Dairy Carbon Footprint

Calculate dairy operation carbon footprint in CO2 equivalents per gallon of milk, including enteric fermentation, manure, energy, and feed emissions.

Herd Size

Avg Daily Milk per Cow

lbs

Enteric CH₄ per Cow

lbs/year

Manure CH₄ per Cow

lbs/year

Monthly Electricity Use

kWh/month

Feed/Crop Emissions per Cow

lbs CO₂e/year

Tab to move between fields

CO₂e per Gallon of Milk

6.51 lbs

≈ 26 sticks of butter

CO₂e per Gallon (metric)

2.95 kg

≈ 26 sticks of butter

CO₂e per CWT76 lbs

CO₂e per Cow per Year13,498 lbs

Total Annual Emissions1,224.5 metric tons CO₂e

Enteric % of Total55%

Manure % of Total14%

How to Use This Calculator

Enter herd size and average milk production per cow per day.
Set the enteric methane emission factor for your cow type and diet.
Input manure management system type.
Review total annual greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalent.
Use the output to identify the highest-emission category for carbon reduction planning.

How the result changes with Avg Daily Milk per Cow

Herd Size: Total number of milking-age cows (lactating + dry).
Avg Daily Milk per Cow: Average daily milk production per lactating cow.
Enteric CH₄ per Cow: Methane from digestion per cow per year. US dairy average is ~264 lbs/cow/year (EPA). Higher-producing cows emit more.
Manure CH₄ per Cow: Methane from manure management per cow per year. Varies widely by system: lagoon ~120; solid storage ~30; pasture ~10.
Monthly Electricity Use: Total monthly farm electricity for milking, cooling, lighting, ventilation, etc.
Feed/Crop Emissions per Cow: CO2e from growing, harvesting, and transporting feed per cow per year. Includes fertilizer, fuel, and land use.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Herd Size = 200, Avg Daily Milk per Cow = 70, Enteric CH₄ per Cow = 264, Manure CH₄ per Cow = 66 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate CO₂e per Gallon of Milk
CO₂e per Gallon of Milk
6.51 = 6.51
Calculate CO₂e per Gallon
CO₂e per Gallon
2.95 = 2.95
Calculate CO₂e per CWT
CO₂e per CWT
76 = 76
Calculate CO₂e per Cow per Year
CO₂e per Cow per Year
13498 = 13498