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Dairying is a well-established industry across temperate and some subtropical regions of Australia. While the bulk of milk production occurs in south-east states, all states have dairy industries that supply fresh drinking milk to nearby cities and towns.

The main considerations for evaluating a suitable region for dairying are:

the ability to grow pasture

reliable water supplies for growing pasture and cleaning milking machinery

proximity to processors

access to reliable labour force

Climate
Dairy farms are most prevalent in high rainfall coastal zones due to the requirement for growing pasture as feed for the cows, although irrigated dairying does occur in inland regions. Irrigated inland dairy farms are located in the southern New South Wales, Tasmania and northern Victoria Murray-Darling Basin areas.

Climate is also important for the welfare of cows as hot weather increases the risk of heat stress which can also lead to reduced milk production. Cows have a range of mechanisms to off-load heat, but at temperatures above 25°C, cows begin to feel uncomfortable. In periods of high temperatures and humidity, the provision of shade and free access to drinking water, milking earlier or later in the day, minimising the distances the cows have to walk, and using active cooling sprays and/or fans in the milking area are important heat stress management tools.

As climate and weather significantly impact dairying from growing pasture to animal health, managing climate variability and climate change are specific issues for the future of dairying in Australia. These considerations are particularly important for areas that are considered marginal for dairying. For further detailed information on the current and projected impacts of climate change on dairying, refer to Dairy Australia's Dairy Climate Toolkit.
Housing
Paddock fencing is required for rotating the herd through pastures for feeding but specific housing is generally not required in Australia except for young calves prior to weaning A small proportion of farms with more intensive feeding systems choose to house cows for some or part of the year.

Under high temperatures and humidity it is important to provide cows with shade and try to limit the distances they have to walk. Infrastructure such as cooling sprays and fans may also be required.
Feed requirements
In Australia, dairy cows generally graze on pasture and forage crops and have access to supplementary feeding whilst being milked in the dairy. Supplementary feeding may also be required in the paddock, depending on the season and reproductive stage of the herd.

Energy and protein are the two major feed requirements for dairy cows, and the most important factors in calculating feed rations. Energy is the most common nutritional deficiency limiting productivity, whilst protein is a vital requirement for growth, pregnancy and milk production. Dairy cows require higher quality feed than beef cattle do, and consequently eat more - about 40kg of nutritious food a day - so they can meet their bodily demands to produce milk.

Growing nutritious pasture and forage is a key element of dairy farming and a key driver of farm profitability. Pasture and forage crops grown for dairy cows include perennial ryegrass, lucerne, red and white clover, tall fescue, turnips, millet, sorghum and chicory. For more detailed information on growing and managing pasture for dairy cows, refer to the following resources:

Silage is also an important strategy for managing feed requirements when availability of fresh pasture is limited. Silage and hay are forms of stored fodder which can be grown and made on farm or purchased. Silage can be stored in pits, bunkers, stacks. Hay is cut and dried then packed into large round or rectangular bales. The method of storage and how it is delivered to the cows will depend on the size of the enterprise, layout of the farm and the number of cows. For more detailed information on hay and silage for dairying, refer to Dairy Australia's website page on Pastures, forages and crops.

An alternative feed regime is to maintain the dairy cows in a feedlot where a balanced ration is delivered to the cows each day This provides advantages in terms of making the management of milking and general husbandry easier, but has higher capital, operating and feedstock costs.

For more information on feeding systems used on Australian dairy farms, refer to Dairy Australia's website page on Feeding systems.
Breeds and breeding
There is a range of cattle breeds used in Australia for commercial dairying. These are specialised breeds that have been bred specifically for milk production. Some of the main breeds used in Australia are:

Holstein Friesian

Originate from the Netherlands

Main colours are black and white

Holstein cows are the most popular dairy breed worldwide

Of Australia's 1.7 million dairy cows, 1.4 million are Holstein

Highly productive and large framed

Jersey

Originate from the island of Jersey in the English Channel

Small, fawn coloured, with black tips on their muzzles, ears, feet and tail

Jersey's are the second most common breed in Australia

Jersey cow milk is ideal for making butter because it is so creamy

Aussie Red

Originally bred in Australia by combining Scandinavian Red genetic lines with other Australian Red breeds such as the Illawarra and Ayrshire

Extremely hardy, medium-sized and mainly red in colour, with white markings

Milk has a high protein content and medium milk fat content

Illawarra

Developed in New South Wales and recognised as a new cow breed in 1910

They are a rich red colour with a little white on the flanks

Highly productive

Originate from Switzerland

Solid brown varying from very light to dark

The Brown Swiss cattle population is one of the largest throughout the world

Guernsey

Guernsey cows were originally developed in the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel

Fawn coloured with white markings

Produce a distinctive golden coloured milk

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Dairying is a well-established industry across temperate and some subtropical regions of Australia. While the bulk of milk production occurs in south-east states, all states have dairy industries that supply fresh drinking milk to nearby cities and towns.

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Young Dairy Farmer Mark Griffin of Tasmania | Discover Dairy

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Free educational video teaching resource about the Young Dairy Farmers Network featuring Mark Griffin from Tasmania - Discover Dairy resource for primary school

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Describes the approaches used by the Australian Dairy farm sector to address food safety quality assurance and animal care.

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The impact of innovation on the Australian dairy industry

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In November 2011, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh released a report on "The impact of innovation on the dairy industry over the last 30 years". Dairy Australia and DPI commissioned the evaluation to determine the impact of RD&E investment on industry performance from 1980 to 2010, and to capture learnings for future investment.

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Most of us have some dairy at breakfast, whether on our cereal, in a glass, or in a tub as yoghurt. But a new study has found that kids who avoid dairy at brekkie, never make it up throughout the day, leaving their bodies without the nutrients they need to develop properly.

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Resources for Primary and Secondary Students - ABC Education

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4000+ educational games, videos and teaching resources for schools and students. Free Primary and Secondary resources covering history, science, English, maths and more

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Dairy has been the big subject of the week after some farmers revealed they're in huge financial trouble. They say milk processors aren't paying them enough to cover their costs anymore and blame cheap supermarket brand milk for driving prices so low. But processors say overseas markets are at fault for the drop in prices.

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Dairy cows supply us with lots of great food but theres a bit of a problem down on the farm Not enough kids are choosing to become dairy farmers and the industry is really feeling the pinch So som

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Show time is more than just rides and showbag goodies.

It's also the place farmer's show off their animals in the hope of winning important competitions.

It's all taken pretty seriously because it helps farms promote their stock.

Kirsty hit the cattle yards to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: When show time rolls around this is what we see. The judges, the animals and of course, the ribbons. But what we don't see out on parade, are the weeks of preparation. Upstairs in the barn, Jacob has an early morning wake up call. This has been home for the past five days. He's entered a cattle competition and now it's Showtime! First up: breakfast. Well not for Jacob but for one of his closest mates, Princess!

JACOB, HANDLER: Good girl.

KIRSTY: Princess is only 18 months old and is a Guernsey, that's a breed of dairy cattle. She's also a Heifer because that's what female cattle are called until they have a calf. Although her name makes her sound like an angel, Princess likes to give Jacob a hard time.

JACOB: She did hurt me with her horn yeah she head-butted me right in the shoulder!

KIRSTY: Princess has already had a bath so it's time for a makeover. It's a full on operation and everyone helps out.

KIRSTY: So what are you doing to little Princess here?
JACOB: Brushing her top line.
KIRSTY: Is this the top line here?
JACOB: Yeah.
KIRSTY: So why are you brushing that?
JACOB: To make her back look straight.
KIRSTY: Oh okay is that what the judges look for?
JACOB: Yeah.
KIRSTY: And it looks a bit like a mohawk!
JACOB: Yeah
KIRSTY: Is she a rock star this one?
JACOB: Yeah.

KIRSTY: And in her rock-star ways, Princess doesn't want us to know all the behind the scenes tricks. What we can tell you is that there's a fair bit of hairdressing involved. From brushing her coat to shaving her back and giving her tail some oomph!

SAM: I'm just puffing it up so it looks better for the judge. Try and draw attention to our cow.

KIRSTY: It's show-time and Princess struts her stuff. It's a tense time with the judge inspecting her from every angle. They suss out the cow's bone structure, and if they have legs and feet that are fit and strong.

DAVID FECHNER, DAIRY CATTLE JUDGE: So everything they look for is geared towards the ability for the cow to make milk.

KIRSTY: After a few laps, Jacob and Princess scored first place! That means they're off to the championship round! This is the big time and Jacob was up against handlers much older than him. But Princess put her best foot forward and the judge awarded her champion!

KIRSTY: How do you feel Jacob?
JACOB: Great!

THERESE, JACOB'S MUM: I'm so proud of him he's only 8 years old!

KIRSTY: It's the first time Jacob has won this big prize and he's not the only one pleased with the result. And grandpa Ray was pretty impressed too! Princess comes from his farm so the win is great advertising. Prize-winning stock means your cows will be in demand and that's good for business.

RAY, JACOB'S GRANDFATHER: That's what it's all about is winning because the more you win the more popular you become in the industry and that's where people look to get their seed stock, their breeding cattle from.

KIRSTY: So what does Jacob want to do when he gets older?

JACOB: Take over the farm and show cows.

KIRSTY: So this could be the first of many ribbons for his prize winning business!

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Show time is more than just rides and showbag goodies. It's also the place farmer's show off their animals in the hope of winning important competitions. It's all taken pretty seriously because it helps farms promote their stock. Kirsty hit the cattle yards to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

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How Do Dairy Cows Make Milk | Discover Dairy

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Free educational game for primary school students and teachers about milk production and cows - how do dairy cows make milk - Australia 2016

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Free digital interactive education resource for primary school students and teachers about milking and the milk life cycle - Discover Dairy Australia 2016

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Legendairy Cow Breeds Interactive | Discover Dairy

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Free digital interactive education resource for primary school students and teachers - information about Australian cow breeds - Discover Dairy 2016

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Animal welfare group Voiceless says consumers should stay away from milk because increasing numbers of dairy cows are suffering.

One of the group's key concerns is the widespread slaughter of "bobby calves".

These are male calves that can't be raised to produce milk.

Cows must give birth often to ensure a consistent milk supply.

If they give birth to a male it is likely to be sent to slaughter after a few days of life, or put down on the farm.

In response dairy farmers say that with the high cost of raising a bull, and very little Australian demand for the veal that comes from bobby calves, their options are very limited.

Robyn Lucas is a dairy farmer in Tilba on New South Wales' south coast.

The calves from her farm are sent away to slaughter at five-days-old.

She said the bobby calf issue is a sensitive one, for the right reasons, and that unfortunately she doesn't see any other options for her calves.

There's no facility for processing veal in the area.

"I do the very best that I can for my calves that are sent to slaughter, and I can only hope that all other farmers are doing the same," she said.

Bobbie calves can be used for pharmaceutical products, leather and pet food, when not grown for veal.

Ms Lucas says that other farmers have been encouraged to euthanise calves on their farms, but she believes this is a worse option than sending them to slaughter.

To be honest it's not something that people really want. It's an ongoing process of indicating to people that there are choices.

Rob McIntosh, NSW Farmers Cattle Committee Chair

"If we euthanise those calves on farm, they would be a waste product of the dairy industry and that would be a terrible tragedy," she said.

"Those calves are looked after until they go to slaughter, and then they are used for other products."

NSW Farmers Cattle Committee Chair Rob McIntosh, who has a dairy farm at Berry, says that education programs developed for this state's farmers include advice on how to best process bobby calves, with efficiency and avoiding emotional distress for the farmers.

He explained that exploring options to deal with the calves is especially important in NSW because of its year-round calving programs.

Whether calves can grow up on dairy farm, be transferred to a different farm, or processed at a facility or abattoir depends on various factors including the size of the property.

He said that a stronger demand for veal would lead to specialised abattoirs for small animals, however this is unlikely in Australia at this time.

"To be honest it's not something that people really want," he said.

"It's an ongoing process of indicating to people that there are choices, and trying to develop markets, and also abattoirs and things that can actually handle the small-bodied animals."

Mr McIntosh said the majority of farmers are interested in complying with guidelines, and that NSW Farmers runs educational programs to assist them with this.

National guidelines, developed by industry bodies, exist around the treatment of bobby calves.

President of Australian Dairy Farmers Noel Campbell said that it can be difficult to achieve consistency when farms across the nation are located in very different areas and circumstances.

"It's just the tyranny of distance, really," he said.

"Bobby calves are not worth a great value, dollar-wise, therefore it becomes uneconomic if they have to travel vast distances, and in an animal health and welfare sense they can't be on the road for too long, either.

"So there's a number of issues surrounding that.

"It's an understanding that some people's animals are more suited to on-rearing than others.

"A larger Holstein Friesian type calf might be suitable for on-rearing for later veal production, while a jersey or a cross breed calf is not really suitable for that.

"So therefore we haven't got a market for them."

Mr Campbell said he hopes the Voiceless report won't change the way that Australians consume dairy, and questions the 800, 000 figure estimated by Voiceless as the number of bobby calves slaughtered every year.

Voiceless cite a 2011 report from the Primary Industries Ministerial Council that estimates the annual number of non-replacement calves (bobby calves as well as heifer calves not required for herd replacement) at 770, 000.

Mr Campbell believes the figure to be closer to 400, 000.

Consumption of dairy products in Australia has increased dramatically in recent decades and will only be going up in response to strong demand from overseas.

Robyn Lucas said she welcomes the report from Voiceless and she enjoys having visitors on her farm.

"I have nothing to hide as a dairy farmer," she said.

"It's all about educating the public on what is a wonderful industry."

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Animal welfare group Voiceless says consumers should stay away from milk because increasing numbers of dairy cows are suffering. One of the group's key concerns is the widespread slaughter of "bobby calves". These are male calves that can't be raised to produce milk. Cows must give birth often to ensure a consistent milk supply.

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As consumers, we hold the power to help direct where the Australian dairy industry will go, and we hold it right in our hip pockets. By choosing to purchase dairy that has been produced organically, from sustainably-managed local-as-possible farms, we're telling the industry how we want things done.

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Check out our new website for more incredible documentaries: HD and ad-free. https://goo.gl/LwMcmY Milk is about a basic food in our diet, a food so fundamental that its value for our health often goes unquestioned. Using engaging storytelling through endearing characters and beautiful visuals, this documentary aims to investigate the case for milk as a nutritious food.