- There were an estimated 9 million milk cows in the United States in 2003.
- Average pounds (2.15 pounds = 1 quart) of milk produced per cow in 1950 = 5,314.
- Average pounds of milk produced per cow in 2003 = 18,749 (increase due to improved methods of selection, breeding and feeding of cows).
- The five largest milk-producing states: California, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho.
- Total U.S. milk production in 2003 = 170 billion pounds.
- One serving of skim milk contains about 300 mg. of calcium; the same amount of whole milk has 246 mg.
- 1 billion gallons of ice cream were produced in the United States in 2003. California is the leading producer of ice cream.
- Outside the United States, India has the most dairy cows at 36 million.
- About 73% of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products.
- Cows have four stomachs and eat an average of 90 pounds of food each day.
- Before milking machines (invented in 1894), farmers could milk about six cows per hour.
- Today, with the help of milking machines, they can milk up to 100 cows per hour.
- A cow's udder can hold 25-50 pounds of milk at a time, and the average dairy cow produces almost 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime!
Sources: Dairy Facts, 2004 Edition, published by the International Dairy Foods Association; www.got-milk.com