Livestock cattle

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Livestock cattle
Periods Cattle, total (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, total (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, < 1 year, female (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, < 1 year, male (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, 1-2 years, female (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, 1-2 years, male (x 1 000) Young cattle for milk Young cattle for milk, >= 2 yrs, female (x 1 000) Calves for fattening Calves for fattening, total (x 1 000) Calves for fattening Calves for rosé meat (< 1 yr) (x 1 000) Calves for fattening Calves for white meat (< 1 yr) (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening, total (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening,<1 yr, female (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening, < 1 yr, male (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening,1-2 yr,female (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening, 1-2 yr, male (x 1 000) Young cattle for fattening Young cattle for fattening>= 2 yr,female (x 1 000) Dairy cows (>= 2 years) (x 1 000) Other cows Other cows, total (x 1 000) Other cows Cows for fattening (>= 2 years) (x 1 000) Other cows Suckling cows (>= 2 years) (x 1 000) Bulls (>= 2 years) Bulls (>= 2 years), total (x 1 000) Bulls (>= 2 years) Bulls for breeding (>= 2 years) (x 1 000) Bulls (>= 2 years) Bulls for fattening (>= 2 years) (x 1 000)
2015 1 April 4,134 1,337 599 41 582 13 102 909 358 551 172 33 43 35 42 20 1,622 80 . . 13 . .
2015 1 December 4,315 1,365 629 43 572 12 108 955 376 579 175 34 45 35 40 21 1,717 85 . . 17 . .
2016 1 April 4,251 1,317 621 43 554 12 86 958 363 595 153 32 41 30 35 15 1,745 68 . . 11 . .
2016 1 December 4,294 1,318 611 42 564 13 89 941 357 584 154 31 40 31 37 16 1,794 70 . . 16 . .
2017 April 4,096 1,200 511 46 530 9 103 953 356 597 175 31 61 25 36 21 1,694 59 . . 16 . .
2017 December 4,030 1,168 509 46 501 10 102 948 354 594 176 31 61 24 40 21 1,665 58 . . 15 . .
2018 April 3,897 1,032 438 45 447 8 93 995 366 629 170 31 51 27 37 24 1,622 63 . . 15 . .
2018 December 3,690 951 407 47 399 10 88 988 355 633 144 22 46 21 35 20 1,552 42 . . 13 . .
2019 April 3,750 924 410 43 388 8 74 1,005 373 632 166 31 47 27 36 25 1,578 63 . . 14 . .
2019 December 3,721 954 434 52 373 9 86 978 364 614 143 23 41 22 37 21 1,590 43 . . 13 . .
2020 April* 3,766 935 439 41 373 8 74 1,000 371 628 166 32 46 28 36 24 1,593 58 . . 14 . .
Source: © Statistics Netherlands, NEA
Explanation of symbols

Table description


This table provides information about the number of cattle on Dutch agricultural holdings. In addition to numbers, cattle are broken down by: cattle kept for the production of milk and cattle for fattening. The cattle population is counted on 1 April and 1 December.

Data available from: 1 December 2008.

Status of the figures:
New figures for cattle population are provisional when first published. When new data from the Agricultural census become available the provisional figures become definite.

Changes as of 15 October 2020:
The provisional figures for April 2020 have been updated.

When will new figures be published?
The provisional figures of April are published in September. The provisional figures of December are published in February of the subsequent year.
The definite figures of April and December are published in April of the subsequent year.

Description topics

Cattle, total
For 1 April counts: total of the number of cattle in the Netherlands on agricultural holdings, of 3,000 Euro SO or more.
_
The 1 December counts are based on the ear tag registration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.
Young cattle for milk
Cattle kept for the production of milk or for breeding.
Young cattle for milk, total
Young cattle for milk, < 1 year, female
Young cattle for dairy farming, aged less than 1 year, female.

Young cattle for milk, < 1 year, male
Young cattle for dairy farming, aged less than 1 year, male.
Young cattle for milk, 1-2 years, female
Young cattle for dairy farming, aged between 1 and 2 years, female.
Young cattle for milk, 1-2 years, male
Young cattle for dairy farming, aged between 1 and 2 years, male.
Young cattle for milk, >= 2 yrs, female
Young cattle for dairy farming, aged 2 years or older, female (never calved).
Calves for fattening
Calves for the production of white meat and rosé meat (aged less than 1 year).

Calves for fattening, total
Calves for rosé meat (< 1 yr)
Calves for fattening of the production of rosé meat (aged less than 1 year).
Calves for white meat (< 1 yr)
Calves for fattening of the production of white meat (aged less than 1 year).
Young cattle for fattening
Young cattle for fattening, total
Young cattle kept for fattening.
Young cattle for fattening,<1 yr, female
Young cattle for fattening, aged less than 1 year, female.
Young cattle for fattening, < 1 yr, male
Young cattle for fattening (including beef), aged less than 1 year, male.
Young cattle for fattening,1-2 yr,female
Young cattle for fattening, aged between 1 and 2 years, female.
Young cattle for fattening, 1-2 yr, male
Young cattle for fattening, aged between 1 and 2 years, male.
Young cattle for fattening>= 2 yr,female
Young cattle for fattening, aged 2 years or older, female (never calved).  
Dairy cows (>= 2 years)
Female bovine animals aged 2 years or older, that have calved at least once, and are kept for the production of milk or for breeding; includes dry cows (cows that temporarily do not produce milk because they are in calf).
Other cows
Cows of 2 years and older, like cull cows that are fattened for slaughtering, and suckling cows.
Other cows, total
From 2013 the separate observation of underlying categories is discontinued; only the total remains available.
Cows for fattening (>= 2 years)
Cows aged 2 years or older, that are fattened after having calved at least once; includes cull dairy cows (cows taken out of milk production to be slaughtered).
Suckling cows (>= 2 years)
Suckling cows aged 2 years or older (calved at least once).

Suckling cows are cows bred for fattening, whose nursing calvesare allowed to suckle and that therefore do not produce milk.
Bulls (>= 2 years)
Bulls of 2 years and older kept for breeding or for slaughtering.

Bulls (>= 2 years), total
From 2013 the separate observation of underlying categories is discontinued; only the total remains available.
Bulls for breeding (>= 2 years)
Bulls for breeding aged 2 years or older.
Bulls for fattening (>= 2 years)
Bulls for fattening aged 2 years or older.