Like all mammals, female cows produce milk from their mammary glands when they have recently given birth to a calf. Since a male cow has no udders and can not become pregnant, it is not possible for a male cow to produce milk.
In this article we’ll learn why male cows can’t produce milk, what would happen if you tried to milk a male cow, and discover what happens to male dairy cows since they can’t produce milk.
Can You Milk A Male Cow?
Male cows have no udders and no way to produce milk, so any attempt at milking a male cow would be fruitless. The only thing you’d get if you tried to milk a male cow is a very angry cow.
Although you can’t milk a male cow, bulls are still useful on a dairy farm and are necessary to keep the rest of the dairy herd pregnant.
Sometimes, dairy bulls are sold at cattle shows if they are from a particularly productive line of dairy cattle.
Why Can’t Male Cows Produce Milk?
Male cows can not produce milk because they do not have mammary glands, which are present in all female mammals and are responsible for producing milk for their offspring.
Can You Get Male Dairy Cows?
A dairy cow simply refers to a breed of cow which has been bred to produce milk. Popular dairy breeds include Holstein, Jersey, and Fresian cattle.
Male dairy cows do exist, since dairy cattle may give birth to either a male or female calf, however male dairy cows are useless for dairy farming and are usually sold to a veal farm within a few days of their birth.
Male dairy cows are used as (or sold to another farmer to be used as) a bull to make more dairy cows, or sold for veal. It’s usually not worth it to raise dairy cows for meat, since they are much skinnier than beef cattle and require a lot of supplemental feed.
Do Male Dairy Cows Make Milk?
Male cows can not make milk, whether they are dairy cattle or beef cattle. Just because they are dairy cows doesn’t mean they can make milk! (They have no udders!)
Why Do Male Dairy Cows Exist?
Male dairy cows exist because cows can give birth to both male and female calves, roughly at a 50-50 ratio.
50% of all dairy calves are male, although unlike female dairy cattle most of them don’t grow to adulthood.
What Happens To Male Dairy Cows?
Unfortunately for male dairy calves, they are completely useless for dairy farmers.
Since they can’t produce milk, their only chance is if the farmer selects them to become a bull, otherwise they are typically culled or sold for veal.
Since bulls are few and far between (only one or two are needed for an entire dairy herd) there are very few adult male dairy cattle on modern farms.
In some developing parts of the world without modern mega farms and specially developed breeds, male dairy calves may be kept and raised for meat, since the breeds are typically not as highly specialized at milk production.
Read more: What is Baby Cow Meat Called?
Can Bulls Produce Milk?
Bulls can not produce milk, since they are males they have no udders and can not become pregnant.
Bulls are just male cows who have not had their reproductive organs removed, so it makes sense that they can not make milk.
Do Male Dairy Cows Have Udders?
Male dairy cows do not have udders. A cows’ udders are their mammary glands, which are only present in female mammals.
Read more: Do all cows have udders?
What Gender Of Cows Produce Milk?
Just like every other mammal, only female cows can produce milk.
Cows produce milk in their udders, which are only present on female cows, and the milk is only produced after a cow gives birth to a calf.
Since male cows don’t have udders, and they can’t give birth, they have no means to produce milk.
What is Bull’s Milk?
Although bulls can not create dairy milk, you might have heard the term “Bull’s Milk”.
Unfortunately there’s no biological miracle at work here, and fortunately Bull’s Milk is not any other biological fluid from a bull.
Bull’s Milk is a sweet cocktail, usually made with brandy, rum, nutmeg, dairy milk, and sometimes white sugar or maple syrup.
Conclusion
To sum up, male cows can not produce milk since they don’t have udders and they can’t give birth to a calf. This is the same whether the breed of cattle is a beef breed or a dairy breed.
Since male dairy cattle can’t produce milk, and they have smaller bodies than beef cattle, it’s usually not worth it for farmers to raise them into adulthood, so they get sold to a veal farm soon after they are born.
The exception is if the farmer wants to raise the calf to be a bull, either for his own herd or to sell on to another farmer.
Although you might have heard the term “Bull’s Milk”, bulls can not produce dairy milk. Bull’s Milk is actually a cocktail made from brandy, rum, milk, and maple syrup or sugar.
Stuart is the editor of Fauna Facts. He edits our writers’ work as well as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.