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How many cows should I have in a field?

So we know how many coaches our trains should ideally have, we even know what quantity of passengers to place on our platforms to make them look right, but how many cows should we put in our fields?
That question may not be one that keeps you awake at nights when at the planning stages of a layout, but it is one you will need to address at some point if you're planning a field or farm.
Of course, most modellers will be happy with a pack or two (however many that might be), but the question has been asked on more than one occasion by conscientious layout creators who like to be as exact as possible.
If that sounds like you, the subject of how many cows you should place in your field will depend largely on the country you're modelling and the era in which your diorama is set. The average size of a herd of cows varies wildly around the world, for example, in 2021 the average size of a herd in America is just over 200 head of cattle, and even then the number fluctuates between states. In contrast, the average size of a herd in Canada is around 80 while here in the UK it stands at 160, which is more than double what it was in the mid-1990s.
That's not to say that you should cram 160 model cows into what is probably going to be a significantly undersized diorama of a field or farm, but it is an indication that, as modellers, we probably under-populate our rural scenes.
The best advice is to take a look at some old archives of farms or fields relevant to the era and location you're modelling and pay particular attention to the way in which cows congregate. You'll generally find that cows are often fairly spread out in a relaxed environment with no disturbances, however, given a reason such as the local friendly farmer arriving with diner or a stranger passing through their field, they will soon clump together, and that gives you options on how to arrange them to model their activity.

Once you have given this subject some thought, you'll be mooing with delight as the question of how many cows you need will be finally answered.

Posted in: Best practices

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