How much weight can a cow gain in a day?

Answer 1

This all depends on the individual calf, the sex of that calf, the breed[s] of the calf, and the diet[s] that that calf is on. A grass diet will cause a calf to gain slower than if the calf is on a grain-grass mix diet, or some form of a high-energy diet. Even so, diets in that calf's life changes depending on whether and where he is sold to, whether [s]he's being used for beef or for breeding, etc.

Bull calves gain more than steer calves; steer calves tend to have a higher ADG than heifer calves. Continental calves (Charolais, Simmental, Limousin, etc.) have a higher ADG than British Breed calves (Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn, etc.). Continental-British cross calves tend to have an ADG that is kind of in between the average ADG of Continentals and British Breed calves. Calves on a grass/hay diet have a lower ADG than calves on a grain or grain-forage mix diet. Even more interesting is that ADG differs from calf to calf, no matter what sex or breed or diet they're on.

But all in all, the average daily gain (ADG) of a beef calf is around 2 lbs per day. So, if a beef calf had a birth weight of 50 lbs, and gains weight at an ADG of 2 lb/d, then the amount of weight that that calf will gain in one year (ignoring all the variables that will change the rate of gain of that calf) is 2 lb/d x 365 days = 730 lbs.

Answer 2

This question is far too generic to be able to answer. A cow is simply not a "cow" if you are talking about "cows" in a highly general sense, like if you use the word "cow" as a colloquial term. A cow, by definition, is a mature female bovine that has had at least two calves. If you are talking about the colloquial term of "cow" and not the true definition of cow then you are opening up a can of worms of endless possible answers to this question. So are you actually talking about the mature female bovine, or are you talking about a young calf? What about a bull, a heifer, or a steer? What is the age of this particular "cow"? Weight, body condition?

The answer to this question is also very highly dependent on the diet of this "cow." Is it on a high-concentrate diet like grain, or a forage diet? What is the quality of this diet as far as protein and energy is concerned?

As you see, simply asking a generic question and assuming you will get a detailed, straight-forward answer is like expecting money to grow on trees. Either search for your answer elsewhere or be much more specific in your question so you are more likely to get the kind of answer that you're looking for.