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The dairy farm business is a popular endeavor that has attracted a large number of individuals in the past. With the world’s population expanding, hence the need to develop new ways to improve food supply, and dairy farming comes into that category.

Many dairy producers have dramatically altered their farm systems during the last decade, but there has been little attention on the consequences for farm skill needs. Regardless of your background or expertise, there are a few things you should be aware of to help you succeed in running the dairy business.

Cattle Rearing

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Dairy cows spend most of their days eating, napping, and ruminating. Cows on certain dairy farms are free to roam and graze fresh grass. In other fields, they are given grain, hay, or fodder and are kept in close quarters all day in what is known as restricted animal feeding facilities, which can hold thousands of animals.

During the raising process, many major dairy farms use growth hormones to artificially raise a cow’s milk output and to reduce the spread of contagious diseases amongst their cows. The majority of dairy cattle are Holsteins, however, Jersey cattle and other crossbreds are also common.

Cattle Milking

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Depending on the budget, number of cattle and human labour available, there are two ways of milking your cattle;

Hand-Milking: When it comes to scheduling cow milking times, the farmer has considerable leeway. Cows may usually be milked manually in the early mornings and evenings. However, milking a herd of cattle twice every day in this fashion would require a significant amount of time and resources.

Automated milking: Equipment milking takes roughly five minutes per cow, depending upon the nature of the machine and the quantity of milk produced by the cow. The majority of dairies have adequate machinery to milk upwards of 20 cows at once. Milking devices work by producing a pulsing vacuum around the teat, causing milk to flow from the udder.

To keep the milking process hygienic, invest in high-quality TUBOMART pex fittings that offer an easy to clean piping system for the transfer of milk into the storage systems.

Storage

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Milk storage tanks or silos are chilled structures that come in a variety of forms and sizes. Milk is typically kept on the farm for no longer than 48 hours at 38 ° F or colder. Agitation of vats and silos ensures that the entire quantity remains cool and also that the milkfat doesn’t separate from the milk. After collecting the milk, the farmer meticulously cleans the storage tanks and stainless steel pipelines before milking again.

Milk Transportation

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Every one or two days, milk is produced from the farm. The tankers utilized have unique stainless steel bodies that are strongly insulated to keep the milk cool during transit to the processing plant. Milk truck drivers are certified milk graders, allowing them to test the milk before the collection. 

Before water is poured onto the tanker, a reference sample is obtained from each farm pickup. Milk is collected and delivered to plant locations, where it is kept in chilled silos before being processed.

Lab Testing

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Milk samples are gathered from farm tanks before collection as well as from the bulk truck when it arrives at the facility. Before the milk reaches the factory processing area, specimens from the bulk truck are examined for antibiotics and temperature. Milk is discarded if it does not fulfil quality criteria. The majority of farmers are compensated based on the merits and content of their milk.

Milk Processing

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Pasteurization is the process of heating each particle of milk to a precise temperature for a set amount of time and then chilling it again to prevent recontamination.

Homogenization: Fresh milk is passed thru an atomizer to generate microscopic particles that equally distribute the fat throughout the milk, preventing it from going to the top of the vessel.

Separation: To extract cream from milk, the milk is whirled in a centrifuge. Following separation, both cream and residual milk are combined together to provide the required amount of fat for the various varieties of milk produced.

Further Processing: For flavoured and yogurt goods, this phase may include micro-filtration, prolonging storage life by extra high-temperature procedure, and mixing milk.

Packaging and Selling

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The milk is piped to automatic packaging equipment, which loads and seals the milk inside containers and stamp a date on each one to demonstrate how much longer the milk will remain fresh. The milk is ultimately ready for customers once it has been packaged, and it is maintained in a large, refrigerated area until it is brought to retailers to be sold.

The Bottom Line

Dairy businesses can incorporate all of the above processes or just a single process of the same. The decision lies on how much time and resources you have and are willing to spend on the venture. With that said, do take into account planning, accounting, and documentation to avoid driving off the track. All the best in your venture!

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This is a guest post by Gracie Watson