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D-lactation Dictionary

Lactation

The period a cow gives milk after calving, planned at about 305 days, followed by a dry period before the next calf

All termsIntroduced in M21Open the Toolkit
An open dictionary on a farm office desk
Plain meaning
The period a cow gives milk after calving, planned at about 305 days, followed by a dry period before the next calf
How to use it
A cow earns only while she is in milk, so a calf every year keeps the herd earning.
South African benchmark
South African herds aim for a calving interval of about twelve to thirteen months.
Country notes
Long calving intervals are the most common hidden cost in small dairy herds across the region.
Go and read
M21 Unit 7
Calculate it
T-M21-02 Herd Growth Projection plans calvings and replacements.
Library sources
LIB-A071
See also
Production cycle, Butterfat
Dairy: the product, the five stages of the business, the unit it is sold by and where it is producedDairy: how the business runsSold bylitres, paid on butterfat and protein1Rear heifers2Calve3Milk twice a day4Cool and collect5Processor or own productsZAZWZMBWNAProduces commerciallyImports most needsZA South Africa, ZW Zimbabwe, ZM Zambia, BW Botswana, NA Namibia
From the Dairy Major, where this term is introduced.

Introduced in M21 Dairy.