VMP 420 - DAIRY EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
How has the dairy industry changed over the years? - Answers - Decrease in number of
operations, decrease in number of cows. Less operation with higher number of
cows/operation. Increased milk production.
What are the different issues a dairy farm faces related to economics? - Answers -
Increased cost of feed, increased labor costs and workers (immigration issues), ability
to break even/make a profit is becoming more difficult.
Variable Costs - Answers - -Herd and shed costs (AI, vet costs, milking machines,
milk/milk replacer etc for calves)
-Feeding (concentrates, forages, machines)
Overhead Costs - Answers - -Cash overhead costs (labor, rent, operations)
-Imputed overhead costs (Depreciation)
Why has there been an increase in milk production? - Answers - Partially due to genetic
improvement. Largely due to the use of nutrition and nutritionist to improve rations. Use
of BST, fermentation modifiers, and trace minerals
How had nutrition allowed for an increase in milk production? - Answers - Adding a
nutritionist to help balance rations ensure all of cows nutritional needs are met based on
stage of production. Nutritionist can be vets or animal scientists. By meeting nutritional
requirements cows are able to effectively produce milk.
How can the costs of feeding be reduced? - Answers - Use homegrown feeds
What is BST and how does it affect the dairy industry? - Answers - Bovine
somatotropin. This is a growth hormone that is given to cows to increase milk
production by 10-15%. BST leads to increase in DMI but has also been associated with
mastitis, lameness, culling, and low BCS. The public is often resistant to BST and many
co-ops do not allow for BST milk.
What are fermentation modifiers? - Answers - Treatments to the rumen that allow for
changed in fermentation that ultimately make the cow have improved metabolism of
nutrients. Includes monensin and lasolocid
How does the consumer influence dairy production? - Answers - Awareness of
hormones and cow welfare. Consumers do not want BST in milk and want cows to be
happy. This has led to increase in organic milk production and also move to plant based
milk products.
,What do organic farms not use? - Answers - Antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones
(some pesticides may be allowed)
What preventative care can dairy farms use? - Answers - Vaccines, external
parasiticides, vitamins and electrolytes, dehorning (local anesthetic ok), no tail docking
What are the feeding requirements of organic dairies? - Answers - 30% of feed intake
must be from pasture during growing season (pasture access for 120 days), dry feeds
must be organically produced and cannot contain urea or slaughter by products, calves
must be fed organic milk and feed (no synthetic milk replacers or medicated grains).
What is a Grade A dairy operation and what parameters do they have to meet? -
Answers - Sell high quality milk used for fluid milk consumption. Cannot contain
antibiotics, somatic cell count must be below or equal to 750,000mL in US and
400,000mL in EU, max bacterial count raw milk is 100,000 SPC
What is a Grade B dairy operation and what parameters do they have to meet? -
Answers - Sell milk for dairy products: butter, powdered milk, cheese. No antibiotics, no
somatic cell count, max bacterial count raw milk is 1,000,000 SPC
What does a high bacterial count indicate? - Answers - Unsanitary conditions for milking
equipment/udder, or inappropriate milk storage (too warm)
What are the different variable costs of dairy? - Answers - AI, young stock, animal
health, and milk harvesting, feed costs (#1 cost)
What are the different overhead costs of dairy? - Answers - Paid labor, finances, farms
(rent), administration, family labor, depreciation of equipment
What are the two most popular dairy breeds in the US? - Answers - Holstein (#1) and
jersey (#2)
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a Holstien? - Answers - 23,000
lb/year, 2.5-3.5% butter fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a jersey? - Answers - 16,000 lb/year,
4.9% fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a guernsey? - Answers - 16,000
lb/year, 4.5% fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a ayshire? - Answers - 17,000
lbs/year, 4% fat
, What are the products and fat amounts for a brown swiss? - Answers - 22,000 lbs/year,
4% fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a milking shorthorn? - Answers - 15,000
lbs/year, 3.8% milk fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a simmental swiss? - Answers - 15,000
lbs/year, 3.5% fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a water buffalo? - Answers - 2,200 - 4,600
lbs/year, 8.5%
What are the production and fat amounts for a gir? - Answers - 3,000-6,000 lbs/year, 4-
4.5% fat
Which breeds are known for better milk fat %? - Answers - Jerseys (4.9%) and
Guernsey (4.5%); better for cheese and ice cream
What breed is known to produce a high volume of milk? - Answers - Holsteins have
largest volume (23,000 lb/year), but lower fat % for milk to drink on the shelf
Breed with a low yield but high butter fat % that makes them great for dairy products? -
Answers - Water buffalo
Total Confinement Systems - Answers - Free stall, tie stall, automatic milking
Semi confinement - Answers - Confinements during day, pasture at night, dry lots
Pasture diaries regions - Answers - SE US, New Zealand, organic milk production
Tie stalls - Answers - All cows are confined to a stall, do not have room to roam. Are
either milked using portable machine or taken from stall to milk and then returned
Free stall - Answers - Ideally each cow has a stall, cows are free to move around barn,
locking head stalls for feeding allow for restraint for AI or other vet procedures.
Semi confinement style - Answers - Cows are often outdoor either on pasture or in
drylot or combination. Cows are often feed in locking headstalls that can be close to
allow for procedures
Pasture during dry period only - Answers - confined during lacatation. Common practice
is lower facility costs/fertilize fields.
Pastrue during dry Limitations - Answers - Limitations include difficulties feeding DCAD
diets (Special diet to help cows about to calve balance calcium levels), heat stress, high
SCC in first milk tests, challenges detecting sick cattle
ANSWERS
How has the dairy industry changed over the years? - Answers - Decrease in number of
operations, decrease in number of cows. Less operation with higher number of
cows/operation. Increased milk production.
What are the different issues a dairy farm faces related to economics? - Answers -
Increased cost of feed, increased labor costs and workers (immigration issues), ability
to break even/make a profit is becoming more difficult.
Variable Costs - Answers - -Herd and shed costs (AI, vet costs, milking machines,
milk/milk replacer etc for calves)
-Feeding (concentrates, forages, machines)
Overhead Costs - Answers - -Cash overhead costs (labor, rent, operations)
-Imputed overhead costs (Depreciation)
Why has there been an increase in milk production? - Answers - Partially due to genetic
improvement. Largely due to the use of nutrition and nutritionist to improve rations. Use
of BST, fermentation modifiers, and trace minerals
How had nutrition allowed for an increase in milk production? - Answers - Adding a
nutritionist to help balance rations ensure all of cows nutritional needs are met based on
stage of production. Nutritionist can be vets or animal scientists. By meeting nutritional
requirements cows are able to effectively produce milk.
How can the costs of feeding be reduced? - Answers - Use homegrown feeds
What is BST and how does it affect the dairy industry? - Answers - Bovine
somatotropin. This is a growth hormone that is given to cows to increase milk
production by 10-15%. BST leads to increase in DMI but has also been associated with
mastitis, lameness, culling, and low BCS. The public is often resistant to BST and many
co-ops do not allow for BST milk.
What are fermentation modifiers? - Answers - Treatments to the rumen that allow for
changed in fermentation that ultimately make the cow have improved metabolism of
nutrients. Includes monensin and lasolocid
How does the consumer influence dairy production? - Answers - Awareness of
hormones and cow welfare. Consumers do not want BST in milk and want cows to be
happy. This has led to increase in organic milk production and also move to plant based
milk products.
,What do organic farms not use? - Answers - Antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones
(some pesticides may be allowed)
What preventative care can dairy farms use? - Answers - Vaccines, external
parasiticides, vitamins and electrolytes, dehorning (local anesthetic ok), no tail docking
What are the feeding requirements of organic dairies? - Answers - 30% of feed intake
must be from pasture during growing season (pasture access for 120 days), dry feeds
must be organically produced and cannot contain urea or slaughter by products, calves
must be fed organic milk and feed (no synthetic milk replacers or medicated grains).
What is a Grade A dairy operation and what parameters do they have to meet? -
Answers - Sell high quality milk used for fluid milk consumption. Cannot contain
antibiotics, somatic cell count must be below or equal to 750,000mL in US and
400,000mL in EU, max bacterial count raw milk is 100,000 SPC
What is a Grade B dairy operation and what parameters do they have to meet? -
Answers - Sell milk for dairy products: butter, powdered milk, cheese. No antibiotics, no
somatic cell count, max bacterial count raw milk is 1,000,000 SPC
What does a high bacterial count indicate? - Answers - Unsanitary conditions for milking
equipment/udder, or inappropriate milk storage (too warm)
What are the different variable costs of dairy? - Answers - AI, young stock, animal
health, and milk harvesting, feed costs (#1 cost)
What are the different overhead costs of dairy? - Answers - Paid labor, finances, farms
(rent), administration, family labor, depreciation of equipment
What are the two most popular dairy breeds in the US? - Answers - Holstein (#1) and
jersey (#2)
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a Holstien? - Answers - 23,000
lb/year, 2.5-3.5% butter fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a jersey? - Answers - 16,000 lb/year,
4.9% fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a guernsey? - Answers - 16,000
lb/year, 4.5% fat
What are the production and butter fat amounts for a ayshire? - Answers - 17,000
lbs/year, 4% fat
, What are the products and fat amounts for a brown swiss? - Answers - 22,000 lbs/year,
4% fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a milking shorthorn? - Answers - 15,000
lbs/year, 3.8% milk fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a simmental swiss? - Answers - 15,000
lbs/year, 3.5% fat
What are the production and fat amounts for a water buffalo? - Answers - 2,200 - 4,600
lbs/year, 8.5%
What are the production and fat amounts for a gir? - Answers - 3,000-6,000 lbs/year, 4-
4.5% fat
Which breeds are known for better milk fat %? - Answers - Jerseys (4.9%) and
Guernsey (4.5%); better for cheese and ice cream
What breed is known to produce a high volume of milk? - Answers - Holsteins have
largest volume (23,000 lb/year), but lower fat % for milk to drink on the shelf
Breed with a low yield but high butter fat % that makes them great for dairy products? -
Answers - Water buffalo
Total Confinement Systems - Answers - Free stall, tie stall, automatic milking
Semi confinement - Answers - Confinements during day, pasture at night, dry lots
Pasture diaries regions - Answers - SE US, New Zealand, organic milk production
Tie stalls - Answers - All cows are confined to a stall, do not have room to roam. Are
either milked using portable machine or taken from stall to milk and then returned
Free stall - Answers - Ideally each cow has a stall, cows are free to move around barn,
locking head stalls for feeding allow for restraint for AI or other vet procedures.
Semi confinement style - Answers - Cows are often outdoor either on pasture or in
drylot or combination. Cows are often feed in locking headstalls that can be close to
allow for procedures
Pasture during dry period only - Answers - confined during lacatation. Common practice
is lower facility costs/fertilize fields.
Pastrue during dry Limitations - Answers - Limitations include difficulties feeding DCAD
diets (Special diet to help cows about to calve balance calcium levels), heat stress, high
SCC in first milk tests, challenges detecting sick cattle
