Dairy cows—those raised to produce milk—are leaner than their beef cattle cousins, as they put their energy into making milk instead of gaining weight by building fat and muscle.
Holsteins are the most popular milking cows in Canada, and are easily recognizable by their black and white spotted hides. Other common dairy breeds in Canada are Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn, and Canadienne.
Dairy farming is a big responsibility because dairy cows need care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each dairy cow has to be milked at least 2-3 times a day, no matter what. Although machines often do the milking, people are still needed for feeding, cleaning, record keeping, ensuring that equipment is working properly, checking animals to make sure they are healthy – and much more.
Dairy Farmers of Canada has developed standards that help farmers ensure their cows’ health and the safety of their cows’ milk as part of its Canadian Quality Milk Program. Another program developed by Dairy Farmers of Canada that focuses on safe, quality milk while meeting the public’s expectations regarding animal care and environmental responsibility is called ProAction. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) samples and tests each truckload of milk for chemical residues (including antibiotics), as well as microorganisms.
The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle also provides Canadian dairy farmers with standards for housing, nutrition and health-care needs of their cows.
Source: Agriculture in the Classroom, Real Dirt on Farming, farmfood 360