This comprehensive book integrates new technology and concepts that have been developed in recent years to manage dairy farms in a profitable manner. The approach to the production of livestock and quality milk is multidisciplinary, involving nutrition, reproduction, clinical medicine, genetics, pathology, epidemiology, human resource management and economics. The book is structured by the production cycle of the dairy cow covering critical points in cow management. Written and edited by highly respected experts, this book provides a thoroughly modern and up-to-date resource for all those involved in the dairy industry.

Milk is nature’s most complete food, and dairy products are considered to be the most nutritious foods of all. The traditional view of the role of milk has been greatly expanded in recent years beyond the horizon of nutritional subsistence of infants: it is now recognized to be more than a source of nutrients for the healthy growth of children and nourishment of adult humans. Alongside its major proteins (casein and whey), milk contains biologically active compounds, which have important physiological and biochemical functions and significant impacts upon human metabolism, nutrition and health. Many of these compounds have been proven to have beneficial effects on human nutrition and health. This comprehensive reference is the first to address such a wide range of topics related to milk production and human health, including: mammary secretion, production, sanitation, quality standards and chemistry, as well as nutrition, milk allergies, lactose intolerance, and the bioactive and therapeutic compounds found in milk. In addition to cow’s milk, the book also covers the milk of non-bovine dairy species which is of economic importance around the world. The Editors have assembled a team of internationally renowned experts to contribute to this exhaustive volume which will be essential reading for dairy scientists, nutritionists, food scientists, allergy specialists and health professionals.

This issue of Veterinary Clinics: Food Animal Practice, edited by Dr. Pamela Ruegg and Dr. Christina Petersson-Wolfe, focuses on Mastitis, with topics including: Methods for Diagnosing Mastitis; Implementing OFC in a Veterinary Practice; Antibiotic Usage for Mastitis; Impementing Effective Dry Cow; Mastitis and Animal Welfare; Genetic Selection for Mastitis Resistance; Teat Condition and Diseases; Maximizing Udder Health in a Robotic Milking System; Impact and Mitigation of Heat Stress for Mastitis Control; Optimizing Mastitis Records; Mastitis Immunology; and Communicating with Dairy Workers.

The Welfare of Cattle offers an accurate, detailed account of the ethical and welfare concerns related to the human use of cattle. There is currently no significant book dealing with the welfare of cows, animals often seen as archetypal paradigms of 'farm animals'. Covering both beef and dairy cattle, the expert authors provide in-depth information on the husbandry roots of traditional agriculture, the replacement of this system of stewardship by an industrial model, and the resulting welfare challenges associated with industrial agriculture: feedlots, highly industrialized dairies, and slaughterhouses killing huge numbers of animals who have been transported great distances. This important book explores in detail the ways in which people who are providing care for cattle can take their first step, or their next step, toward enhancing the welfare of these animals. Contains a selection of White Papers, commissioned to better inform the exploration of cattle welfare. These are prepared by notable experts in their field, to help provide factual context around selected topics that impact cattle welfare and production systems. Covers all aspects of cattle use in an accessible style, making this a must have volume for anyone interested in cattle welfare or cattle medicine. Provides an in-depth picture of the distinctive beef and dairy cattle welfare practices and issues, covering topics such as behavior, breeding and genetic manipulation, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, health and disease, and transport and slaughter. Written by acknowledged leaders in animal science, veterinary science, philosophy and animal welfare, presenting a truly multidisciplinary perspective on cattle welfare. Includes a section on understanding and managing animal welfare in both beef and dairy cattle, discussing how cattle perceive the world, animal handling and pain mitigation, and how to assure that the cows have a reasonably good life.