How much milk does a cow give per day on average: the number of liters and the volume of milk produced per year

Lactation in cattle lasts about a year, for regular production of dairy products, annual fertilization of animals is required. How much milk a cow gives per day and per year on average depends on breed characteristics, age, body condition, quality of maintenance and feeding, and climatic conditions. There are record-breaking breeds with consistently high performance, but even the most productive cow needs proper care.

Average milk yield

Lactation in a cow, like in a woman, begins during pregnancy. Young individuals are ready for conception from 2 years of age.A newborn calf feeds on colostrum - a fatty, dense yellowish substance. After a certain time, a strong cub is removed from the mother, but milk continues to be synthesized, it must be milked. Regular milking stimulates lactation.

Milking continues until the next conception. 2 months before birth, milk synthesis stops, resumes after the birth of the calf. It happens that the milk yield before calving does not decrease, the cow cannot rest before the next lactation period. In this situation, the portion of succulent feed is reduced in the diet. The animal enters the dry phase when the daily milk production drops to 500 ml.

Average Daily Value

On average, with an annual pregnancy, the daily amount of the product is 18-20 liters. But high-producing dairy cows are able to produce 70-80 liters per day.

Productivity peaks from calving to subsequent fertilization. The average daily rate reaches 30 liters, and highly productive cows give up to 100 liters.

Differences in daily milk production and milk fat content between common cattle breeds are shown in the table.

Milk yield, liters per dayFat content, %Holstein403Yaroslavskaya16 -185steppe red10-15 black-and-white Jersey

Breed
	4
16-18	4
10-15	6

Monthly

To get the average monthly milk yield, the average daily milk volume should be multiplied by the number of days in a month. One cow receives from 300 to 1800 liters of product per month. When calculating, the conditions for keeping cattle and climatic conditions are taken into account.

The highest monthly milk yield is observed in Israel, which is associated with a favorable climate and optimal conditions on farms there.

After calving, the amount of milk gradually increases, reaching a peak value by the 2nd month of milking. The peak lasts for 2 months, from the fourth month a slow decline in milk production begins. By the tenth month, milk production becomes minimal, followed by a dry period. An illustrative example of the change in the amount of milk per day by month is shown in the table. daily milk yield, l

In total for 30 days, l 1 28-30870 230-32 930 329-31900 428-30870 526-28810 625-27780 723-25720 820-22630 916-18510 1013-15420

Annual average

Farms in the USA, Great Britain, and Israel demonstrate the highest annual milk yield. In these countries, during the year, cows give 10-15 thousand liters of milk per individual. This is facilitated by the breeding of highly productive breeds and normal maintenance.

How common cattle breeds differ in annual productivity is shown in the table.

Yaroslavskaya4-6black-and-white 5.5-8.5steppe red3- 4Ayrshire5-8Kholmogory4-5

Breed	Annual milk yield, tons
Holstein	8-9

Factors affecting milk yield

The milk yield of cattle varies not only with age, but also depending on the conditions of detention, the quality of care and feeding, seasonal and climatic characteristics, breed characteristics.

Age and weight of animal

The first calving occurs when the cow reaches 2 years old, weighing approximately 300 kg at this age. For good milk production after the second calving, an animal of a dairy breed must weigh at least 500 kg, height at the withers must be from 1.2 m.

You should not expect a large amount of milk from a first-calving cow. A young individual rarely gives more than 10 liters per day. Daily milk production gradually increases with each new pregnancy. The most productive cow is milked after 5-6 pregnancies. An old individual that has calved 10-12 times gives significantly less milk.

Season

The amount of milk varies seasonally due to changes in diet. In the summer months, cows eat food rich in proteins and vitamins, so milk yield is significantly higher than in winter.If in winter an individual gives 10-12 liters of milk, then the summer daily volume increases to 18-25 liters. If calving fell in the fall, then the cow will have more milk in the winter months than usual. To make winter milking more productive, hay in the diet is supplemented with juicy roots and fruits rich in vitamins:

• carrot;
• pumpkin;
• potatoes;
• fodder beets.

Best dairy breeds

Highly productive dairy cows have a big impact on milk production.

It is easy to determine a productive individual, she has:

• small cranium;
• strong and muscular hindquarters;
• big udder;
• moderately round belly;
• back without much hunchback.

More milk comes from the following breeds:

1. Holstein is the most popular breed bred in the Netherlands. Representatives are permanent champions in terms of the annual volume of milk. An adult cow weighs 700 kg and has a large, beautifully rounded udder.
2. Kholmogorskaya is a breed with a strong skeleton and developed muscle mass. The weight of an adult is 500 kg, the skull is narrow, the color is red with black spots.
3. Black-and-white - Soviet breed with a strong skeleton. The cow weighs 400 kg, adapted to the climatic conditions of Russia.
4. Red Steppe - a breed common in Ukraine, distinguished by unpretentiousness and lack of capriciousness in care. The animal weighs 400 kg, the skeleton is light, the physique is lean.
5. Yaroslavskaya is a popular cow in Russia, undemanding in nutrition. An adult weighs 500 kg, the color is predominantly black.
6. Ayrshire - Scottish breed of red-and-white color. The weight of an adult is 450 kg, the skeleton is light.

Competent care

The main conditions for a good milk yield of cattle are proper feeding, regular grazing. In summer, the cows are in the pasture. In the winter months, hay becomes the basis of the diet, animals must have constant access to it. To obtain high-quality milk with good taste and high fat content, the diet is enriched with grain, compound feed, and juicy food. Food and water must always be fresh. On hot days, cows drink more than 100 liters of water per day. Periodically, animals are given nutritional supplements and vitamin complexes.

An important factor in milk production is the attitude of the farmer towards livestock. Cows give more milk when their owners treat them kindly.

Strongly affect the milk yield conditions of cattle.Cows should be kept in a warm, clean, dry, well-lit barn. The owner must regularly clean and ventilate the room, collect manure, and prevent drafts. It is advisable to equip the stable with light sources in order to maintain an acceptable daylight hours. When the weather is fine, the cattle is taken out to the paddock. Being outdoors has a positive effect on milk production. Animals are regularly cleaned, udders and genital areas are washed, and hooves are cleaned.

Record milk production

In every country there are record-breaking cows that produce large volumes of milk. But the record holder, which no one has yet managed to overtake, is the Cuban cow Ubre Blanca, obtained by crossing the Holstein breed and the zebu. Fidel Castro was personally proud of her, and for good reason: in 1981, more than 41 thousand liters of milk were received from her.

Among Russian breeds, there are also many champions. On the 3rd place in the world ranking is the Yaroslavl cow Vienna, which in 1940 gave 31 thousand liters. In 5th place is a black-motley cow, which in 1972 gave 19.5 thousand liters.

How long can a cow give milk

Cow's mammary glands produce a product throughout life from the first calving. In the life of an animal, 3 periods are distinguished with different productivity:

1. Maturation is the stage from birth to first calving.
2. Mature age - a productive period of time from the first pregnancy to 14-16 years.
3. Old age is the stage of extinction of milk production.

The milking period, when the hormone prolactin is actively produced, lasts from 10 to 50 days. It is important to milk the cow regularly during this period to stimulate lactation. During milking, 2 times a day, the calf should be brought to the mother for several minutes, so that by sucking on the udder it contributes to milking.

The milking period lasts about 10 months, ending 2 months before insemination. If pregnancy does not happen, the cow is called dry, she does not give milk. In representatives of some dairy breeds, productivity remains for 2 years, but in the second year the milk yield becomes small.

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