So You Live Near a...

Dairy Farm

Dairy Farm Facts
The picturesque views of the country-side are loved by many. Cows grazing in the open pastures add to this beautiful atmosphere.

Dairy cows are raised specifically for their milk. They can be sold for low grade meat when they are too old to meet production levels. Dairy cows are usually white and black, red and white or a shade of brown. Dairy cows have a large pouch called an udder which hangs between their hind legs. This is where milk is produced.

A dairy cow gives birth to one calf per year and has a gestation period of approximately 9 months.

Milk Production
Most cows are milked two or three times a day seven days a week. A cow produces an average of 50 pounds (6 gallons) of milk per day and in some cases up to 150 pounds in a day. When it is time for milking, the cows are brought into the barn where an apparatus is attached to the four teats of the udder. This apparatus extracts the milk from the udder and sends it through a piping system to a collection tank. After the milking process is complete, the pipes and apparatus are rinsed, cleaned with soap and water, and flushed with an acid which kills all bacteria. A milk truck then comes to empty the tank and transport the milk to a processing plant to be pasteurized, homogenized and packaged. These trucks may be slow and hold up traffic. Be patient. This is a necessary part of the milk delivery process. Within 48 hours, the milk travels from the dairy cow through the processing plant to your grocer..

Poisonous Plants
Cows eat many different feeds such as grass, hay, dried corn, soybeans, and silage. Silage is made from fermented grass or corn. Most dairy farms have tall cylindrical structures called silos where silage is stored to ferment until it is fed to the cows. On an average day, a dairy cow eats 100 pounds of feed and drinks 40 gallons of water.

Many plants that people have in their yards are dangerous to cattle. Think twice before you throw clippings into a pasture assuming you are giving the cows an afternoon treat. Ask the farmer what these animals can and canít eat. Try to keep poisonous plants away from perimeter fences where cows can feed on them. Plants that may make these animals sick include: Garden Iris, Holly, Morning Glory, Ferns, Rhubarb, Ivy, Wild Cherry, Milkweed, Hemlock, Yew, Mountain laurel

Dairy Farm Scenery
The scenery on a dairy farm is not the typical red or white barn and stone farmhouse that many of us imagine. Many of the farms in this area are very large businesses. A working dairy farm has many components that include: silos (upright or in the ground), tractors, machinery, large grass pastures, large barns which house the cows, and the farmhouse.

Cows often are let out into large pastures to graze. These animals love to be out in the fresh air whether it be summer or winter. They can withstand temperature differences and the hot sun much better than we can. Itís a common misconception that cows stand all their lives; they do lie down. When they lie down it is not an indication that they are sick or hurt, theyíre just resting.

Dairy cows may often look sickly and starved to non-farmers. Protruding backbones and ribs are signs of a healthy dairy cow. This is usually an indication of their tremendous milking ability. Dairy farmers may also cut the cows tail when the animal is young. This is called ědocking.î This helps keep the animal clean and to protect the farmer from being hit with the tail during milking.

Cows are usually fenced in the pasture by an electric fence. This type of fence carries an electric current that shocks the animal if it touches it. The electricity does not harm the animals. It only keeps them from escaping onto roads and being killed by traffic. You should not touch an electric fence! You could be shocked. An electric fence can be identified by strands of metal wire which stretch from post to post. Typically, white, yellow or black knobs are attached to the post. If these are present, donít touch the fence!

Cows are also very protective of their young. Do not attempt to touch a calf (baby cow) if its mother is present. This would likely upset the mother. Cows are very large animals and can be unpredictable.

If you come across a cow that has wandered outside their fence, donít try to return the animal to its pasture. Contact the farmer so he can retrieve the animal. Donít assume the farmer is aware that a cow has escaped!

As dairy farms modernize, cows are often kept in the barn all the time. This is known as confinement housing. These buildings have specially designed environments for the cows comfort and health.

Dairy Farm Odors
Like other parts of agriculture, dairy farms have particular odors. Most often, the odor from dairy farms comes from manure. Farmers donít like these odors any more than their neighbors. Dairy farms collect manure for use on their crop land. Some farmers collect and spread manure daily or weekly. Other farmers store the manure for several months, empty their manure storage only a few times a year. During spreading periods the smell can be very strong. Many factors determine the range and strength of farm odors. These include: humidity, temperature, distance from the farm, topography and wind direction. Many of these a farmer has no control over.


Dairy Farm Safety Tips
Farmers often drive their tractors on main roads. Farmers donít do this to annoy their neighbors or hold up traffic. Farms cover large areas and it is necessary to move equipment on the highway in order to get from one part of the farm to another.
When there is a large piece of farm equipment in the road, be patient and drive slow. When passing, always pass with care and be aware of on-coming traffic. An orange triangle shaped sign on the back of farm vehicles indicates a slow moving vehicle.

This publication is available in alternative media upon request.

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