what happens to dairy cows when they get old

Anybody knows dairy cows make milk, merely accept you lot ever wondered what happens to them when they go old? Some parts of the dairy industry can be quite barbarous, and unfortunately, this aspect of dairy farming is one such function.

Dairy cows must be kept perpetually significant for them to produce milk all year circular. When dairy cows become as well old to get significant or when their milk production starts to dwindle, they are often sold to be slaughtered and used for footing meat.

Although this aspect of dairy farming is quite barbarous, I still retrieve information technology'due south of import to know where our nutrient comes from. In this commodity, nosotros'll look at what happens to dairy cows one time they are no longer useful for milk production.

What Happens to Dairy Cows as they Historic period?

As with all animals, a cow'due south fertility decreases as they historic period. Equally a cow'south age increases, fertility and milk production subtract, and propensity for injury increases.

Let's take a look at exactly what happens to dairy cows as they age, and how information technology affects the farmers:

1. Older Dairy Cows Produce Less Milk

Every bit cows age, they produce less milk. When milk production begins to slow down, farmers have to make a decision almost the profitability of each moo-cow.

According to a 2020 paper in the scientific periodical 'Animal', dairy calves had an average lifespan of but 35 months, much shorter than the twenty year lifespan a cow could wait in the wild.

2.Older Dairy Cows Get Less Fertile

As dairy cows age, they become less fertile. On average, dairy cows in the Usa become through ii or three lactation cycles (pregnancies) before they are sold.

A study in 2004, published in the Livestock Production Scientific discipline Journal looked at the correlation between loftier yielding dairy cows and fertility.

It was found that an increase in milk yields was inversely correlated with fertility. Substantially what this ways is that cows who produce more than milk are more likely to have fertility or reproductive problems.

This is a growing problem for mod dairy farmers, since the dairy cows of today have been highly selected for milk product, often producing upwardly to 28 litres (over 6 gallons) of milk every day.

Since dairy cows must be meaning in club for them to produce milk, when a cow tin can no longer become pregnant the farmer can no longer profit from her.

Read More: When Can Dairy Cows No Longer Get Pregnant?

3. Older Dairy Cows are More Likely to Suffer Injuries

Older cattle are more likely to suffer from injuries. The two about common injuries for dairy cattle are hoof injuries such as laminitis or footrot, and udder injuries like mastitis.

Both foot injuries and udder injuries brand it difficult and painful for the moo-cow to move, and legally prevent the farmer from selling milk from the afflicted cow, and then as non to infect the nutrient supply with bacteria.

Unfortunately, one time a moo-cow becomes lame or unable to produce milk it'south often not economically viable for a farmer to nurse her back to health.

What do Farmers Do To Old Dairy Cows?

It would be overnice to retrieve that cows who accomplish an age where they are no longer profitable are allowed to alive out the rest of their lives on the subcontract in peace, but unfortunately it'southward not the case.

Farms exist solely to create food and earn a turn a profit, and once a cow'southward dairy production starts to dwindle, the farmer preemptively sells them off for meat. This process is known as salve, and is a mode for the farmer to maximize the profit for each moo-cow past minimizing losses and maximizing the total value of the cow over the course of their life.

In some situations where a moo-cow becomes unable to produce milk due to injury or infection, the moo-cow tin can non be sold for meat because there are very strict regulations preventing diseased or injured animals from entering the man food supply.

Since dairy meat is usually worth less than meat raised for beefiness, cows who suffer injuries and are unable to produce milk are sometimes culled instead.

Do People Eat Onetime Dairy Cows?

Farmers usually sell old dairy cows for meat, although the meat is of lower quality than meat specifically raised for beef.

This is because dairy cattle breeds tend to be leaner than beef breeds, and dairy cows tend to be older when they are slaughtered, which further degrades the quality of the meat.

Dairy meat tends to be used for secondary meat products such as ground beefiness, burgers, hotdogs, and dog food rather than prime number cuts of beef y'all might get from a beefiness cow.

Read More than: Tin You lot Eat Dairy Cows?

Determination

To sum upward, dairy cows feel a number of changes as they age, including lower fertility, a decrease in milk product, and an increased likelihood of suffering an injury.

Each of these changes negatively impact the bottom line of a farmer and mean that dairy cows ofttimes become an economic liability as they historic period.

Dairy cows tend to exist sold on for meat at only 35 months of historic period, much sooner than they would live in the wild, and several years before they end being fertile altogether.

This process of selling dairy cows equally soon as their product starts to dwindle is known as salve, and is a way for the farmer to minimize the run a risk of the cow becoming completely worthless due to injury, and maximize their profits past getting a higher price for the moo-cow's meat, in exchange for a few fewer years of dairy production.

Since beef from dairy cows tends to be lower quality than beef breeds, their meat is often used to produce burgers, minced beef and sausages, and not steaks or other prime cuts.

Stuart is the editor of Brute Facts. He edits our writers' work every bit well every bit contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate virtually sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.

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Source: https://faunafacts.com/cows/what-happens-to-old-dairy-cows/

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