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How many dairy cows are in Canada?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 23, 2026

The total number of dairy cattle (cattle raised for milk) in Canada is estimated at 1.4 million animals. There are over 10,000 dairy farms across Canada.

What is the biggest dairy farm in Canada?

CCS milks an astonishing 3,500 cows at its main location outside Chilliwack. It's the largest single dairy farm in Canada, where the average operation runs just 77 cattle.

How many dairy cows are there in Ontario?

Dairy cow inventory in Canada by region 2021

As of January 1, 2021, there were approximately 362,900 dairy cows in Québec and around 318,100 dairy cows in Ontario.

How many cows are on the typical Canadian dairy farm?

Dairy farms in Canada come in all shapes and sizes, and vary by region. But at an average size of 96 milking cows per farm, Canadian dairy farms might be smaller than you think.

How many beef cows are there in Canada?

Statistics. The total number of beef cattle (cattle raised for meat) in Canada is estimated at 6.8 million animals. There are over 62,000 beef farms across Canada.

41 related questions found

How many cows are in Alberta?

According to Canada's cattle inventory, Alberta has a whopping 40.4% of the country's cows as of July 2020. The country's cattle count comes in at 12.2 million and Alberta has way more than any of the other provinces. Actually, there are more cows in the province than there are people.

How much does a dairy farm owner make a year in Canada?

The average net income per dairy farms in Canada amounted to approximately 176,11 Canadian dollars in 2020. This figure has fluctuated in recent years, with figures dipping to around 145,000 Canadian dollars in 2018 before increasing again.

Which province in Canada has the most dairy farms?

Quebec is the province that produces the highest volume of milk and has the highest number of farms involved in milk production. Milk production ranks third among Canadian agricultural activities, with nearby 11% of the some $41 billion in total farm cash receipts.

How many Holstein cows are in Canada?

Facts & Figures: Canadian Holstein

Approximately 1 million cows can be found in Canada, and of those million cows, 94% are of the Holstein breed. A healthy Holstein calf weighs approximately 90 pounds at birth.

How many dairy farms in Canada are family owned?

In Canada, 98% of dairy farms across Canada are family-owned and operated. Dairy farms can be found in each province across Canada with a large concentration (81%) located in Ontario and Quebec, 13% in the Western provinces and 6% in the Atlantic provinces.

How many cows are on the average dairy farm?

However, like much of agriculture, dairy farms come in a wide range of sizes. The largest U.S. dairy farms have over 15,000 cows, though farms with 1,000–5,000 cows are more common.

Why is dairy so expensive in Canada?

That's because the cheese in Canada can be more expensive than in the U.S. as a result of official methods for controlling dairy products and supporting farmers. National Observer explains that after World War II, milk prices in Canada plummeted, meaning farmers were struggling to make money.

Why are family farms disappearing in Canada?

After paying for seed, fertilizer and other expenses, a farming family would be left with less than $50,000. Years of drought and falling commodity prices have dried up profits for farmers in the West, and rising day-to-day expenses have tightened the squeeze further.

How many dairy producers are in Canada?

There are 10,951 dairy farms (reported by the Canadian Dairy Information Centre, a government-industry web resource) and a little more than 400 processors across the country providing jobs to more than 100,000 people.

Is Canadian milk better than American?

Health Canada determined that it did not pose a health risk to humans, but they also determined that it had negative effects on the health and welfare of cows. As well, our maximum Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is also lower than the American standard. What is a SCC? It's the total number of cells per milliliter in milk.

How much money do dairy farmers make per cow in Canada?

How Much Do Dairy Farmers Make Per Cow? An average cow is worth an estimated $275 per year when it is in a dairy with 500 animals. This number is the same for dairies with cow herds of more than 500 cows.

How much does it cost to start a dairy farm in Canada?

There are costs associated with membership. Ontario and Quebec permit a daily quota of $22,500 for a single cow; the province permits a daily quota of $42,500 for a single cow. Around 3 million dollars plus land is necessary to construct a typical 70cow farm.

What is the biggest dairy farm in the world?

Mudanjiang City Mega Farm

This dairy farm currently holds the title of the biggest farm in the world. Approximately 100,000 cows supply the farm with milk for dairy products. The expansion of this dairy farm happened in 2015, when Russia banned milk products from the EU, as a response to the Ukraine crisis.

How are dairy farmers paid in Canada?

Under the Dairy Direct Payment Program, dairy farmers will receive up to $1.75 billion in direct payments over the course of four years. Payments are delivered by the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC). Up to $345 million and $468 million in direct payments was made available in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.

How many cows are in Australia?

Today, Cattle farmers in Australia collectively run 28 million cattle across 200 million hectares. The number of cattle in Australia makes it a relatively small producer on a global scale.

How many cows are in Texas?

The inventory of Texas cattle and calves totaled 13.0 million head on January 1, 2020, unchanged from last year's inventory. Texas continues to rank first in the nation in total number of cattle and calves with 14 percent of the total United States inventory.

How many dairy cows are in BC?

The industry manages about 70,000 milking cows and an equivalent number of dairy replacement animals that are distributed across licensed dairy farms located in seven production regions.