Dairy farming

Dairy farming is the raising and management of milk-producing mammals to harvest milk for food and manufacture dairy products.

Lactation: The production and secretion of milk by mammary glands after pregnancy. Dairy systems manage animals around the biological cycle that produces milk.
Milk cooling: The rapid reduction of raw milk temperature after milking to slow microbial growth. Cooling protects quality between the milking parlor and collection.
Animal welfare in dairy farming: The conditions and practices that affect the physical and behavioral well-being of dairy animals. Housing, calf separation, transport, and culling are central welfare concerns.
Pastoralism: A livelihood system based on managing livestock through seasonal movement and grazing. Mobile herding differs from the settled infrastructure typical of commercial dairy farms.
Artificial insemination: The placement of semen in a female reproductive tract without natural mating. Breeding programs use it to manage herd genetics and schedule calving.
Pasteurization: A heat treatment that reduces harmful microorganisms in food without sterilizing it. Most fluid milk is pasteurized after leaving the farm.
Methane emissions from livestock: Methane released by livestock, principally through digestion and manure management. Ruminant digestion makes dairy herds a source of agricultural greenhouse gases.
Intensive animal farming: Livestock production that concentrates many animals and inputs within a managed system. Large-scale dairy operations share intensive methods but vary greatly in herd size and housing.
Dairy cattle nutrition: The feeding practices and nutrient requirements of cattle raised for milk. Rations must support milk yield, animal health, and reproduction.
Cheesemaking: The process of converting milk into cheese through coagulation, drainage, and ripening. Milk from dairy farms supplies the raw material for diverse cheeses.

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