Terms to know

Homestead Milk Cow Intro Terms to know

Cow Terms

  • Bovine: technical term for the species of “cow”
  • Fresh cow: A cow that has recently given birth to a calf. Fresh cows typically produce more milk than other cows further along in their lactation cycle.
  • Dry cow: A cow that is not producing milk. 
  • Open cow: Cow that is not pregnant
  • Calf: Baby cow 
  • Heifer: Young female cow who has never had a calf
  • Cow:  A female who has had a calf. Also refers to the animal species as a whole
  • Bull:  An intact male capable of breeding a cow
  • Steer: castrated male
  • Artificial Insemmination (AI): a process of placing semen into the cow to get her pregnant without using a bull

Parts of the milk

  • Butterfat: The fat content of milk. Butterfat is what gives milk its characteristic taste and texture.
  • Protein: The protein content of milk. Protein is essential for growth and development.
  • Lactose: The sugar content of milk. Lactose is what gives milk its sweetness.
  • Colostrum: The first milk that a cow produces after giving birth.  It’s very rich and very high in antibodies calves need for survival and health.
  • Somatic cells: Cells that are found in milk.  Neither good nor bad, but the goal is to keep the number low.

Cow parts of import

  • Udder: The milk-producing organ of a cow. It is located on the underside of the cow’s abdomen, and it is divided into four quarters.
  • Teat: The nipple on a cow’s udder. Milk is released from the udder through the teats.

Milking Terms

  • Milk parlor: A room or area where cows are milked.
  • Milking: The process of removing milk from a cow’s udder. Milking can be done by hand or by using a milking machine.
  • Milking interval: The amount of time between milkings. Can be 24 hours (once a day), 12 hours (twice a day). Some industrial dairy farms milk three times a day. Any way you do it, consistency is the key.
  • Hand milking: The traditional method of milking a cow. It is done by manually squeezing the teats of the cow to release the milk.
  • Machine milking: The most common method of milking cows today. A milking machine is used to attach to the cow’s udder and remove the milk.
  • Milkstone: A hard deposit that can form in a cow’s udder and in the equipment used for milking
  • Lactation: The period of time during which a cow produces milk. Lactation typically lasts for about 10 months before drying off for calving, but can last much longer naturally.
  • Drying off: the process of decreasing a cow’s milk production till she has no more milk.
  • Yield: The amount of milk that a cow produces in a given period of time. Yield is typically measured in pounds or liters
  • Bagging: The process of collecting milk from a cow’s udder into a bag.
  • Sanitary milking: The process of milking a cow in a way that prevents the milk from becoming contaminated.
  • Fouling: The process of milk becoming contaminated with bacteria.
  • Mastitis: An inflammation of the udder, usually caused by bacteria overgrowth.
  • Calotric reflex: A reflex that causes a cow to release milk when she is touched on the udder.
  • Ejection reflex: The reflex that causes a cow’s udder to release milk when it is milked.
  • Acid test: A test used to determine the butterfat content of milk.
  • Algae: A type of plant that can grow in milk tanks and other dairy equipment if not properly cleaned
  • Anesthetize: To numb an area of the body with a local anesthetic.