- 1. Dairy Farming What is needed on a dairy farm?
2. What is needed on a dairy farm?
3. Basics for farming
- Cowswhich are kept for their milk are called dairy cows. This
is because they produce dairy products milk.
- Dairy cows need goodgrassto eat. Healthy, fresh grass.
- Dairy farms are found incool climates . New Zealand has the
perfect conditions.
- Dairy cows are milked twice a day. Once in the morning and once
in the evening.
- Most cows are milked by amachine .
4. Breeds of cows
- The main breeds of dairy cows in New Zealand are Friesians,
Jerseys, and Ayrshires.
- Friesians are big robust cows, usually black and white in
colour, that eat a lot of grass and can give up to 30 litres of
milk a day.
5. Breeds of cows
- Jersey cows are smaller, light brown cows with big eyes and
pleasant faces.
- They produce very high-quality milk but produce only about 18
litres.
- They also eat less grass.
- They are not as strong as Friesians.
6. Breeds of cows
- Ayrshire cows are a red-brown cow at an in-between size and
milk volume.
- They are smaller than Friesians but bigger than Jersey
cows.
- They also produce less milk than Friesian cows but produce more
milk than Jersey cows.
7. Grass
- Cows need to eat on average 18kg a day from the paddocks.
- When the grass in the fields is not growing in the winter, the
farmer will ensure that the cows get enough food by feeding them
silage (fermented grass) or hay (dried grass).
- A big part of the dairy farmers work is making sure that the
paddocks grow a lot of healthy grass for as much of the year as
possible.
8. Climate
- New Zealand is the best place to have to a dairy farm because
our climate is cool.
- We get enough sunlight for the grass to grow and enough cool
weather. It is a good balance.
- The cows can stay outside all year and eat grass.
- New Zealand farmers are lucky because grass grows faster and
for more months of the year.
9. Recap
- Describe the grass that cows need to eat using 3
adjectives.
- What are the 3 best types of dairy cows?
- Why does New Zealand have perfect conditions for dairy
farming?
- What do cows eat when there is no fresh grass to eat?
