Looking at return over feed numbers is an excellent way to get a quick snapshot of how a dairy farm is performing from a production and cost standpoint, however it doesn’t account for and is not impacted by duration of cows in the herd.

In the financial year 2022-2023, the average lifespan and lifetime production of dairy cows in the Netherlands has continued to rise. Last financial year, the culled cows produced an average of 84,319 pounds (38,327 kilograms) of milk and 6,706 pounds (3,048 kilograms) of fat and protein. That is 2,037 pounds (926 kilograms) of milk and 169 pounds (77 kilograms) of fat and protein more than in the previous financial year. The lifespan of the culled herd book cows rose by almost three weeks, to 2,255 days. 

Breeding strategies today have never been better positioned to tailor to each dairy’s unique regional, climate, cultural milk market and personal preferences for success. See what cows with 200,000 pounds of lifetime milk to date have in common.