Cow care tools and calculators
This page brings together every XpertsPet tool for cows: 17 in all, across 11 topics including age, behavior, breeding, cost, grooming and health. Pick a topic above to see its tools, or read on for a quick guide to what each group does and where to start.
Cows at a glance
With good care, cows typically live 15-22 years. Cows are herbivores, which shapes what you feed and how much. Most adults weigh around 400-900 kg. They reach maturity at about 2 years old.
Cattle need acreage, strong fencing and a large daily volume of forage and water. Even a single house cow is a serious infrastructure commitment involving handling facilities and, for dairy animals, twice-daily milking.
The health problems vets see most often in cows include mastitis in dairy animals, bloat, milk fever after calving and lameness and foot rot.
Gestation in cows runs about 279 to 287 days.
Cow quick facts
| Measure | Cow |
|---|---|
| Typical lifespan | 15–22 years |
| Adult weight | 882–1984 lb (400–900 kg) |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Mature at | About 2 years |
| Pregnancy | 279–287 days |
| Litter size | 1–1 |
| Humidity | 40–70% |
Where to start
- Thinking about getting a cow? Start with the cost tools to see what you are signing up for.
- Setting up a home? The housing calculators size the space and work out how much bedding or substrate you need.
- Unsure about feeding? The nutrition tools give a daily amount you can adjust as you go.
- Raising a young cow? Use the weight and growth tools to check it is on track.
- Caring for an older cow? The age tools show its life stage and what usually changes next.
Other farm & equine
If you keep more than one kind of animal, there are tools for horse, pony, donkey and goat. You can also browse every pet on XpertsPet.