Life Cycle of a Cow by Khanya Msimang

5. Reproduction:

• A female cow is older enough to have a calf when it is about 2 years old.

• They can have a calf every year, sometimes they can have twins.

4. Growing Cows:

• Older cows eat grass and hay.

•The farmer will feed them silage in the winter for extra vitamins.

3. The first month:

• A calf drinks milk from its mother for the first 3-4 days, then it is fed bottled milk by the farmer.

• When the calf is about 3 weeks it will start to eat grass, hay and pellets as well as milk.

2. Feeding Baby Cows:

• The calf drinks its mother’s milk straight away, it gets all the vitamins that it needs from the milk.

• This protects it from diseases and helps it grow strong and healthy.

6. Old age:

• The life span of a cow is about 12 years, but it can be sometimes longer.

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Life cycle of a Cow

1. Baby Cows:

• A cow is pregnant for about nine months

• Calves are born in any season, summer, winter, autumn or spring.

• When a calf is born the mother licks it clean, then it can stand up when its ½ an hour to one hour old.

7. Breeding:

• A cow and a bull mate to start the life cycle again.

• When a calf is born a girl, it is called a "Helfer" and a boy is a "Bull".

The Life cycle of a Cow

By: Khanya Msimang