Description: This cow is very well known, with its black and white spotted body. A Holstein Cow is a dairy cow that is possibly the most famous of them all!
Characteristics:
Holstein cows are well known for their pattern of a black and white spot and their outstanding milk production. These cows are very large and always have a spotted color pattern, whether it's black and white or red and white. Holsteins are good-natured, easy to handle, and can be stabled without any problems. They are also stress-resistant, exhibit calmness when in herds, and are not solitary animals. Because of their high milk production, Holstein cows are very, very desirable. Mature (Fully Grown) Holsteins: A mature (fully grown) Holstein cow weighs about 1500 pounds! Holstein heifers can be bred at around 15 months of age, when they are at around 800 pounds. For a Holstein heifer to have a calf between 24 and 27 months of age is very desirable. The normal, average productive life of a Holstein cow is around 6 years (72 months)
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History: The Holstein breed originated in Europe. More specifically, in the Netherlands. The original animals were the black cows and the white cows of the Batavians and Friesians. These people were migrant Europeans who settled in the Rhine Delta region around 2,000 years ago. For many years, the Holsteins were only bred specifically to be culled (for beef) and to make the best use of the area's most abundant resource, grass. The association of these two cows produced a very efficient, high-milk producing black and white spotted cow!
Holstein Calves: A healthy Holstein calf weighs about 90 pounds at birth. Holsteins can produce vigorous, energetic calves that are distinguished from other calves by rapid growth, early maturity, and are easy to care for. If the calves are managed well, when they grow up, they will exhibit no fertility problems.
Milk Production Statistics: Holsteins have the highest milk productions in the world. Genetic improvements of milk production over years is totally realistic! However, when Holsteins are shown environment conditions such as heat and diseases in different agricultural areas, there is an expected drop in milk production. For an example of a high milk production, top producing Holsteins milked twice a day for a year are expected to produce up to 67,914 pounds of milk! Unexcelled milk production is one of the things that make these cows so amazing.
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