Farm Visitor Feed Mother Cow in Her Stable

The Farmer’s Cow places highest importance on the health and comfort of our most important asset: our cows. Healthy animals—from birth to milking age—require proper care throughout the seasons.

A cow starts to produce milk when she’s about two years old.
When she gives birth to her first calf, or “freshens,” she will produce milk for about 9-10 months.

A cow carries a calf 285 days before giving birth - similar to how long humans carry their babies. After giving milk for 10 months, she’s “dried off,” and moved to a separate area for special treatment in preparation for calving again.

Our milking cows roam freely around the barn, and are free to eat all they want, whenever they want, out of a feed bunk. Each farm feeds its own combination of corn silage, grass silage, cornmeal, minerals, canola, soybean meal, and/or citrus pulp.

Cows require lots of water - as much as 40 gallons per day. In our barns they’re free to drink whenever they choose.

All these good eats contribute to milk production—a mature Holstein cow will typically produce 8 gallons of milk each day.