How do they make cows lactate?

[boolerboy]

As I understand it, female mammals lactate only when they are weaning their offsprings. Does that mean that all the cows in America that produce milk have babies? That would be a lot of calves! Or has science figured out how to make cows lactate artificially?

 

[Viper GTS]

AFAIK humans will produce milk as long as breast feeding is continued. During that time pregnancy is prevented as well, kind of a natural birth control.

Since they're milked daily, I imagine cows are similar.

Viper GTS <-- Not a dairy farmer

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

What "they" are you referring too?

Milk cows are bred to produce milk, and as long as they are milked regularly, they will continue to produce milk. Milk production in women is triggered by a hormone, and the act of baby breast feeding triggers the production of this hormone. Some men have been known to lactate. Can you??

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

Unless things have changed (science and all that), the cows are bred (deliver, lactate, calf leaves at some point - veal or future milk cow of America?) then continue to be milked for some time afterward. Eventually I think the cow must be bred again and go through the same process, though in big-business farming I suspect it would be different.

 

[conjur]

"I have nipples, Greg. Can you milk me?"

 

[docmanhattan]

Is there such a thing as a lactose intolerate cow?

 

[conjur]

<< Is there such a thing as a lactose intolerate cow? >>



Soytainly, Moe!

 

[boolerboy]

Is there such a thing as a lactose intolerate cow?

maybe cows would have lactose intolerance if they consumed human milk.

 

[Nitemare]

They show them pictures of naked bulls?

Think they are bred to do that. I'm sure they just give them a hormone shot to make them start producing milk

 

[rahvin]

<< I'm sure they just give them a hormone shot to make them start producing milk. >>



Heffers aren't milked boy. All milk cows had a calf.

 

[FoBoT]

they have one calf to get them started, then you just keep milking them for the next ten years, you city boys make me laugh