If you do this you may find that you can keep a cow in milk for several years or even longer, though the quality/amount of milk may decline over that time. It’s a controversial proposal though. But instead her calf is taken away just a few days after birth, still small, bewildered and totally dependent on its mother, so that her milk can be stolen and drunk by humans. * Some cows from strong milk lines (most commonly in JERSEY and HOLSTEIN breeds) young cows can and do produce milk without being pregnant. Left to her own devices she would produce just enough milk to feed her calf who would suckle for up to a year. Just like humans. * Some cows from strong milk lines (most commonly in JERSEY and HOLSTEIN breeds) young cows can and do produce milk without being pregnant. Yes, cows need to be pregnant and give birth to produce milk. There are also cows that will produce consistently all the way through and we will not have to “dry her off”. Usually, a cow will go down in milk production, or even stop producing, as she nears the end of her nine month pregnancy. Usually frequent breasfeeding (or milking in the case of a cow) may prevent pregnancy. You can get pregnant again without ever getting a period since the egg comes before a period. But again, if you're only looking to supply your family, a half gallon or so of milk a day is plenty, and she may produce that for quite a while or even indefinitely if the milking schedule is consistent. During her pregnancy she will be on her first “lactation,” which simply means time producing milk between each calf. If you breast-feed your period typically comes back later. This is called Spontaneous Lactation, Virgin Lactation or Maiden Milk. Modern cows may be in pain if not milked (if they are producing milk) partly because they have been bred to produce larger and larger amounts of milk so they probably poroduce too much milk. Yes. Milk production involves the complex interaction of a number of different hormones, which are set into play during pregnancy. Production levels peak at around 40 to 60 days after calving. To produce milk in profitable quantities a dairy cow must be made pregnant every twelve months. In fact, cows lactate for the same reason as all mammals, including humans – to feed their babies. How does it work? Is it true that cows can only produce milk if they have been pregnant? A cow has to give birth to produce milk. When does a cow give birth to her first calf? Last updated 08/08/2019 Re: Can a cow produce milk without ever being pregnant? It varies from farm-to-farm, but on our farm, a heifer—young female that has not yet given birth—will calve around 24 months of age. It all depends when you start ovulating again. Viola. Talking about how this milk gets produced in a cow let me make you understand this in a simple and better way. But what if we can get milk from a cow without the cow needing to be pregnant? Is it true that cows can only produce milk if they have been pregnant? Yes, cows need to be pregnant and give birth to produce milk. This means she won’t produce milk for the next season. You have a baby, then you may nurse the baby for a while without being pregnant. [1] The cow is then bred. Essentially, a non-pregnant cow is given hormone injections in order to replicate what would happen in a natural pregnancy. This also happens with Dairy Goats such as Nubian and LaMancha breeds. Left to her own devices she would produce just enough milk to feed her calf who would suckle for up to a year. Last updated 08/08/2019 Similar to humans, cows need to be pregnant and give birth for milk production and release to occur. This milk is believed to be a rich source of Calcium and is even good for each and every individual’s health because of which the cow and its milk based products are popular all over the world in dairy product lovers. Viola. To produce milk in profitable quantities a dairy cow must be made pregnant every twelve months. Can a cow begin to produce milk again without going through a pregnancy again? A cow can produce milk without being pregnant.