Dairy Farm Management

Dairying is the management of animals kept for milk and milk products meant for human consumption. Running a good dairy farm means putting in place processes and systems that raise both the yield and the quality of milk.

What decides milk yield

Milk yield depends first on the quality of the breed kept on the farm. Farmers select breeds that give a high yield under the local climatic conditions and that also carry resistance to disease. But choosing a good breed is only the first step — for that genetic potential to actually show up as milk in the pail, the animals must be looked after properly:

• Housing — clean, comfortable shelter for the animals
• Water — an adequate and reliable supply
• Disease-free maintenance — regular checks to keep the herd healthy
• Feeding — a scientifically balanced diet, with careful attention to both the quality and the quantity of fodder given

Hygiene and record-keeping

Strict cleanliness is essential — for the cattle themselves and for the people handling them — at every stage of milking, storage and transport of milk and milk products. Much of this work is now mechanised, which cuts down direct contact between the handler and the produce and so lowers the chance of contamination. …