In the past, cattle were additionally used as working animals, but today most breeds are specialised, and are either used primarily to produce milk or meat as fattening animals. Most of them have a certain production period, after which they are slaughtered.

But how long could beef cattle live if they were not slaughtered? And how old could dairy cows be if they didn't die prematurely because they were exhausted by intensive milk production and constant calving? There is little data on the old age of cattle, that have been bred extremely for high performance. With a few exceptions, they are never kept until their natural death.

The representation of the maximum life expectancy is therefore mostly about experiences with farm animals of different breeds, which are kept in sanctuaries or farms until they die of old age. It is known that some cattle have reached at least the age of 20. According to the Guinness World Records, a cow, called “Big Bertha” from Ireland lived more than 48 years!

Life expectancy for cattle, kept as farm animals, looks sad: dairy cows have the longest life - and it is less than six years. The life expectancy of breeding bulls (about three years) and fattening cattle (just under two years) is even lower. A young animal that is slaughtered for veal cannot live for even a year. The lifespan of a fattening calf is only eight months.