How long cows live depends on several factors, such as whether they've been industrially farmed – and what for.
How long do cows live?
The natural lifespan of a cow is 20-30 years naturally. Dairy cattle are usually slaughtered at around five years, beef cattle at 18 months, and veal calves at four to five months old.
Cattle raised purely for beef are bred selectively to grow big and muscular – and do it quickly. They are slaughtered between 18 and 22 months old depending on sex, breed and feeding system. Some intensively produced bulls may be slaughtered as early as 15 months, and studies have suggested that the most economically advantageous age to slaughter for beef may be just 12 months old. Dairy cows live longer, being kept on average for up to six years, after which their milk production tends to fall away. At that point, it’s more economical to slaughter them.
Dairy cows become sexually mature at around two to three years old and may have two to four calves in their short lifespans. Female calves will be raised to replace their mothers in the milking system. Male calves, however, are surplus to requirements and will most likely be slaughtered under a year old for their meat, which at this young age is known as veal.
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How long do cows live naturally?
In the classic farming book, The Secret Life of Cows (2003), author Rosamund Young reveals how she lets her animals roam freely around the farm’s fields to form their own social groups. And unlike most intensive dairy herds, Young lets her cows live long enough to become grandmothers and even great grandmothers, reaching ‘old’ ages of 15–20 years or more.
Young’s reasoning is that the accumulated wisdom of the older animals is passed on to the younger generations, making a happier, healthier and more profitable herd. As part of this rejection of industrial farming and celebration of cow complexity, Young states: “Cows are as varied as humans… and highly intelligent.” Her book’s worth a read with Alan Bennett commenting, “It alters the way one looks at the world.”
What was the oldest cow in the world?
Domestic cattle have frequently been recorded reaching 30 years of age, but this is nothing compared to the Guinness World Record holder, Big Bertha, a Droimeann (a native Irish breed) from County Kerry in Ireland, who was born in 1945 and died in 1993 just weeks before her 49th birthday. In that time, Big Bertha had 39 calves (enabling her to achieve a world record for lifetime breeding) and became a notable local attraction. She even visited the pub with her owner Jerome O’Leary. Big Bertha clearly had good genes as several of her offspring lived well into their 30s. During her lifetime, her fame also helped her raise around $75,000 for cancer research and other charities.
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