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How long is a cow pregnant?

Updated: Nov 21

Cow Gestation Period

An average cow gestation period (length of cow pregnancy) lasts on about 283 days, however this period does vary based on the breed of the cow and the sex of the calf. Keeping reading to learn more about cow gestation periods and download our free cow gestation period table to simplify estimating calving dates.


Cow with calves in field

If you're breeding cattle it's important to know when the calves might come. Depending on weather and other care considerations this information becomes important to the health of the cow and the calf. In this article we've provided some information for you to help find these dates.


Average Cow Gestation Period

While the average cow gestation period is 283 days, calving for older and larger cows usually happens 10 days later. Smaller and younger cow's pregnancy may last 10 days less. The typical gestation period for cattle ranges from 279 to 287 days (up to 291 for Brahman cattle).


Check out the gestation table for cattle below to estimate your cow's due date based on their date of service. You can also use our Free Cow Gestation Calculator to estimate for you or print this downloadable cattle gestation period table.



Cow Gestation Period Table

Based on 283 day cow gestation period



Thanks so much for taking a look at our article about cow gestation periods. We hope this helps make this process easier for you. Below we've listed some other free resources to check out.


Other Free Cattle Resources:

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