What are the advantages and disadvantages to the production of dairy cows?

Answer 1

1. You gotta have lots of money to get into it from the ground up

2. Dairy farming is subject to debate among many people because of what happens to the calves after they are born, and the cows after they have been used

3. It's a high demanding, high-labour career

4. Cows are often high-maintenance

5. You can't do it all by yourself

6. Dairy cattle are more demanding than beef cattle and much less hardier

7. Dairy calves must be bottle-fed

8. Dairy cows must be milked twice a day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

9. Dairy bulls are VERY dangerous and are not recommended to be used in the breeding program

10. Cows must be AI'd to keep producing milk and calves

11. Dairy cows are often thin, which makes successes breeding them smaller than for beef cows

12. Dairy cows are more subject to illness and injury such as foot rot, ketosis and milk fever than beef cows

13. Some breeds of dairy cows, like the Holstein are more high-strung (though docile)

14. They require feed and water 24/7, and lots of it

15. Some people say they stink worse than other breeds

16. Lots of capital and equipment and machinery is needed to care for dairy cattle

17. Manure management is vital because dairy cows poop a LOT

And other things I failed to mention.

Answer 2

Advantages of dairy production: Higher amount of income than other means of farming, regular income. Your day is never the same as the last, you are providing food for the world.

Disadvantages: Long work hours, lots of money is needed to maintain and begin dairy production, meeting quota standards, many things can go wrong such as milking equipment breaking down, disease spread throughout herd. Meeting the herds health requirements takes alot of time and effort.