Lifespan of organic dairy cows to be investigated

How long does an organic dairy cow last? A new project aims to find out.

Researchers currently know little about what the optimal lifespan is for organic dairy cows. A new project involving Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen, the advisory company Velas, and software firm Simherd will now explore this question, reports Økologisk Nu.

The project aims to develop a new model that can calculate the optimal lifespan of organic dairy cows—not just based on economic productivity, but also factoring in climate impact, animal health, and welfare. The model will also be adapted to the specific conditions of individual farms.

For the first two years of a cow’s life—until she calves for the first time—she doesn’t produce milk, yet she still eats, defecates, and urinates. These two years can be considered unproductive. It’s a cost to the farmer, and during this time, the cow emits greenhouse gases, explains project lead Professor Peter T. Thomsen from Aarhus University.
The longer a cow lives and produces milk, the more time she must ‘pay back’ for that unproductive period. That’s why the climate footprint per kilo of milk decreases as the cow gets older, he adds.

There’s also a strong possibility the model could be applied to conventional herds as well.