How can cows produce milk all year round?

Question

As any mammal, cows produce milk when they give birth to a calf and until it eats solid food.

How are cows able to produce milk? Shouldn’t they stop producing it when they are pregnant and/or they have weaned a calf?

In: 1

Answer 1

The short answer is they can’t. Dairy cows have been bred to produce more and longer, but they still need to be pregnant to start lactating. A milk cow will go dry during pregnancy and until the calf is removed from her, will need to feel the calf as well.