THE BIG BUSINESS OF DAIRY FARMING: BIG TROUBLE FOR COWS

THE BIG BUSINESS OF DAIRY FARMING: BIG TROUBLE FOR COWS

THE BIG BUSINESS OF DAIRY FARMING: BIG TROUBLE FOR COWS

Modernity in farming has put quite a pressure on farmers to “step up or step out”. This has created pressure and competition for farmers either to adapt the change and learn new techniques or to change their profession.

 

In dairy farming, milk production demand is increasing day by day which has led farmers to use artificial ways of generating more milk from cows. An interesting fact is that number of cows in Pakistan and milk production has tripled. How this was possible? And how it has affected the health of the animals? Here are some factors:

 

Recurrent Pregnancy:

 

According to natural phenomenon, cow follows nine months of the gestation period and then feed their newborn for 6 to 7 months. Now, this cannot be followed because of increasing milk demand so their newborns are immediately taken away from them and male calves are either killed or they are sent for beef extraction.

 

Growth Hormones:

 

Another common practice to increase milk yield is the use of the genetically engineered growth hormone which leads to average milk production of 100 pounds of milk per cow per day, 10 times as much milk as a calf would need.

 

High-protein feed:

 

The natural food of cow is grass which is high in fiber but low in nutritional density which doesn’t lead to the formation of more milk. In modern dairy cows are fed a low-fiber, high-protein diet of grains which lets them produce more milk.

 

How dairy cows are housed:

 

Cows in many dairies are housed in a combination of outdoor and indoor facilities, such as sheds, outdoor dirt corrals, and stalls. Cows who are restrained installs show signs of stress from social isolation and are more likely to get ill.