Life Stages of a Holstein Cow

Holstein cows, the large dairy cows with a distinctive black and white color, produce up to 12 gallons of milk per day. Some Holsteins are red and white due to a recessive gene. All consume about 50 pounds of feed per day and drink 20 gallons of water. The breed originated in Europe and was imported to the United States in the mid 1800s.

  1. Birth

    • Newborn Holstein calves weigh an average of 90 pounds. Because their mothers produce so much milk, the calves are often separated after nursing colostrum. Holstein heifer calves spend four to eight weeks in an individual pen. This allows the heifers to receive adequate milk by bottle or bucket. If a heifer gets sick, she is promptly treated so the disease doesn't spread to other calves. The pens usually include a dry and draft-proof shelter.

    2 Months to Yearling

    • After about two months, heifer calves join others in a larger pen or pasture. The heifers are weaned from milk and begin a diet of grain, hay or pasture. During this time heifers quickly gain weight, often 1.8 to 2 pounds per day.

    Breeding

    • By 13 to 15 months of age, Holstein heifers weigh 750 to 800 pounds and are sexually mature. The heifers are bred to bulls by natural mating or artificial insemination. The heifers continue to grow and gain weight.

    First Calf

    • The gestation period for Holstein heifers is about nine months. The heifers now weigh about 1,200 pounds. Holsteins give birth to their first calf around age 2. Labor lasts six to eight hours. The new calves nurse colostrum and are separated into individual pens. Because she has given birth, the heifer is now a cow and she enters the milking herd.

    Milking Herd

    • Two or three times each day, the Holstein cow enters the milking parlor. Her udder is washed and the milking machine attached. After milking, the Holstein cows walk to a resting area. This might be a stall with bedding or a pasture. Holstein cows consume hay or pasture, grain and protein supplements. The feed is available constantly. The cows spend about eight hours eating, eight hours ruminating and eight hours resting during a 24-hour period. Mature Holstein cows weigh about 1,500 pounds and measure 58 inches at the top of the shoulder.

    Dry Cows

    • After producing milk for about 10 months, cows rest for two months. They are bred at the end of the resting period and start milk production again. The productive life of a Holstein cow is about six years. Each year there is a 10-month lactation period and a two-month dry period.