680 kg1,500 lb
A grown Holstein dairy cow weighs about 680 kg (1,500 lb). That is the classic breed figure; many mature cows in today’s herds are heavier, around 710 to 750 kg (1,565 to 1,650 lb), and the usual range runs up to about 770 kg. A newborn Holstein calf weighs only about 39 kg (85 lb).
| Big mature cowTop of the usual 680 to 770 kg range | 770 kg1,700 lb |
|---|---|
| Example herd mature weight1,650 lb, the example used by University of Wisconsin extension | 748 kg1,650 lb |
| Mature cow, Quebec herd averageCows in their second lactation or later, 1995 to 2012 records | 710 kg1,570 lb |
| Typical grown cowThe classic breed figure of about 1,500 lb | 680 kg1,500 lb |
| Heifer at 15 monthsQuebec average, around breeding age | 425 kg937 lb |
| Newborn calfAbout 85 lb on average; can vary by 60 lb within a herd | 39 kg86 lb |
The Holstein Association USA describes a mature Holstein cow as weighing about 1,500 lb (680 kg) and standing about 58 in (147 cm) tall at the shoulder. Wider breed descriptions give a range of 680 to 770 kg (1,500 to 1,700 lb) and 145 to 165 cm (57 to 65 in) at the shoulder, so 680 kg is a fair figure for a grown cow but sits at the lighter end.
Measured herds tend to come out heavier. A study of Quebec dairy herds (Duplessis et al., 2014), using records from 1995 to 2012, put the mature weight of Holsteins in their second lactation or later at 710 kg (1,565 lb). The Ontario agriculture ministry notes that this is higher than the older figures in the US Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (2001), and links it to years of breeding for more milk. A University of Wisconsin extension article on heifer weights works with an example herd mature weight of 1,650 lb (748 kg).
A newborn Holstein heifer calf weighs about 85 lb (39 kg) on average, though calves in one herd can differ by as much as 60 lb (27 kg). On one Wisconsin farm tracked for a year, calves averaged 82.9 lb, and those born in December and January were about 9% lighter. Holstein USA calls a calf of 90 lb (41 kg) or more a healthy one.
Farmers plan a heifer’s growth as a share of the herd’s mature weight. She is ready to breed at about 55% of it, which for a 710 kg herd is about 391 kg (862 lb), usually reached by 13 to 14 months. In the Quebec study, Holstein heifers averaged 425 kg (937 lb) at 15 months. The goal is a first calf at about 24 months, when she should weigh about 85% of mature weight right after calving. Since mature weight is measured on cows in their second lactation or later, a first-calf cow is still growing.
Most farms weigh cattle on a scale or estimate it with a heart girth tape, a tape measure wrapped around the chest just behind the front legs that converts the girth into a weight for the breed.
According to USDA figures, the average US dairy cow gave 24,390 lb of milk in 2025, about 11,060 kg. That is roughly 16 times the weight of a 680 kg cow in a single year and works out to about 30 kg (29 litres) a day across the year, in line with the usual “around 30 litres a day” figure for Holsteins. Wikipedia gives about 7,000 to 8,000 litres a year for European Holsteins.
All that milk takes a lot of water. A New Mexico State University guide estimates that a 1,500 lb lactating cow drinks 18.4 to 35.6 US gallons (70 to 135 litres) a day, depending on how much milk she gives and how warm it is.
The lifetime record belongs to Smurf, a Holstein from La Ferme Gillette in Embrun, Ontario, Canada. Guinness World Records credits her with 216,891 kg (478,163 lb) of milk over her life, about 320 times the weight of a typical cow. She could give 37.7 kg (83 lb) a day, was milked three times a day, and died in 2014 at age 18.
The tallest cow ever, according to Guinness World Records, was Blosom, a Holstein from Orangeville, Illinois, who stood 190 cm (6 ft 2 in) at the withers. She was recognized in 2014 and died at age 13. Guinness did not publish her weight.
The heaviest bovine usually cited is Mount Katahdin, a Holstein and Durham (Shorthorn) cross exhibited in Maine in the early 1900s. Guinness listed him as the world’s heaviest steer at 5,000 lb (2,268 kg), more than three times a typical Holstein cow. He was a castrated ox, not a dairy cow, and stood 2 cm shorter than Blosom.
About 1,500 lb (680 kg) is the classic figure for a grown cow. Many mature Holsteins in modern herds weigh more, roughly 1,550 to 1,700 lb.
About 85 lb (39 kg) on average, with a spread of up to 60 lb within one herd. Holstein USA describes a healthy calf as 90 lb (41 kg) or more.
A mature Holstein stands about 58 in (147 cm) at the shoulder, and most fall between 145 and 165 cm. Blosom, the tallest cow on record, reached 190 cm (6 ft 2 in).
Around 30 litres (about 30 kg) a day on average. The average US dairy cow produced 24,390 lb (about 11,060 kg) of milk in 2025.
The record usually cited is Mount Katahdin, a Holstein and Durham cross steer from Maine, at 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) in the early 1900s. A typical Holstein cow weighs less than a third of that.
Last checked October 2, 2026.
