Dairy Cattle Raising Honor

Agricultural Activities

Requirements

1. What points should be taken into consideration when choosing a cow for milk production?

   Answer: Consider the dairy breed (Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss), an age between 3-5 years, udder health (no mastitis or injuries), the mother's production history, body conformation (an angular and deep body), a docile temperament, and the quality of the feed available on the property. — Holstein cows produce an average of 30 liters/day, and the Jersey produces a smaller volume but fattier milk (5% fat vs. 3.5% for the Holstein). The choice depends on the market: industrial dairies prefer Holsteins, and artisanal cheese producers prefer Jerseys.

2. Name at least 25 parts of a dairy cow.

   Answer: Head, horns, ear, eyes, muzzle, mouth, neck, withers, back, loin, rump, ribs, flank, chest, shoulder, tail, udder, teats (4), groin, knee, hock, hoof, legs, joint, vulva, anus, side, belly, hip, and abdomen are the main parts. — Identifying anatomical parts is the basis of zootechnical evaluation. The ideal dairy conformation has a deep chest, a wide side, and a well-attached udder with symmetrical teats, according to the breed standard of the Brazilian Association of Holstein Cattle Breeders.

3. Identify, live or through images, 3 breeds of beef cattle and 3 breeds of dairy cattle.

   Answer: Beef cattle: Nelore (white, with a hump), Angus (black, hornless), and Brahman (gray, with a large dewlap). Dairy cattle: Holstein (black and white), Jersey (light brown, small), and Brown Swiss (gray-brown, robust). These are the most common breeds in Brazil. — Nelore makes up about 80% of the Brazilian beef herd, adapted to the tropical climate. The Holstein is the most widespread dairy breed in the world, originating in the Netherlands, with an average production of 30 liters/day under adequate technical management.

4. What facilities are necessary for raising dairy cattle?

   Answer: The following are necessary: a covered and ventilated stable, a sanitized milking parlor, a calf pen, a silo or feed store, a feeding trough, automatic drinkers, a fenced pasture area, a manure pit for waste, and a handling corral. — MAPA's (Ministry of Agriculture) Normative Instructions 76 and 77/2018 regulate milk production in Brazil, requiring minimum hygiene standards in the milking parlor and storage. Good facilities reduce losses by up to 30% and improve the quality of the milk produced.

5. How can a heifer be trained so that it becomes a tame cow?

   Answer: Start contact early, while still a calf: touch it gently, speak calmly, brush its coat, and offer mineral salt by hand. Get it used to the halter, to entering the corral, and to the proximity of people. — Studies by Embrapa show that cows treated with gentle handling produce 10-15% more milk and have a lower risk of mastitis. The rational handling method proposed by Dr. Mário Paranhos da Costa in 1985 is a world reference for this type of approach.

6. Know the care, treatment, and feeding for dairy cattle at each of the following stages:
   • Calf
   • From weaning until 6 months of age
   • From 6 months until 15 months of age
   • From 15 months until gestation
   • Lactation
   • Dry period

   Answer: 1) Calf — Ensure colostrum (the cow's first milk) in the first hours of life, preferably within the first 6, as it is rich in antibodies and protects against diseases; keep the calf warm, dry, and in a clean place; disinfect the navel; provide milk (or a replacer) until weaning, with clean water always available. 2) From weaning to 6 months of age — Begin and gradually increase the supply of starter feed (concentrate) and good-quality roughage, such as hay or silage, to develop the rumen; keep clean water and shelter; vaccinate and deworm according to the health calendar. 3) From 6 months to 15 months of age — Keep the animal on good-quality pasture supplemented with concentrate and mineral salt, ensuring good weight gain and body development; continue the control of vaccines and dewormers. 4) From 15 months until pregnancy — Monitor growth until the heifer reaches an adequate weight and development (generally around 380 kg) for the first breeding/insemination; reinforce nutrition and health management for a healthy pregnancy. 5) Lactation — Provide a balanced diet with about 60% roughage and 40% concentrate, adjusted to milk production, with abundant water and mineral salt; maintain rigorous hygiene during milking to avoid mastitis and comfort in the environment. 6) Dry period — About 60 days before calving, stop milking (dry off the cow) so that it can rest and recover its body reserves; provide adequate feeding, without excess, and health care so that it reaches calving healthy and prepares for the next lactation. — Colostrum in the first 6 hours gives passive immunity (antibodies from the mother) and reduces neonatal mortality by up to 60%, according to Embrapa Gado de Leite. A minimum 60-day dry period allows the udder to recover and colostrum to be synthesized for the next calf.

7. Know how milk is produced in the cow.

   Answer: Milk is produced in the cells of the udder from the cow's blood. The hormones prolactin and oxytocin stimulate production and the let-down of the milk. The blood brings nutrients from the feed, and each liter of milk requires about 500 liters of blood passing through the udder. — Prolactin is released by the pituitary gland and stimulates milk synthesis, while oxytocin causes the contraction of the myoepithelial cells and the let-down of the milk. This process is triggered by the stimulus of milking or of the calf nursing.

8. Know the steps necessary to milk a cow both manually and mechanically.

   Answer: Manual: wash the udder, discard the first streams into a dark cup, hold the teat with your thumb and index finger, squeeze from top to bottom. Mechanical: sanitize the udder, discard the first streams, apply the teat cups, turn on the pulsator, remove them when the flow stops, and disinfect the teats with a post-dipping solution. — The 'dark cup' (a black-bottomed cup) reveals clots or changes in the milk that indicate mastitis. Post-dipping reduces infections by up to 75%, according to Embrapa. The milker needs clean hands and short nails in both methods.

9. Know the main parts of a mechanical milking machine.

   Answer: The main parts are: the vacuum pump (generates suction), the vacuum reservoir, the pulsator (alternates suction and rest), the teat cups (fit onto the teats), the milk collector (claw), the milk and air hoses, the milk filter, the bucket or milk line, and the refrigerated storage tank. — The vacuum pump operates between 42 and 50 kPa of pressure. The pulsator alternates between a suction phase (60%) and a rest phase (40%) to mimic the calf nursing, avoiding injuries to the teats and keeping the milk flow continuous throughout the milking.

10. What is mastitis? What measures can be taken to prevent mastitis?

    Answer: Mastitis is inflammation of the udder caused by bacteria, fungi, or trauma. To prevent it: rigorous hygiene of the udder before and after milking (pre- and post-dipping), correct milking management, clean facilities, proper drying of the teats, and regular examinations with the CMT test (dark cup). — Mastitis causes global losses estimated at US$ 35 billion per year. The most common bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and E. coli. Post-dipping with iodine after each milking reduces mastitis by up to 50%, according to Embrapa Gado de Leite.

11. Present a report highlighting the main health problems that affect dairy cattle, pointing out the symptoms and signs, as well as how to prevent and/or treat them.

    Answer: Main health problems of dairy cattle, with symptoms/signs and prevention/treatment: 1) MASTITIS — inflammation of the udder (a swollen, hot, painful udder, milk with clots/blood). Prevent: milking hygiene (pre- and post-dipping), complete milking, a clean environment, the CMT test (dark-bottomed cup). Treat: intramammary antibiotics under veterinary guidance and disposal of the milk during the withdrawal period. 2) BRUCELLOSIS — a bacterium that causes abortion in the final third of pregnancy and retained placenta. Prevent: mandatory vaccination of heifers (B19/RB51), purchase of tested animals. There is no treatment — a positive animal is culled (a zoonosis). 3) TUBERCULOSIS — progressive weight loss, a dry cough, a drop in production. Prevent: periodic tuberculin testing and culling of positives. No treatment (a zoonosis) — the animal is culled. 4) FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE — vesicles/sores on the mouth, tongue, teats, and hooves, intense salivation, fever, lameness. Prevent: vaccination (where required) and sanitary barriers. Mandatory notification to the official agency; no specific treatment. 5) TICKS AND TICK FEVER — anemia, fever, reddish urine, weakness. Prevent: tick control with acaricide baths and pasture management. Treat: specific medications against the blood parasites (Babesia/Anaplasma) prescribed by the veterinarian. 6) WORM INFESTATION — weight loss, diarrhea, a ruffled coat. Prevent/treat: periodic deworming and pasture rotation. In all cases, maintain a vaccination calendar, veterinary monitoring, and isolate sick animals. — Brucellosis and tuberculosis are zoonotic diseases (they pass to humans), which is why they are controlled by official programs such as MAPA's PNCEBT. Vaccination against brucellosis is mandatory for females between 3 and 8 months old in Brazil since 1995.

12. Know the meaning of the following terms:
    • Concentrates
    • Crude protein
    • Selection
    • Dry period
    • Lactation
    • Lactation cycle or period
    • Oxytocin
    • Estrus (heat)

    Answer: 1) Concentrates: feeds rich in energy and/or protein and low in fiber, such as corn, soybean meal, sorghum, and commercial feeds, used to supplement the roughage and increase milk production. 2) Crude protein: the total percentage of protein present in a feed, calculated from the nitrogen content (N x 6.25); it indicates the protein value of the feed. 3) Selection: the choice of the best animals in the herd (higher milk production, health, conformation) for reproduction, improving the genetics of the following generations. 4) Dry period: an interval of about 60 days before calving in which the cow stops being milked, so that the udder can rest and the animal can prepare for the next lactation. 5) Lactation: the phase in which the cow produces and secretes milk, starting after calving. 6) Lactation cycle or period: the total time during which the cow produces milk between one calving and the following dry period, on average about 305 days (10 months). 7) Oxytocin: a hormone released by the cow at the moment of milking or nursing that causes the 'let-down' of the milk by contracting the cells around the udder; stress can block its action. 8) Heat (estrus): the period of sexual receptivity of the female, in which she accepts the male and is able to be fertilized; in the cow it repeats every 21 days on average. — The ideal lactation cycle is 305 days, followed by 60 dry days, totaling 365 (one year). Heat lasts about 18-24 hours and occurs every 21 days in non-pregnant cows. Oxytocin is the same hormone involved in human childbirth and nursing.

13. Explain the pasteurization of milk and the care needed with the utensils and equipment used in dairies.

    Answer: Pasteurization is the heating of milk to 72°C for 15 seconds (HTST) to kill pathogenic bacteria without changing the flavor much, followed by rapid cooling to 4°C. Utensils must be sanitized with alkaline detergent, acid, and hot water, and air-dried to avoid cross-contamination. — Louis Pasteur discovered the process in 1864, originally for wine. HTST (High Temperature Short Time) pasteurization preserves more nutrients than the old slow method (LTLT, 63°C for 30 min). It is mandatory under Decree 9.013/2017 in Brazil for commercial milk.

14. Present a written report of at least 300 words or a 5-minute oral one on the importance of dairy farming and describe its main characteristics.

    Answer: You should produce a report of 300+ words (written) or 5 min (oral) on dairy farming: economic importance (the largest agribusiness chain in Brazil), social (rural employment), nutritional (a source of protein/calcium), and characteristics such as production systems (extensive, semi-intensive, confined) and current challenges. — Brazil is the 5th largest milk producer in the world (35 billion liters/year according to IBGE 2023), with Minas Gerais leading production. Dairy farming generates more than 4 million direct jobs in the country and is found on 1.2 million Brazilian rural properties.

15. Help with the care and milking of a herd of dairy cows for a period of at least 3 months.

    Answer: You should take part in the care and milking on a dairy farm for at least 3 consecutive months, helping with feeding, cleaning, milking (manual or mechanical), and handling. — Três meses é tempo suficiente para vivenciar fases do ciclo: lactação, preparação para parto e mudanças sazonais. Esse período é alinhado com estágios curriculares de Zootecnia. O contato prático ensina detalhes que livros não conseguem transmitir.

16. Visit a rural property where dairy cattle are raised and prepare a report of at least 300 words highlighting the main activities carried out there, as well as your experience in fulfilling the requirements of this honor.

    Answer: You should schedule a visit to a dairy farm, observe and take part in the activities (feeding, milking, handling, health care), and produce a report of 300+ words describing the location, breed, production system, equipment, nutritional management, milking, health control, and your personal conclusions. — Visiting a real property fulfills the principle of 'learning by doing.' The report should be personal and reflect your own observations, not a copy from the internet. The Pathfinder Department considers this practical experience essential for retaining the honor's content.