The cattle sector
Dairy, veal and beef farming
Cattle herd NL: 4,1 million in 2017
Calves – slaughterd at about 7 months
Calves from the dairy sector (veal calves)
Milk production starts after calving
50% of the calves are male – they
do not produce milk…
Mother and calve are separated
shortly after birth
Traditional “veal crates” are
banned in the EU
Calves used to be fed on milk –
keep meat pale and tender – iron
deficiency
Group housing
Diet includes roughage
Slaughter age 7-12 months
Most veal is exported: Italy, Germany and France
Crossbreeding for veal production (makes more money and the
calves are not needed for milk production)
India
o Production volume: 84 million tons
o 57% is buffalo milk
o Farmers with one or two cows account for 70% of the milk
production
o In hindu religion the cow is a sacred animal they are sold to
Indian states were many christians, muslims and jews live
New Zealand
o Euthanizing
o Want change, use them as (replacement for) meat production
Cows
Cows that no longer meet milking requirements are also sold to a
trader, who sells them on to an abattoir
The quality of the meat is low, so its normally processed into meat
products
When the cow is not usable for consumption, rendac will pick up the
corpse and it will be burned
Dairy farming in the Netherlands
1900-1945
, Domestication is estimated to have taken place around 10.000 years
ago
The cows that we know ar3e descended from the aurochs (extinct)
First only for meat, then white the docile cows for milk, strength as
draught animals
The Netherlands cattle herd book (N.R.S) was set up in 1874
Small-scale
Mixed farms: pig and chickens, as well as farming crops
Regional differences
Dairy cattle breeds: MRIJ and FH, groninger blaarkop, witrik,
brandrode rund, lakenvelders
Average milk production per lactation: <3500 (-3,5% fat)
1945-1984
After the second world war and Dutch famine
Food production: aim for self-sufficiency (achieved in 1970)
Aid of the Dutch authorities (later the EU)
Period of tremendous growth of total food production
Specialisation – disappearance of mixed farms
Doubling of numbers of cattle and breeding stock
Number of farms went down (5 times as many cows per farm)
Average milk production per lactation: 35% increase
o 1950: 4110 kg, 3,66 %fat
o 1985: 5559 kg, 4,16 %fat, 3,39 %prot
Mechanisation – introduction of the tractor and associated
machinery
Introduction (and improvement) of milking machines
Stabling for diary cattle – from deep litter (postal) to free/cubicle stall
(ligboxenstal)
Tie stall (grupstal), free stall
Improvements in dairy cattle rations – grass silage and concentrates
Artificial fertilisers – improvement quantity and quality of grass and
grass silage
Rising exports of dairy products
Selective breeding – introduction of artificial inemination
1984 – present
Increase in production overproduction in EU
o “milk lake” milk powder
o “butter mountain”
1984 introduction milk quota by EU
o Restriction of total milk production per farm
o Trading in production rights is allowed
o Abolished in 2015
Dairy, veal and beef farming
Cattle herd NL: 4,1 million in 2017
Calves – slaughterd at about 7 months
Calves from the dairy sector (veal calves)
Milk production starts after calving
50% of the calves are male – they
do not produce milk…
Mother and calve are separated
shortly after birth
Traditional “veal crates” are
banned in the EU
Calves used to be fed on milk –
keep meat pale and tender – iron
deficiency
Group housing
Diet includes roughage
Slaughter age 7-12 months
Most veal is exported: Italy, Germany and France
Crossbreeding for veal production (makes more money and the
calves are not needed for milk production)
India
o Production volume: 84 million tons
o 57% is buffalo milk
o Farmers with one or two cows account for 70% of the milk
production
o In hindu religion the cow is a sacred animal they are sold to
Indian states were many christians, muslims and jews live
New Zealand
o Euthanizing
o Want change, use them as (replacement for) meat production
Cows
Cows that no longer meet milking requirements are also sold to a
trader, who sells them on to an abattoir
The quality of the meat is low, so its normally processed into meat
products
When the cow is not usable for consumption, rendac will pick up the
corpse and it will be burned
Dairy farming in the Netherlands
1900-1945
, Domestication is estimated to have taken place around 10.000 years
ago
The cows that we know ar3e descended from the aurochs (extinct)
First only for meat, then white the docile cows for milk, strength as
draught animals
The Netherlands cattle herd book (N.R.S) was set up in 1874
Small-scale
Mixed farms: pig and chickens, as well as farming crops
Regional differences
Dairy cattle breeds: MRIJ and FH, groninger blaarkop, witrik,
brandrode rund, lakenvelders
Average milk production per lactation: <3500 (-3,5% fat)
1945-1984
After the second world war and Dutch famine
Food production: aim for self-sufficiency (achieved in 1970)
Aid of the Dutch authorities (later the EU)
Period of tremendous growth of total food production
Specialisation – disappearance of mixed farms
Doubling of numbers of cattle and breeding stock
Number of farms went down (5 times as many cows per farm)
Average milk production per lactation: 35% increase
o 1950: 4110 kg, 3,66 %fat
o 1985: 5559 kg, 4,16 %fat, 3,39 %prot
Mechanisation – introduction of the tractor and associated
machinery
Introduction (and improvement) of milking machines
Stabling for diary cattle – from deep litter (postal) to free/cubicle stall
(ligboxenstal)
Tie stall (grupstal), free stall
Improvements in dairy cattle rations – grass silage and concentrates
Artificial fertilisers – improvement quantity and quality of grass and
grass silage
Rising exports of dairy products
Selective breeding – introduction of artificial inemination
1984 – present
Increase in production overproduction in EU
o “milk lake” milk powder
o “butter mountain”
1984 introduction milk quota by EU
o Restriction of total milk production per farm
o Trading in production rights is allowed
o Abolished in 2015
