Cow Birth Calculator and Gestation Period

The fundamental rule of profitability in dairy farming is to get one calf per cow every year. The gestation process, which begins after a successful insemination, must be managed with great care for both the health of the mother cow and the future of the calf to be born.

How Long is a Cow's Gestation Period?

The gestation period in cows averages between 275 and 285 days (about 9 months and 10 days). This period can show minor deviations depending on the breed, age, feeding method, and the gender of the calf (male calves usually are born a few days later).

How is a Cow Birth Calculation Done?

Traditionally, breeders try to find the estimated calving date by adding 280 days to the insemination date using calendar pages and notebooks. However, in modern farms, Animal Information System Recording Softwares (like Dairysense) perform this process automatically with zero errors. The system;

1. Starts a 280-day counter the moment the insemination is done.

2. Generates an alarm for you 60 days before birth indicating that the cow needs to be "Dried Off".

3. Gives a warning to switch to the "Close-up (Transition Period) Ration" 21 days before birth.

4. Reminds you to take the cow to the calving pen a few days before birth.

The Importance of the Dry Period

Stopping the milking of a pregnant cow 60 days (sometimes 45-50 days) before birth is called "drying off". During this process, the udder tissue renews itself, the cow regains her lost body condition, and she spends her energy on her calf during the last 2 months, which is the period when the calf in her womb develops the fastest. Poor management of the dry period brings severe metabolic diseases such as postpartum ketosis, retained placenta (retentio secundinarum), or milk fever (hypocalcemia).

Smart cow collars allow you to pre-analyze how healthy an entry to calving will be by continuously monitoring the stress level, feed consumption amount, and rumination count of the animal during the dry period.