A dairy herd is typically made up of four groups of cattle:
- Cows – The females, who give birth to calves and produce milk. Most of the cattle in a dairy herd are cows.
- Bulls – The fathers of the dairy herd. Only a few are needed on a dairy farm, though these days most dairy farms use artificial insemination instead.
- Heifers – Young female cattle. They are the ‘teenagers’ of the herd and haven’t had a calf or have had one calf only. They are the second biggest group in the herd.
- Calves – Baby cattle. Female calves grow into heifers and then milking cows. Male calves may be sold for veal production or raised to become breeding bulls.