milk we get is for the calf. Therefore, the milk yield from a cow varies depending on the time when the calving was, whether she bears the offspring again.

No less important is the taste and fat content of cow's milk. The taste depends on the foods fed. The fat content of milk even during one milking changes. First, low-fat milk is expressed. The fattest, bottom milk. This is what they give to the last drop, preventing mastitis from developing in stagnant zones.

The famous Vologda butter cannot be obtained anywhere except Vologda. A special taste that cannot be faked is given to milk by local herbs.

It is known that the more productive the cow, the lower the average fat content of milk. At home, the fat content of milk depends on heredity, but feed can make an adjustment. Increases the fat content of hay and grazing in forest clearings, in the steppe with herbs and water meadows. If a cow receives a yeast supplement of bran, crushed and, fat content and milk production increase. A daily addition of 70-90 grams of table salt is necessary for a cow to maintain balance.

Physiologically, the fat content of milk in a cow is higher in the first month of lactation, then it decreases for 2 months, but there is more milk. From 4 months, milk yields gradually begin to fall, and the content of cream in milk increases. And this will happen as long as the nurse gives up to half a liter of milk. Then drying happens. Usually the dry period begins 2 months before calving. But while there is milk, you can’t stop milking, inflammation of the milk ducts may occur.

How to choose a milking machine for cows

If there are 1-2 cows in the backyard, the hostess does without a special milking machine. Freeing the udder from milk by hand is hard work. Tired fingers and hand muscles. It is necessary to milk the udder, it is impossible to skip the milking time, the next milk yield will be less. Therefore, to facilitate labor, a milking machine was created. It has a pulsating effect on the nipples during milking and creates a feeling of suction by the calf and collects milk in a bucket.

There are 2 ways to suck milk from the udder: under vacuum and squeeze. The three-stroke squeezing method physiologically resembles calf suckling or hand milking. It hurts the nipples less. All milking machines are noisy. Therefore, it is necessary to give the cow time to get used to the technique, beforehand, when milking by hand, turn on the machine. The effectiveness of the installation is judged by the results:

  • speed and completeness of milking;
  • reliability of fixing glasses on the nipples;
  • the degree and nature of the noise.

The price of a milking machine for cows depends on the type of installation, its configuration. The quality of products does not always correspond to the price.

The sacrament of milking a wet nurse

Cleanly dressed, tied in an apron with a pail-pail, the hostess appears in the paddock. She strokes the cow, says kind words to her, washes the udder with warm water, and wipes it with a hard towel. After that, he makes a massage, stroking the udder and massaging it with smooth gentle movements. The cow relaxed, her stomach sank, and the hostess trustingly settles down near the nurse's foot.

How to milk a cow so that she gives all her milk? The sacrament of communication between an animal and a person should not be disturbed by extraneous conversations with domestic ones. Slowly and gently, the hostess releases the udder from the burden of milk. It is wiped with a towel, the nipples are smeared with technical petroleum jelly without fragrance. The cow is stroked and given a bucket of delicious swill with flour mash or bran. How much milk a cow gives per day also depends on her contact with the owner.

On average, a cow should produce 5000-6000 liters of milk per year. That is, about 15-16 liters are obtained per day. If the animal does not give such an amount of milk, then action must be taken. It is advisable to call a veterinarian to examine and say what is the reason. For caring and responsible owners who take care of the animal, a cow can give more than 20 liters. But this happens very rarely. The statistics change every year.

Experienced livestock breeders are confident that an ordinary cow can produce more than twenty liters per day. However, such a judgment is subject to dispute. Here it is necessary to take into account many factors in combination: the season, the diet, the ecological situation in the region, even the psychological situation in the economy. It is obvious that it is quite difficult to take into account all these factors, and here farmers may have a conflict of interest: either to have high milk yields, using artificial milk growth stimulants, thereby increasing their profits, or to have not so high rates, respectively, low profits, but be sure of the high quality of the products.

Interestingly, in Russia there lived a cow named Polaris, which broke the record in milk. For the year the animal gave seventeen thousand liters of milk. The US is not far behind either. Their cow gave more than 33,000 liters per year.

Record daily milk yields of dairy cows of the following breeds have been registered in the world: Holstein (110 kg/day), Black-and-White (82 kg/day), Yaroslavl (82 kg/day), Kholmogory (78 kg/day), Kostroma (66 kg/day).

Factors affecting the milk productivity of cattle

The milk productivity of cows varies over a very wide range (from 1,000 to 33,000 kg of milk or more). These differences are due to the complex interaction of pedigree and individual hereditary characteristics of animals, physiological state, conditions of feeding and maintenance and use.

Heredity - to determine the relative influence of heredity on the phenotype, the coefficient of heritability is calculated. For milk yield, this indicator is 0.30-0.44, that is, milk yield depends on hereditary factors by 30-44%, and by 70% on feeding and maintenance conditions. The heritability coefficient for fat content in milk is 0.60-0.78.

Breed and breed - creating breeds of animals, a person specialized each of them, developing certain signs of productivity. In this regard, dairy cattle breeds of productivity have a significantly greater ability to high milk yields than beef breeds. Among the breeds of the dairy direction of productivity, the Holstein breed is characterized by the highest milk yield. All world records for milk production belong to this breed. Within each breed, each herd, the value of milk productivity is determined by the individual hereditary characteristics of the animals.

Age of cows

The general pattern of age-related variability of milk productivity is expressed in the fact that milk yields increase uniformly up to a certain maximum, and then gradually decrease. This pattern is due to the fact that the secretory activity of the mammary gland depends on the development of the reproductive system, all internal organs and tissues, body size and general vital activity of the organism. The more early the cattle is, the better the animal grows and develops at a young age, the more intensively the milk production increases, the maximum productivity is reached earlier, and the milk yield of young cows differs less from that of full-aged ones.

The nature of the age-related variability of milk production can be controlled. In order to increase milk production on each farm over a number of years, it is necessary first of all to ensure the best development of animals at a young age. In addition, we must remember that with age, the development of the mammary gland occurs: its size and the mass of all the activity of the glandular tissue increase. Better udder development is achieved by proper milking and milking of young cows.

Live weight of cows

The milk productivity of a cow depends to a large extent on its live weight, since live weight is an indicator of overall development and expresses the degree of fatness of the animal.

The high milk productivity of cows is associated with great physiological stress of the whole organism, therefore they must be well developed, able to eat a large amount of feed and process it into milk, have a strong constitution and health. However, this does not mean that the hundred largest animals should also be the highest milk. It has been established that for each breed there is a certain optimum for live weight as an indicator of the completion of animal development and working fatness. An increase in the live weight of cows to this indicator, as a rule, has a positive effect on milk productivity. But if the live weight is higher than the maximum breed optimum and expresses not so much the general development as a tendency to obesity, then such an increase in live weight does not affect the increase in milk yield. Consequently, the value of live weight as an indicator of the general development of animals has a significant impact on the milk productivity of cows, but animals of the same live weight can produce different amounts of milk, and even some cows with a lower live weight, other things being equal, exceed cows of the same breed in milk yield. with high live weight. This is explained by the fact that for the formation of milk productivity, in addition to the general development of the body, the degree of development of individual organs and tissues, and mainly the mammary gland, is of great importance.

Age of first insemination of heifers

In close dependence on the live weight of animals is the age of the first insemination, and therefore, the beginning of the first lactation. In the practice of cattle breeding, to establish the period of the first insemination of heifers, it is not so much the age that is taken as the initial, but the live weight, as an indicator of general development. It is generally accepted that heifers should be inseminated when they reach 65-70% of the mass of an adult cow. Too late first insemination of heifers is undesirable. At the same time, feed is wasted, and less calves and milk are received from such cows during their life. With a full and fairly abundant feeding, heifers develop faster, which allows them to be inseminated at the age of 16-18 months. The development of heifers selected for herd repair should ensure that they achieve a live weight of at least 350 kg at the age of 18 months in order to receive subsequently milk yields of 3000 kg of milk for 305 days of lactation; live weight of 380 kg for milk yield of 4000 kg and live weight of 400 kg for milk yield of 5000 kg or more.

Conditions of feeding and keeping

To obtain high milk productivity, it is necessary that the substances necessary for the formation of milk are constantly present in the blood of the animal. This is ensured, firstly, by the organization of a sufficiently plentiful and uninterrupted feeding cows, secondly, the introduction of various components into the diets, which allows you to balance the diets for all the nutrients and biologically active substances necessary for the body.

The uneven level of feeding of cows in different seasons of the year can dramatically affect the change in the average monthly milk yield of the herd.

With the structure of land use that has developed in many farms, the greatest difficulties in balancing diets for dairy cows develop in the winter period. In the diets during this period, protein deficiency is usually expressed, there is little phosphorus and trace elements such as cobalt and iodine, and there is an acute deficiency in vitamins A and D.

Starting cows and the duration of the dry period. During this period, the entire glandular apparatus of the udder is renewed and developed and the supply of nutrients, minerals and vitamins in the body of the animal is replenished. In addition, the dry period contributes to a better completion of the development of the fetus in the womb and the formation of full-fledged colostrum, which is necessary for feeding calves in the first 5-6 days of their life. The normal duration of the dry period is considered to be 60-70 days. A longer dry period is recommended for young and highly productive cows. Reducing the period to 45-30 days or less leads to undesirable consequences, especially for highly productive animals and their offspring. In this case, the cow will not be prepared for a new lactation. Milk yield after calving will be significantly lower than possible, the offspring will be born insufficiently developed, prone to disease and death.

The level and usefulness of animal feeding are of great importance during the dry period. Active walks combined with natural insolation have a very favorable effect.

calving season

In the summer period of maintenance, green grass on good pastures, exposure to sunlight, and constant movement in the fresh air have a positive effect on milk productivity and health of cows.

Usually, during spring-summer calving, cows give a higher daily and higher monthly milk yield, but have a more sharply decreasing lactation curve. Therefore, milk yield for 305 days of lactation at such calvings is less than during autumn-winter ones, when a high level of milk yield in the second half of lactation is provided by the consumption of green grass.

Milking cows and milking technique. Razdoy is a set of measures for individual feeding, maintenance and milking of freshly calved cows, which ensures maximum daily milk yield at the beginning of lactation and maintaining a high level of productivity in the subsequent period.

The organization of milking provides:

  • timely launch of cows and proper conduct of the dry period;
  • full and uninterrupted feeding of animals with advance payments in the daily ration of feed for
  • milk in the amount of 2-3 feed. units;
  • intensive milking with udder massage and compliance with all other milking rules.

The ability to milk cows is to strengthen and better use the lactation reflex. This is achieved by udder massage, strict observance of the time and place of milking habitual for cows, the same order of milking each cow, calm, affectionate treatment of animals. All procedures associated with the milking of each cow must be done quickly to take advantage of the time when the blood contains the hormone oxytocin, which promotes milk excretion. Before and during milking it is impossible to frighten animals. Frequent change of milking method should not be allowed.

How much milk should a heifer give

Which of the owners does not want to know how much milk the heifer raised by him will give? Of course, parents pass on their qualities to offspring to some extent, but often the individual characteristics of the future cow differ significantly from the expected hereditary milk production. In addition, a heifer or an adult cow, in most cases, has to be acquired without firm confidence in the correctness of their pedigree.

Therefore, there are some signs by which the future milk productivity of the selected animal is predicted. For example, narrow ribs directed along the body, a relatively elongated thin tail, an elongated body with a developed belly that can accommodate a large amount of food, an udder displaced towards the belly and having deep "milk wells", etc.

On average, 7-15 liters of milk per day are received from the first-calf heifer, record-holders during the first lactation give up to 25 liters of milk per day.

Scientists have developed a fairly objective method for early diagnosis of the milkiness of future cows, based on the physical characteristics of their blood. It is as follows. Starting from the age of three months, blood samples are taken from the studied calves in the amount of 1 ml, adding 1 drop of heparin to the test tube to prevent its coagulation. In laboratory conditions, according to the generally accepted method, using a VK-4 viscometer, blood viscosity is determined separately for each animal. Then calculate the average blood viscosity for the group of animals under study at the time of sampling. Animals with blood viscosity above the average for the group are classified as highly productive, and animals with blood viscosity below the average for the group are classified as low-productive.

In the experiment, in 36 examined Black-and-White heifers, blood viscosity was in the range of 3.3-6.8 units. Heifers with blood viscosity in the range of 5.21-6.8 units were classified as highly productive animals, and with blood viscosity in the range of 3.3-5.2 units as low-productive animals. Heifers until puberty were in equal conditions of feeding and maintenance. After insemination and calving, the individual milk production was taken into account for the first, second and third lactations.

From first-calf heifers with predicted high productivity milked an average of 3203 kg of milk per 1 head. During the same period, 2423 kg were milked from their peers with low blood viscosity, respectively.

Thus, according to the level of blood viscosity of calves, starting from the age of three months and older, it is possible to reliably predict the level of milk production of future cows.

How to milk a cow after the first calving

The rational use of first-calf heifers provides for the identification of potential productivity as soon as possible. Therefore, success in achieving high milk productivity is largely determined by the ability to use the biological characteristics of dairy cows.

It is known that the microstructure of the mammary gland during lactation undergoes significant quantitative and qualitative changes. At the height of lactation, that is, in the period from I to V months, the most developed glandular tissue of the udder is observed, the epithelial cells of which produce milk, and the connective tissue is presented in the form of small layers. With an increase in lactation time, changes in the structure of the udder occur. The area occupied by the glandular tissue is reduced, and the connective tissue increases proportionally. Such changes cause a greater activity of the mammary gland in the initial period of lactation. At the same time, the metabolism in the body increases, the activity of the enzymatic functions of the glands, which enhance the processes of digestion, increases. In this regard, through exemplary care, proper feeding and proper milking, as well as the effect of massage on the formation of the mammary gland, that is, using the “milking system”, conditions are created for obtaining high milk productivity.

The distribution of first-calf heifers and their testing for milk production is carried out in a separate (control) barn or in control groups of a common room for three months. If the farm has enough buildings, then milking in the control barn is carried out throughout the lactation. At the same time, the reliability of the cow's assessment of productivity increases, and the probability of selecting the best individuals increases.

The control barn should be equipped with individual feeders and devices for accounting for milk from each cow.

At the control barns, production laboratories are created to control the feeding of animals and the productivity of cows, where they analyze milk for fat and protein content, study the shape of the udder, determine the rate of milk flow and the uniformity of milking from quarters. Based on the data obtained, the payment for feed with milk, milk yield and milk quality, the suitability of the cow according to the shape of the udder for machine milking are determined. A file cabinet is maintained at the control barn. An individual milking card is entered for each distributed heifer.

The preparation of cows for milking begins even before calving, feeding an additional amount of feed so that she has an above-average fatness. Livestock keepers should be aware that highly productive cows often "give up", releasing more energy in milk than they receive in feed.

The milking technique is as follows: in the first two to three weeks after calving, the nutritional value of the rations should be slightly below the physiological norm. Abundant feeding during this period, when the mammary gland has not yet returned to normal, the swelling of the udder has not yet passed, can cause mastitis, a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, and rumen atony. After making sure that the cow is able to eat more feed than she ate at the beginning, taking into account her productivity and other signs that characterize a healthy animal, she begins to be fed. First-calf heifers are milked by giving small advances of root crops and concentrated feed. This method consists in the fact that, in addition to the need for feed, an additional 0.5-1.0 k.u. is given to the cow for the actual milk yield. With an increase in milk yield by a certain amount of milk, feed is added again, and so on until the addition of milk stops. When the cow no longer responds to the supplement, the existing feeding is maintained for another decade, and then the concentrates and root crops are gradually reduced over 3-5 days, while monitoring milk yield.

When stabilizing milk yield, they make up a diet according to the norms of need, according to actual productivity. Control milking is carried out once every ten days, average daily milk samples are taken once a month, determining fat and protein content. At the end of milking, control milking is done once a month.

During the milking period, with additional giving of concentrated and succulent feeds, it is very important to monitor the balance of diets for basic nutrients, and also take into account the palatability of all feeds, especially coarse ones. If the ratio of nutrients in the diet is violated, indigestion will inevitably occur, the animal will begin to lose weight, drastically reduce milk yield, and the achieved productivity will practically not be restored.

In the summer, it is desirable to graze the first-calf heifers. With a lack of grass, top dressing is carried out in the stalls with green mass. The total amount of feed should be at least 65 kg per day. Mineral and vitamin nutrition of animals is organized on the basis of free access to polysalts.

An important role in increasing the milk productivity of first-calf heifers in the first months of lactation is udder massage and the frequency of milking. Feeding and milking are two interrelated processes. With abundant feeding, but uneven milking, no udder massage, final milking, incomplete milking, we will not get high milk productivity. A first-calf heifer with a daily milk yield of 20-25 kilograms must be milked in between milkings, and only with milking machines.

In the control barn, the first-calf heifers are evaluated according to their own productivity, udder development, milk flow rate, and a conclusion is made about their further use. The first assessment of milk production is carried out on the 20th day after calving (when transferred to milking). The daily milk yield is determined and, using a conversion factor of 1.3, the expected milk yield for the milking period is calculated. (Example: 15 kg x 1.3 = 19.5 kg). The expected milk production per lactation is determined using a conversion factor of 2.45 times the total milk yield for 90 days, or the average daily milk yield for 90 days.

To complete the herd, first-calf heifers suitable for machine milking should be left with a milk yield of at least 85 percent of the average for the herd and a milk yield rate of at least 1.5 kg / min. Evaluated first-calf heifers with milk yield above the average for the herd are isolated in the selection and breeding core; with average productivity - in the production herd, and low-productive and with various pathologies - are culled.

As you know, cows are raised for milk, meat, or both. The main thing that is taken into account when buying a dairy cow is its productivity. How much milk a cow gives depends not only on heredity, but also on other factors. Proper animal care can increase milk production.

How and when milk appears

Everyone knows what milk is. But not everyone knows when and why it appears. Like all mammals, cow's milk is intended for feeding the calf and appears immediately after calving. However, man has learned to make animals give this product almost constantly throughout the year. Even when there is no calf.

The product that a cow gives immediately after calving has a unique composition, high fat content and is called colostrum. It contains about 90 biological elements, including immunoglobulins, antiviral components and natural antibiotics. Colostrum is not very suitable for consumption, so it is used to feed the calf. Regular milking tricks the animal into thinking it is for the calf and continues to produce milk. Moreover, the productivity of the cow is gradually increasing. The maximum indicators are observed at the end of the first or the middle of the second month after calving.

How to increase productivity

During this period, the animals lose a lot of weight because the amount of milk produced exceeds the amount of feed. This is more often seen in highly productive breeds. It is enough just to imagine how many elements the body of a cow loses, giving 20 liters per day. Calcium losses are up to 30 g, copper - 90 g, phosphorus - 20 g. And this is not counting 1 kg of sugars and 700 g of proteins.

The number of milk yields of a productive individual per year exceeds 10 times what nature intended! To make up for such losses, the animal needs good nutrition. In order to restore the reserves of copper alone, a cow will need to eat 180 kg of green grass. And she can only eat 60 kg a day.

The most productive period after calving is called milking. With proper feeding, high milk yield can last for quite a long time, after which it decreases. In the language of veterinarians, "the cow goes to the launch", that is, it is preparing for a new calving. During this period, called the dry period, it is important to let her gain strength. Milking is stopped when milk yield drops to 3-4 liters per day. This usually happens 1.5-2 months before calving.

Summing up, we can say that for high productivity, the following conditions must be met:

  1. Timely launch of the animal.
  2. Complete and sufficient feeding, especially during the dry period.
  3. Regular milking 2-3 times a day.

How many liters of milk does a dairy cow produce?

The productivity of a cow varies widely. In addition to breed and care, milk production depends on age and season. The average figures are 5000 liters per year. When divided by the number of days, we get 17 liters per day. The productivity of dairy breed animals increases after the first calving and reaches a peak by the fifth.

In total, there are about 400 varieties of cattle in the world. These are representatives of meat, milk-meat and dairy breeds. In Russia, 50 species are the most popular, 10 of which can be considered the main dairy ones.

The progenitor of all breeds is the Dutch, which has more than 1000 years. Her gene is still being used to breed new dairy species. The milk yield of the Dutch breed cannot be called very high - about 6000 kg per year, which is about 20 liters daily.

The absolute record holder is the Holstein breed. The productivity of individuals of this species is more than 7000 kg per year. This means that such a cow gives an average of 23 liters of milk per day. The milking capacity of some animals reaches 40 liters per day.

Slightly inferior to the Holstein representative of the Black-and-White breed. Bred by Soviet breeders in the middle of the last century, the breed is the most quickly adapting to any conditions. The average milk yield of a cow of this breed during lactation is up to 4200 kg of milk. At breeding plants, the figures are much higher and can reach 5700 kg. The daily productivity of the Black-and-White breed is above 17 liters.

Next come Kholmogory and Red Steppe. Kholmogorskaya performed well in the conditions of the Arctic. The red steppe, on the contrary, is adapted to a hot climate and sparse vegetation. Cows of these species cannot be called champions, but they provide 3000-4500 kg of milk per year. The average figure is from 10 to 15 liters of milk per day.

In addition to the above, the most famous breeds:

  • Ayrshire;
  • Brown Latvian;
  • Tagil;
  • Yaroslavskaya;
  • Jersey.

How to choose the right dairy cow

When buying an animal, its appearance is evaluated. A milk cow has a characteristic exterior. Of course, such an estimate is not accurate, but it is of no small practical importance. The dairy individual has a small head, a voluminous belly, a large udder and underdeveloped muscles. Such animals have well developed lungs and digestive system.

The chest of a dairy cow is quite developed, a wide gap between the ribs indicates a large size of the lungs, the ribs are placed obliquely in relation to the spine.

The belly should be large and barrel-shaped, but not too pendulous. A sagging belly is a sure sign that the heifer has received a lot of hay and little grain feed. A lean belly occurs in animals with a poorly developed digestive system.

The neck of a productive individual has many folds. The back is straight, with a wide sacrum. A narrow, underdeveloped sacrum is the cause of heavy calving and weakness of the legs. Cows with weak legs move little, which affects the quality of nutrition and milk production.

Special attention should be paid to the udder. In a highly productive cow, it is capacious, with delicate hairs and thick veins. After milking, the udder is significantly reduced in size and skin folds form on its back, the so-called reserve. The udder of low-yielding individuals changes little after milking and does not form folds, and its lower part does not become soft.

A firm gait and a cheerful look indicate the health of the animal. The hairline should not be disheveled and dull, and the eyes should not be inflamed and cloudy.

The age of a cow is determined by the teeth and rings on the horns. Over time, the animal's teeth wear down. There are special tables where their age-related changes are indicated.

The horns of young heifers up to a year and a half grow by 1 cm per month. Thus, the age of a young cow can be accurately determined by measuring the length of the horns in centimeters and adding 1 month before they begin to grow.

The number of rings on an adult cow's horns indicates how many times she has been pregnant. In this case, to find out the age of the animal, the rings are counted and 2 years are added to them (the time until the first calving).

Now, knowing how much milk a healthy and well-groomed cow gives, you can compare these indicators with your own. This will help determine how well your animal is doing.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 3 minutes

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The milk productivity of cattle differs in many respects. Breed, food supply, care and calving affect the amount of milk. It happens that one cow gives ten liters of milk per day, and the other fifteen. Moreover, they have the same heredity and conditions of detention. But milk production is different. Why do some cows give a lot of milk, while others don't? How much should a healthy cow give on average?

The cow gives milk after calving. Lactation lasts about nine, maximum ten months. Therefore, experts consider as much product as liters of milk an individual is able to give in a year, that is, for a lactation period. But it all starts with the daily norm, daytime and evening milking.

Breed of cattle

Breeders have struggled for many years to create dairy and meat breeds of animals. Some were taken out, mixed with others. As a result, cows that can produce many liters of milk per day are known and popular today. Each breed has its own milk record.

It should be noted that this variety of cattle has common features. They are characteristic of most dairy breeds:

  • the development of a round smooth udder as opposed to a weaker muscle mass;
  • the head is small, the body is long;
  • short stature, rough skeleton;
  • the stomach does not hang below the knees;
  • strong digestive system, heart and lungs to digest up to hundreds of kilograms of grass per day;
  • the ability to stay in one place for a long time and eat grass around;
  • reluctance to take too long walks.

All these qualities allow dairy cows to give more milk per day. The following are milk yield indicators for the lactation period:

  1. in the first place you can put the Black-and-White breed, the record of which is eight tons;
  2. the golshinsky cow is capable of milking seven tons;
  3. red steppe breed brings at least four tons;
  4. Kholmogory breed can produce about four tons;
  5. Simmental cows can produce approximately 3.7 tons of milk;
  6. Yaroslavl breed will give about three and a half tons. So much same Tagilskaya.

Based on the above data, how much milk does a cow give per day? The numbers in the table indicate indicators from fifteen to thirty liters (rather a record). In general, these are average norms, but they are very high and also depend on the duration of the dry period.

Age after first calving

The first calf can appear in a cow at the age of one and a half to two years. At this age, she is able to endure and give birth to healthy offspring. First-calf heifers show the lowest results in terms of milk yield.

Their udders are just getting used to the milking process. It is necessary to approach the milking of a young female carefully and thoughtfully. It should be allowed to develop the udder of the calf within a few days. After that, it can be taken away from the mother, but milking must be continued every day. Do not leave milk in the udder, otherwise it will lead to a decrease in fluid volumes.

If, after the first calving, the animal does not have the correct milking, then you will have to wait for the next birth and repeat the complex after the second. Every year the performance will increase. Already by the fifth calving, a cow gives three or four times more milk per day than the initial indicators.

So, the Holstein heifer can only give about six liters per day. After four or five calvings, productivity increases to six tons. By the way, this breed scored a record more than thirty years ago. During the lactation period, she gave twenty-five tons of product.

At the Black-and-White Cow, the maximum volume turned out to be six tons less.

Humpbacked zebu cow showed a record for daily milking - more than one hundred kilograms.

It is worth adding that from about the tenth or twelfth calving, depending on the conditions of detention and health, milk output decreases. An old cow is not able to give as much milk per day as a young one.

Winter and summer

The figures presented above are the exception rather than the rule. On average, an ordinary Russian cow gives ten or twelve liters per day.

But milk yield depends on the time of year:

  1. in summer, cows can give milk in large volumes due to the abundance of feed, fresh and juicy grass, and regular walks. A good forage base is the key to a daily influx of product;
  2. in winter, the cow begins to milk worse. First of all, this is due to the upcoming birth. If the breeder followed the insemination of the female in time and calving occurs in the winter, then the launch will occur in late autumn or early winter. It turns out that in winter the cow gives little milk per day. But if the calving dates are different, you should feed the cow in cold weather and give water, also walk for three hours daily. She should receive hay, concentrates, succulent feed, root crops, silage and other feed.

The owner of the cattle must provide the cow with proper care and then count the liters of milk per day. It is necessary to take care of a pregnant individual even before childbirth. To do this, you need to gradually prepare the udder for future milkings.

The time after calving is the most responsible for the farmer. From his competent actions depends on how much milk the cow gives the entire lactation period. After all, the first three months are the most productive in terms of milk. In this cow gives almost half of the total volume for the year. Then the numbers slowly drop.

It is believed that a cow should become pregnant within the next one to two months to be productive.

If successful mating does not occur, then the cow becomes lethargic and will reduce milk yield every day. Soon the milk will disappear altogether.

But if a cow has a sudden decrease in the amount of milk, you should pay attention to her health. This is necessary if the indicators have fallen below ten liters per day. Many diseases, including inflammation of the udder, lead to a drop in daily milk yield and the disappearance of milk.


The milk yield of female cattle depends on many factors, for example, the breed of the animal, the age of the individual, individual characteristics, the time of year, the quality of the content, as well as compliance with the collection technology. For each farmer of a small farmstead or a large industrial enterprise, it is important to know how much milk a cow gives per day, because future profits and other cultivation goals depend on it. With a decrease in the number of liters of nutrient lactose liquid, the breeder can think about the reasons and try to resolve the negative factors. Constant monitoring of milk yield allows you to monitor the healthy state of the female cattle, prepare the required amount of feed and make a balanced diet in general. In addition, the milk consumed by a person must be of high quality and useful, and these components can change dramatically with a decrease in milk yield.

The production of lactose fluid in cows, as in other animal species, is an integral part of feeding offspring. At what age is a female ready for her first calving? Already at the age of one year, cattle are able to give birth to calves, but usually livestock breeders delay the process of insemination for a period of 6-12 months, allowing the body of a young cow to get stronger and gain strength for the first birth. After the appearance of the offspring, the baby is disconnected from the cow, feeding with part of the mother's milk artificially. The rest of the product is used by a person for their own purposes.

In the first few days or more, lactation is accompanied by large quantities of liters, and is also characterized by an increased content of fat, proteins, vitamins and lactose. Milk after calving is called colostrum, it differs in taste, smell and texture for about fifteen more days.

How long does a cow give milk

The cow perceives the milking process as natural, but its irregularity can lead to a decrease or complete disappearance of lactation until the next calving.

Advice! How long milk will be formed depends largely on the correctness of the milking procedure.

So that the lactose liquid does not burn out, the sampling must be done several times a day (from three or more). This technology increases the productivity of the cow by several liters. According to experts, after fifteen hours of stagnation in the udder, the nutrient fluid stops being produced and disappears. Frequent initial milking is gradually reduced to 2-3 times a day.

What determines the amount of milk

First of all, the productivity of cows depends on the direction of the cattle breed, which is divided into three types: dairy, meat and meat and dairy. An individual of any of which can be visually easily identified if you know the main features. Breeds created for intensive lactation have a large udder and a developed lumbar region. Meat are characterized by a small udder and a powerful shoulder part. The third type is endowed with a rectangular body shape, is able to produce an average number of liters of milk and build up sufficient muscle mass.

In addition to breed, there are a number of factors on which not only daily, but also annual milk yield depends. The productivity of a cow is affected by:

  • how old is the animal (middle-aged female cattle gives more milk than a young or old representative);
  • food base (juicy types of food, and increased drinking contributes to lactation);
  • the health of the individual (an exhausted and sick animal reduces productivity indicators);
  • individual characteristics of the organism;
  • season (a cow that calves in autumn or winter produces more products than after the appearance of a calf in summer and spring).

It should be noted that during the warm months, females are kept mainly on open pastures, where they receive as food many different plants enriched with a large amount of vitamins and other nutritional compounds. Therefore, milk yields average from 15 to 20 liters per day, which significantly exceeds the winter collection (8-13 liters). Properly feeding cattle, caring for and monitoring the behavior of the animal is the key to stable milk flow, which a cow of this age is capable of.

Why does a cow give milk

Milking replaces the mother's natural milking routine for the calf. The quantitative characteristics of milk production also depend on how much time has passed since the appearance of the offspring. In the first three or four months, the cow gives a lot of liters, and then these figures begin to gradually decrease. Most female cattle have lactation capacity for only one year after birth, although there are breeds capable of two years of lactation after calving. In order for the cow to continue to supply the farmer with a useful product, he should provide a new mating in time. Annual insemination and a two-month dry period help to achieve constant lactation of the cow, but at the same time she has time to rest and gain strength for bearing offspring and the birth process.

Per day

How many lactose products can be collected per day from one individual? A young female representative of cattle after the appearance of her first calf is able to give about nine liters per day. In subsequent cycles, fluid production increases from fifteen to forty liters per day.

Record daily indicators are considered to be recorded milk yields of 110.9 kg, which were obtained from a hybrid of the Humpbacked Zebu and the Holstein breed. Yaroslavskaya and Black Pied were able to work out 82 kg per day as much as possible.

In year

It is important for every livestock breeder to know how much product he can get from livestock in one year. Such indicators affect profit and further development, as well as the goals of the economy.

The average annual calculations of the productivity of a cow are variable, since a large number of factors can reduce and increase these figures even in one individual. But approximate milk yield should be about six thousand liters, which is due to 15-16 liters per day. High world indicators were recorded for the Holstein cattle in 1983 - 25 tons, which increased to 211 tons for the same cow by the age of twenty. The black-and-white cow was able to produce 19 tons of useful raw materials.

In what cases can milk yield decrease

If the productivity of an adult has become less than ten liters per day, then you should think about the reasons. How many factors are there that affect a cow's lactation? Many different things can cause a decrease in milk yield, but the main ones are:

  • animal disease;
  • female aging;
  • irregularity or lack of milking;
  • no dry period;
  • poor feeding and lack of water;
  • skipping or untimely insemination;
  • calving period;
  • non-compliance with the conditions of keeping cattle;
  • overexploitation or stagnation of livestock;
  • rough treatment of cows.

How many liters of produce can a farmer lose? By making mistakes in even one of these factors, the farmer risks receiving less milk than is possible. Control over the condition of cattle and good care contribute to an increase in lactation not only per day, but also per year.

The best breeds of cows

The active work of breeders made it possible to develop animal husbandry, including the breeding of new breeds of cattle with the ability to produce abundant milk.

The most popular varieties in Russia are:

  • Holstein;
  • Black-and-white;
  • Yaroslavskaya;
  • Jersey;
  • Red steppe.

How much milk can be collected from the Holstein breed of cows? Its representatives are considered the most productive in the world. During the day, the female gives up to forty liters of useful liquid, exceeding the performance under improved conditions by twenty liters. These cattle are used for hybridization in order to improve other breeds. From the Black-and-White variety, you can get about 25 liters, and from the Yaroslavl - 20-40 per day. Jersey has a milk yield of 20-30 liters, surpassing the Red Steppe by five units.

When choosing a cow, one should also take into account its external characteristics, which indicate a good lactation ability of the individual. Dairy females are different:

  • large udder;
  • voluminous abdominal cavity;
  • medium-developed muscles and a thin skeleton;
  • expanded chest;
  • ribs at an angle to the spine.

Advice! In females with high productivity, the withers are not pointed, and the intercostal space is enlarged.

How much milk can be obtained from one cow per day is influenced by many factors. Knowing all the rules for keeping cattle, as well as responsibly choosing the breed and appearance of the animal, the farmer provides his farm with profit from the sale of a large number of high-quality products.