The ways in which dairy cows are farmed in the UK varies, but some methods are more widely used than others. Let's look at how dairy cows are most commonly kept.
Dairy cow life-cycle
Cows are pregnant for nine months. Dairy farmers usually plan for their cows to give birth to their first calf when they're around two, so heifers (young female cows) will usually be pregnant for the first time when they're around 15 months old. After this, farmers generally aim for their cows to calve again every year.
Dairy cows produce milk for about 10 months after calving. The average UK dairy cow produces almost 8,000 litres of milk each year and has just under four milk producing cycles in her lifetime, which is typically six and a half years.
Dairy cow housing
In the UK, dairy cows are traditionally kept in fields in spring and summer when the grass is growing, and housed indoors during the winter. There are two main types of dairy cow housing systems in the UK: cubicles and deep litter yards.
