Cows
are usually milked twice a day (sometimes three times) and milking takes
about three hours. The control unit records the milk yield of the cow
and warns if the milk composition has altered.
The
feeder unit allows the cow to receive exactly the right amount of food
in the parlour given her milk yield.
Some
cows have mastitis which is very similar to human mastitis. These animals
have to be milked but their milk is rejected.
Rejected
milk from cows with mastitis is poured down the drain. Herds that are
not healthy are not profitable.
After
milking a cow with mastitis the cluster will be thoroughly scrubbed
clean. Dairy hygiene in the UK is maintained to the very highest of
possible standards.
Further reading for Dairy Cows - Production cycle
Statistics for Dairy cows
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
|
| Dairy cows (000s) |
2336 | 2251 | 2227 | 2192 | 2129 | 2063 | 2066 | 1954 | 1909 | Dairy cows - holdings (000s) |
29.7 | 26.6 | - | 24.6 | - | 28.1 | Dairy exports (£ million nominal prices) |
654.5 | 612.2 | 619.3 | 760.5 | 782.2 | 720.4 | 726.5 | 807.6 | Dairy imports (£ million nominal prices) |
1189.6 | 1279.1 | 1324.6 | 1538.4 | 1652.7 | 1746.8 | 1862.2 | 1872.5 | Balance of trade dairy (£ million nominal prices) |
-535.1 | -666.9 | -705.3 | -777.9 | -870.5 | -1026.4 | -1135.7 | -1064.9 |
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