Dairy cattle production is one of the oldest agricultural enterprises in Europe and North America. However, this enterprise has undergone several changes in accordance with industrialization and advancement in technology. Holsteins are the most common breeds of cows in Europe and North America. In Canada, the number of dairy farms as of 2015 was approximately 12,000 with each farm having an average of 80 animals.
There is a significant drop in the number of dairy farms in Canada because in the beginning of 1980s the number was almost double of what it is today. The number of dairy cows in Canada stands at 951,300 as of 1st January 2015. In addition, the average daily milk production of one Holstein cow is thirty kilograms. The number of dairy cows has decreased over the last thirty years while the rate of milk production per animal has doubled over the same period.
Holsteins
Holsteins are the most common dairy cows in Canada and they originated from Netherlands. A Holstein calf weighs around 40 kilograms at birth. Farmers can breed Holstein heifers when they are thirteen months old and when their weight is around 360kgs.
The cow will continue to be productive for a duration of about five lactation periods until it is culled. Another reason for culling Holsteins is the presence of diseases and deformities. It is common for farmers to cull cows with the view of eliminating diseases and deformities within their herds.
Average Herds in Europe and North America
The average number of cows per herd in Canada is seventy. The cows in the United States produce more milk than those in Canada. In addition, the average number of cows per herd in the United States varies depending on region with numbers ranging from 50 to 1,200. In Denmark, Holstein is also the most dominant breed of dairy cattle and it accounts for 72% of cows in the country.
However, the number of cows per herd has been declining and currently it is at 160. Each cow produces an average of 10,000kgs of milk per year. Although the number of dairy farms in Norway has reduced drastically over the last five years, the country has an average herd size of 120 cows. Nevertheless, daily milk production in Norway averages at 30kgs per animal.
Dairy Housing Systems
There are two types of predominant dairy housing systems in Canada and they are the stall and the barn system. The farmers’ choice of housing system mainly depends on the available space and size of the herd. The barn system is preferred where there is little space and large herds. The stall system is advantageous because it houses individual cows complete with a resting area for each animal. In a stall system, cows have access to correct water and feeds rations at all time.
In a barn system, cows are housed in open barns where they share water and feeding systems. The cows are also provided with shareable resting areas. One advantage of the barn system is that technology has made it easier for farmers to monitor animals. Another advantage of the barn system is that it is economical in terms of cost and space.
In future, the barnyard system will be more popular due to advances in tagging technology. Disadvantages of the stall system include the fact that it is space consuming and it requires massive resources to put together. The barn system is disadvantageous because it is complex to manage and it supports easy spreading of diseases.