from the gland The optimum sequence for milk production is to breed the cow again 90 days after it calves, milk it for 10 months, and let it go dry for the two months before the next calving In intensive operations, cows aren’t allowed to waste energy on grazing in variable pastures; they’re given hay or silage (whole corn or other plants, partly dried and then preserved by fermentation in airtight silos) in confined lots, and are milked only during their two or three most productive years The combination of breeding and optimal feed formulation has led to peranimal yields of a hundred pounds or 15 gallons/58 liters per day, though the American average is about half that Dairy breeds of sheep and goats give about one gallon per day The first fluid secreted by the mammary gland is colostrum, a creamy, yellow solution of concentrated fat, vitamins, and proteins, especially immunoglobulins and antibodies After a few days, when the colostrum flow has ceased and the milk is saleable, the calf is put on a diet of reconstituted and soy milks, and the cow is milked two or three times daily to keep the secretory cells working at full capacity The Milk Factory The mammary gland is an astonishing biological factory, with many different cells and structures working together to create, store, and dispense milk Some components of milk come directly from the cow’s blood and collect in the udder The principal nutrients, however — fats, sugar, and proteins — are assembled by the gland’s secretory cells, and then released into the udder A Living Fluid Milk’s blank appearance belies its tremendous complexity and vitality It’s alive in the sense that, fresh from the udder, it contains living white blood cells, some mammary-gland cells, and various bacteria; and it teems with active enzymes, ...ceased and the milk is saleable, the calf is put on a diet of reconstituted and soy milks, and the cow is milked two or three times daily to keep the secretory cells working at full capacity The Milk Factory The mammary gland is an... directly from the cow’s blood and collect in the udder The principal nutrients, however — fats, sugar, and proteins — are assembled by the gland’s secretory cells, and then released into the udder... The Milk Factory The mammary gland is an astonishing biological factory, with many different cells and structures working together to create, store, and dispense milk Some components of milk come