Herd size varies by region and the type of housing varies by region as well. Large herds appear to do better than some of the smaller herds and the dry, arid regions consistently do well. M any European countries offer a major contrast to the US style of dairying. It varies significantly, but in general, herds are quite small and much of the milk is used in cheese and processed products. Quotas still exist.
Many countries have herds where little cattle movement occurs so herds are virtually closed.
Most herds are somewhat lower producing, BST is not allowed and in many countries they have almost a socialized veterinary medical program for dairy. S tate veterinarians and state facilities keep close track of every quarter of every cow in certain countries and so they may have much more individual cow information to work with than we typically have. Treatment and prevention programs may be more selective because of this. It is also a relatively expensive system and so there is a desire to protect the market against lower cost product. One approach is to develop standards that may, in a fashion, serve to limit entry of products from other areas.