Dairy Farm FAQ

I am wrapping up summer tours here on the farm and I have had some great questions this week that I will share in this round of FAQ’s! 

FAQ #8 = Do all of the cows have 4 stems?

Yes – you read it correctly! I actually had to ask for this question to be repeated! Although I’ve heard them called many things – “milkers,” “thingers,” “hangy-downers,” “pumpers,” and even “fingers” – I had never heard them called “stems” before! This is why I LOVE giving farm tours!!!

So, my answer is yes – the cows should have 4 stems teats! Some cows are actually born with an extra one or two but they would be really small and non-functioning. A cow’s udder is divided into 4 quarters with a teat on each quarter. So, they actually function independent of each other. In fact, some cows will have what we call a ‘blind quarter’ which means that one isn’t working or making milk. Even if this is the case, she can still produce milk in the other 3 quarters. So, call them what you want, but the most appropriate term is teat!

FAQ #9 = Do brown cows make chocolate milk?

I know, I know… But I felt like I had to make this an FAQ because I’m pretty sure I get asked this question a few times a day while tours are happening. Sometimes in a joking manner and sometimes – dead serious!

My answer is although this would be really cool, NO brown cows don’t make chocolate milk! All flavored milk is made at a processing facility with the addition of the flavor to the white milk.

FAQ #10 = Is the tank on the semi refrigerated?

Awesome question! I got this one just this week and was so excited to be asked this! These are the questions that make me feel like we are really getting somewhere – the wheels are turning if you know what I mean!!

So, here’s the scoop: Our milk storage tank or bulk tank at the farm is refrigerated. This is the tank that we store the raw milk in until the milk hauler picks it up and takes it to the processing plant. Although the tank is insulated, we keep our bulk tank at 38 deg. The milk hauler comes to our farm every other day and empties our milk from the bulk tank into his stainless tank to haul it to the processing plant. His tank is heavily insulated and will keep the milk really cold while in transit although it is not actually refrigerated.

FAQ #11 = How do the cows keep cool on these hot summer days?

Good question!! Believe it or not, cows really like cold weather and in fact prefer the winter to the summer. Their ideal outside temp is 50 or colder. So, when it is 90 outside and the sun is beating down, we try to do everything we can to keep them cool!

With shelter for shade, large fans and even water sprinklers – we are able to keep the cows cool and comfortable on dog days of summer!