Yotsuba Q&A
- Do cows need to give birth before they can produce milk? Are pregnant cows milked?
- Dairy cows, in much the same manner as human mother’s milk, first begin to produce milk (raw milk) after giving birth.
Raw milk is also collected from pregnant and post-birth mother cows.
In the general milking cycle for a dairy cow, after initial insemination, a dairy cow will go through gestation period for about 9½ months. Then, after the first calving, milking begins. Next insemination is performed about two months after calving.
The milking period lasts about 11½ months. However to maintain the mother cow’s body condition, a dry period (non-lactating period) of about two to three months is placed prior to next calving. After, milking begins once again.
Through this ongoing cycle of pregnancy and birth, a dairy cow continues to produce milk for most of the year.
Dairy cows give birth to their first calves at an age of about 27 months. Afterwards, on average, they continue to calve three more times.
