Dairy cows are bred to produce large amounts of milk. They are usually artificially inseminated within three months of giving birth and are required to give birth to one calf annually to produce milk for 10 months of the year.  India has the world's largest dairy herd with over 300 million bovines, producing over 187 million tonnes of milk. India is first among all countries in both production and consumption of milk. Most of the milk is domestically consumed, though a small fraction is also exported. India has many dairy cattle breeds, including indigenous breeds and hybrid cows. Of the... Show more

Dairy cows are bred to produce large amounts of milk. They are usually artificially inseminated within three months of giving birth and are required to give birth to one calf annually to produce milk for 10 months of the year. 

India has the world's largest dairy herd with over 300 million bovines, producing over 187 million tonnes of milk. India is first among all countries in both production and consumption of milk. Most of the milk is domestically consumed, though a small fraction is also exported.
India has many dairy cattle breeds, including indigenous breeds and hybrid cows. Of the more than 800 cattle breeds recognized worldwide, India had 27 acknowledged indigenous breeds of cattle and 7 breeds of buffaloes. As of 2018 the ICAR recognized 50 breeds that are indigenous in India, of which two cattle breeds and three buffalo breeds were added in 2018. 
In the US, there are seven major dairy cow breeds:  Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Red & White. 
The Holstein-Friesian is the most common type of dairy cow in the US, the EU, and the UK. In the US, the average dairy cow produces more than 7.5 gallons of milk per day.
 

Related Test: Dairying Practice Test: Basics of Dairy Processing

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