Life span

[lancemart]

What is the life expectancy of a Holstein cow?
How long do they produce milk for?

 

[rkm]

Hard question to answer. I have not kept up on it recently but have read stats that suggest in modern high stress dairy operations as low as one and a half lactations. But a cow fed a high roughage ration, kept off concrete as much as possible and not pushed for high production can live 12 to 15 years or even longer. When I dairyed 40 years ago you expected a cow to live 10 years or longer.

 

[Txwalt]

http://www.cattletoday.com/forum/viewto ... e+holstein

Take a look at this. I asked the same question a while back.

Walt

 

[oscar p]

I have a registerd jersey nurse cow, thats was 15 yrs old last month. She has raised 2 calves a year for the last 13 yrs. I have to pay her a little more attention year round than my beefmaster cows. But I wouldn't part with her for nothing.(partly because the wife and kids say she'll die here)

 

[Rookie]

http://www.cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32390&highlight=life+holstein

Take a look at this. I asked the same question a while back.

Walt

Read that thread, seems then no one be knowin the answer ta the man's question for sure then eh?.Tell ya what Lancemart, I got me one, know ta the day how old she be, just had her first calf, gets treated like royalty. If we both still be around when she plays out one-a these days ,I'll be lettin ya know how she did ;-)

 

[BC]

Hard question to answer. I have not kept up on it recently but have read stats that suggest in modern high stress dairy operations as low as one and a half lactations. But a cow fed a high roughage ration, kept off concrete as much as possible and not pushed for high production can live 12 to 15 years or even longer. When I dairyed 40 years ago you expected a cow to live 10 years or longer.

Many of the big daries in West Texas, New Mexico and California push the cows so hard that thye use them up in 1 to 2 lactations. Some of the grazing daries in the area report that they have cows that regualrly make 6 to 8 lactations.

 

[dun]

http://www.cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32390&highlight=life+holstein

Take a look at this. I asked the same question a while back.

Walt

Read that thread, seems then no one be knowin the answer ta the man's question for sure then eh?.Tell ya what Lancemart, I got me one, know ta the day how old she be, just had her first calf, gets treated like royalty. If we both still be around when she plays out one-a these days ,I'll be lettin ya know how she did ;-)

You're right, nobody knows the answer because there isn;t a one size fits all answer. Genetics, husbandry and nutrition all go into it. Then there is a heaping portion of luck that also has to be thrown in.