How much shelter from cold does a dairy cow need?

Last updated 30/01/2025

Dairy cattle, originally bred in north-western Europe, are well-adapted to colder climates. They can tolerate lower temperatures better than heat, thanks to their body’s ability to generate warmth through digestion. Factors that affect a cow's cold tolerance include breed, size (larger cows retain heat better), body fat, health status, access to quality food, and milk production. Environmental factors such as rain, wind, humidity and sun exposure, also play a part.  

Here’s an interesting fact: Adult cattle are ruminants, which means part of their digestion process includes bacteria breaking down food, which creates a lot of warmth. This essentially means cows have a large internal heat source, allowing them to tolerate cooler temperatures better than warm.  

In fact, adult cattle are 'thermo-neutral' – meaning they do not need to spend energy warming (through shivering etc) or cooling (panting, sweating, etc) themselves – from 13 to 18°C. Cows are generally comfortable from 5 to 25°C.¹

Providing shelter in poor conditions is preferable for the health and wellbeing of the cow. This could be a tree shelter belt, short term housing structure or permanent housing. The space per cow required in these structures depends on how long the cows would be in that space.  

Unweaned calves (that still nutritionally rely on milk) have lower tolerance to weather extremes due to their low body size and are yet to develop rumens. Calves should be kept at 12 to 25°C and be provided shelter from rain, wind and sun.  

More information on rearing calves, setting up calf sheds, and case studies from farmers can be found on the Dairy Australia website.