Dairy Cattle

By: Jovanna Torres & Isaac Duran

General Characteristics
● Lean body but poorly muscle
● Long and flexible neck
● Straight back
● Fine bone structure
● High foot
● Large udder with large teats and veins stood out
Why own this animal?
Best lifestyle for dairy cattle

● Make sure it eats as much around as 100 pounds of rations a day

● Should be of made up of forage
● Somebody who treats animals well and takes care of them

Red flags of owning dairy cattle

● You must choose the breed you want

● Must keep breeding the cattle plus you must have a breeder
● When you get a cattle ask if she ever had diseases or any sickness etc.
● Choosing correct age
● Evaluate body conditions
Required housing, environment, etc
● Better in cooler areas since they produce a lot of heat(40-60 degrees)
● Mostly like living in grassland areas but should have a barn or some sort of
shelter
● Should be fully exposed to weather elements
● Should have shade and water
● Most dairy cows are inside shelter for most of the day
Diet (What do they need to be fed? What should they not be fed? Any other restrictions or specifications
● Should be fed a good diet
● Chopped grass
● Pasture Grass
● Grain and mineral supplements
● Protein rich meals such as soybean

● Should not be fed meat or any meat byproducts

● Should not over feed cows with grain
● Keep them away from poison and toxins such as Algae, copper, lead toxicity
etc.
● Should not be fed human food
Preventative treatments (Are yearly vaccinations, worming, grooming, etc.
required?)

● Many diseases can be prevented through good herd management, proper

nutrition and vaccinations
● Cattle should receive specific vaccinations such as vaccinations for anthrax,
infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and many other diseases.
● keeping an eye on the quality and quantity of grass in pastures is essential to
keeping cattle healthy
● In addition to vaccinations, routine worming for common parasites is another
great practice to keep herbs healthy.
● Parasite prevention and treatment ensures your cattle stay healthy and put on
adequate weight.
Common health problems (What should owners look out for? How can they
recognize that something may be wrong?

● Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex (BRDC)

● Clostridial Disease, or "Blackleg"
● BRSV (Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
● BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhea)
● The best way to reduce the risk of BRDC is through routine vaccination.
● Clostridial normally results from young calves not getting the proper amount of
colostrum.
● BRSV severe respiratory disease and reduce the animal’s resistance to other
diseases. Signs include coughing, high fever, and runny eyes and nose.
● BVD Signs include scours, nasal discharge, coughing, and fever. Type 2 BVD is
a severe form of this virus that can cause hemorrhaging in young calves, as well
as adults.
Common Parasites
● Cattle can be infected by roundworms (nematodes)
● tapeworms (cestodes)
● flukes (trematodes)
● Protozoans such as coccidia are another type of internal parasites
● helminths (worms)
● lung worms
● Common external parasites include horn flies, lice and grubs
Handling the animal (How should the animal be handled (keep safety
in mind)

● Remember to be calm quiet and gentle when around animals

● Don't teach calves bad habits by roughhousing with them.
● Pushing on a calf's head and having them push back creates bad habits.
● Cows like a fixed routine
● Use the flight zone and balance lines to make cattle move in the direction you
want.
● Use a waddy or flag.
● Watch what's happening around you.
● In dangerous situations, turn side-on to cattle.
● Close gates behind you so other animals can't enter unexpectedly.
Annual cost (Provide a breakdown of the cost of taking care of the animal
for one year.)
● It depends on the cattle and location, but dairy cattle generally sell for
$900-$3000 in our part of the country. The proven family cattle cost more, while a
first-calf heifer will cost less