Dairy Cattle 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 9 lessons as follows:

1 Dairy Breeds

• Dairy Breeds: Choosing a Dairy Breed
• Comparison of Dairy Breeds: The Ayrshire, The Guernsey, The Jersey, Holstein – Friesian, Brown Swiss, Milking or Dairy Shorthorn
• Score Card: General Appearance, Dairy Character, Udder

2 Dairy Products

• Milk: The Composition of Milk, The percentage breakdown of the composition of milk, Protein, Lactose, Ash
• Factors Affecting the Composition of Milk: Feed, Weather, Stages of Milking, Incomplete Milking, Frequency of Milking, Disturbance, Dipping, Individuality of the Cow, Breed, Course of Lactation, Gestation, Age of the Cow, Oestrus and Gestation, Disease
• Milk: Oxidation, Lipolysis

3 The Lactation Cycle

• The Lactation Cycle
• The Influence of the Farmer on Lactation
• Is Every Cow in My Herd Producing to its Genetic Potential?: Infertile Cows, Feeding, The Milking Shed
• Planning for Feed-Flow: Climate, Soil Type, Irrigation, Aspect, Slope, Natural pastures, Management, Present Feed Flow
• Planning the New Feed-Flow Program

4 Pests & Diseases of Dairy Cattle

• Mastitis: Types of Mastitis, Mastitis-Causing Organisms, Contagious Bacteria, Environmental Mastitis Organisms
• Mastitis Detection - Cell Counts: Mastitis Control, Effective Shed or Parlour Routine, Milking Equipment, Treating Mastitis
• Correct Treatment Techniques
• Dry Cow Therapy: Difficulties of treating lactating cows, Drying off - the danger period
• The Five-Point Plan Against Mastitis
• Viral & Bacterial Diseases in Cattle: Signs of Health in Cattle, Other signs which should be noted
• Disease Types in Cattle
• Viral Diseases
• Bacterial Diseases
• Parasitic Diseases
• Protozoal Diseases
• Other Diseases: Screw Worm, Ophthalmia

5 Feeding Dairy Cattle

• Feeding the Dairy Cow: Working out Dairy Rations, Maintenance Requirements for a Dairy Cow, Production Requirements, Working out the Total Needs of a Dairy Cow, Feeding a Ration to Meet the Nutrient Needs, Roughage, Concentrate Foods
• The Dairy Ration
• Working Out the Cost of Dairy Rations
• Model Answers to Dairy Feed Exercise

6 Managing Dairy Cattle

• The Dairy Heifer
• Managing the Heifer: Growth, Measuring Growth, Why emphasise growth?
• Feeding the Heifer: Factors Affecting Growth
• Age of Breeding: Effect of Early Breeding on Size of Animals, The Effect of Early Calving on Milk Production
• The Dairy Cow: Management of the Dairy Cow, Factors Affecting the General Health of a Cow
• Factors Affecting Milk Yield: Lactation Curve, Breed, Milking Frequency, Age, Milkings, Season, Heat Stress, Feeding

7 Breeding Dairy Cattle

• Selection: Animal Breeding Programs, Have a Clear Aim, Decide on your priorities, Dual Purpose Animals
• Artificial Selection: Understanding The Sire, Selection Intensity, The Generation Interval, The Heritability, Selection for Milk Yield, Gene Groups
• Regression
• Selection Using Family Groups
• Disadvantages of Inbreeding
• Performance Testing: Sib Testing, Progeny Testing, Contemporary Comparisons and Relative Breeding Values (R.B.V.), Relative Breeding Value (R.B.V.)
• Artificial Insemination: The Technique of Artificial Insemination, Synchronised Heats
• Ova Transplants

8 Managing Dairy Facilities

• The Dairy
• Basic Requirements of All Dairies: Siting of Dairy Premises, The Milking Shed, The Dairy Room and Wash-up Room, Milkers' Wash Room and Lavatory, Water Supply, Drainage, Equipment
• Cooling of Milk
• Machine Milking: Planning a Milking Machine System, Reasons for Using Milking Machines
• Components of a Milking Machine: The Vacuum Pump, Teat Cups and Liners (Inside the Clusters), Claw-piece or Beaker-cup, Cluster, Pulsator, Vacuum Controller, Sanitary Trap, Releaser, Pipelines
• Choosing a System
• Different Types of System: Normal Cowshed, Abreast Milking Shed, Turntable Milking, Open Sided Shed
• Other Considerations: Handling facilities, Computers
• Four Essential Points When Choosing a Milking System: Vacuum Stability, Udder Stimulation, Milk Quality, Emergency Facilities

9 Dairy Business Planning

• Economics of Dairying
• Business Plan Example
• Break-Even Production
• When Fodder is Bought In
• What is a Heifer Calf Worth at Birth?
• How Long a Cow (That is Not In Calf) Should Be Kept
• Months to Wait