ver the last fifty years, dairy farming has become more intensive to increase the amount of milk produced by each cow. Extreme dairy breeds such as the Holstein-Friesian, the breed most common in the UK, Europe and the USA have been bred to produce very high yields of milk. Around 22 litres per day is typical in the UK. The yield in the US is even higher at up to 30 litres per day. Milk production per cow has more than doubled in the past 40 years. If they were producing just enough to feed their calves, as nature intended, this would be about 5 litres a day.
Saturday 24 December 2011