It varies depending on the farm—cows can be milked anywhere from one to three times a day, with twice a day being the most common practice.

Most dairy farms milk their cows twice a day, typically once in the morning and once in the afternoon. However, on some farms high-producing cows may be milked three times daily, and on other farms milking only happens once daily.

In robotic dairies, which use Automatic Milking Systems (AMS), the cows decide when they want to be milked. They walk to the milking station on their own and enter the booth, where they are rewarded with feed while the robot cleans their udder and applies sensor-guided cups. This allows for more flexibility and autonomy in the cows’ milking routine.