do cows produce milk year round and if they do, then why?

Answer 1

Cows can continue produce milk for a long time, but will slowly produce less and less (they can continue to be stimulated, but eventually get stressed out). Usually they are dried up (stop milking) about two months before they are due to calf to give the cow a break and to feed the calf.

Every year is called a lactation, which last 305 days minimum. (A lactation will last longer if the cow doesn't get bred back right away.) They produce the most per day about 2 months after they calf, because that would be when the growing calf is dependent of the cow's milk the most, but the calf would start weaning off milk at this time.
Now farmers take the calf away from the mom cow at birth, milk the cow by machine and feed the calf whatever the calf needs, but the rest is sold. After this two months, the cow is bred. The re-bred cow nows is still producing milk because now she has to feed the unborn calf.

So basically
Cow calves- Cow then makes milk for calf- reaches peak milk production and is bred again (in nature, this would be when the first calf is weaned)- cow makes milk for the new calf. Repeat

Answer 2

Cows produce after they've had a calf and eventually will stop milking unless they have another calf. To keep the milk coming, we try to have them having a calf every year. On most farms it ends up averaging a calf per cow every 13-14 months. We milk them until about 8 weeks before they're due to have a calf then dry them up so they can prepare for having the calf and beginning milking heavily again. They calve 9 months after they're bred so we try to have them bred 3-4 months after the calf is born

Answer 3

Cows are no different than humans and only produce enough milk for their babies. However in the dairy industry their babirs are stolen within hours of birth and are mechanically milked. They are also full of hormones and other drugs to keep her production at generally 4x what it would be normally. They do not need to be milked if left to feed their own babies but that is not what happens. When the babies and mothers are separated they cry for each other for days. And any useless baby is killed within 4 months to make veal. There are so many healthier more humane options ditch the dairy!

Answer 4

No, they begin to produce after a calf is born, and are usually bred back on their next heat cycle and remain in production until about 7 months later. Then they're put in the field for the remainder of the 11 month pregnancy to start all over again.

Answer 5

The same reason humans continue producing milk as long as it's being used. Continual milking leads to continual milk production.

Answer 6

Yes, they do. I do not understand why they wouldn't. After a calf is born they continue to give milk as long as the calf sucks or they are milked for commercial use. A record of her production is kept - when it gets low she is bred again in season.

Answer 7

not too sure, but i know they had to have been pregnant to start producing milk. i think they will continue to produce it until they are stopped being milked. interesting question though.

Answer 8

Cows are nearly constantly lactating because Farmer Brown impregnates them to keep them so. The girl babies turn into more dairy cows and most boy babies turn into veal.

Answer 9

They don't. Sometimes they are made to produce milk by HORMONAL TREATMENT

Answer 10

as long as you keep milking them, they will keep producing..if you stop..they will dry up automatically..Its mother natures way of suppling for the baby as long as the baby needs it.