Are You Ready for a Cow?
The chickens are insane.
The pig is darling.
The baby rabbits are the cutest things God ever made.
But
The cow is the star.
Are you ready to take the plunge?
A milk cow is a much different farm addition than ducks or chickens.
If you are considering a milk cow I want to tell you that you should get her and she will be the love of your life and you will have so much fun making dairy products and your life will never be the same.
BUT – I feel I should also warn you.
There are many positives to owning the dairy queen, however, there are some drawbacks as well.
Here are some key questions to consider if you are contemplating a milk cow for your homestead or farm.
Does your family like milk?
I know, Duh.
We drink a gallon per day. That’s 7 gallons per week. This does not include the milk we need to make butter, cheese, and all of our dairy products.
If your family only drinks a gallon or two per week and you are not interested in a home dairy, you may feel like you are drowning in milk.
Do you like to cook, can and be in the kitchen?
A milk cow will pour gallons of milk into your life in an instant. For less adventurous pioneers the unending supply of milk could be overwhelming.
A good milk cow will give up to 20 gallons of milk per week. My jersey cows produce between 20 and 40 pounds of milk per day (a gallon weighs 8 pounds). During peak production, I have 3 gallons of milk per day coming into my kitchen.
If you have in interest in making butter, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream and other milky things all of the milk will be a welcomed gift from the bovine gods.
Do you have milking supplies?
There are a few necessities you will need before you bring home your cow and start milking:
- A place to milk.
- A bucket & milk strainer (more on why you need a milk strainer here)
- Something to sit on
- Any other supplies your vet recommends to have on hand (calcium tube for milk fever, organic fly spray to prevent pink eye, udder balm or Neosporin for chapped teats, etc.)
Is there someone else in your household who can milk?
Life happens and you will want someone else to know how to milk the cow. Be sure your significant other is on board with the milking or teach one of your children (or a neighbor or friend) how to do it.
Do you have space for a cow?
In Kentucky, a cow needs 1 acre of pasture. In addition to that acre, she will need dry hay.
Consider dividing your field into 2 sections. This will allow you to rotate your cow on and off of each section which will keep her and the grass healthier. With the pasture split, the grass in one field can grow while she eats the other half. (More on rotational grazing here)
When you give a cow an entire field (unless it is huge), she will most likely eat the entire thing and look at you for food. Rotating her onto different fields will ensure she always has fresh grass to eat.
Do you have a vet?
You will need a large animal vet and you will want his/ her number programmed into your phone.
Just sayin’
Do not wait until there is a crisis. Look for a large animal vet now and go shake their hand. Find out if they make farm calls (most do) and how much they charge.
Do you have an animal trailer (that fits a cow)?
We owned cows for over a year before we bought an animal trailer. You can have a cow and not own a trailer, but a trailer comes in handy. Eventually, you will probably be leasing bulls, taking steers to the butcher and toting your milk cow to the local park to meet a few hundred happy children on AG Day. 🙂
Do you like structure in your day?
A milk cow can be somewhat flexible, but you will need to milk her each day about the same time. Even if her calf is still with her, you will still need to “check” her udder each day at roughly the same time and ensure that her udder is empty.
If you do have a calf on your cow, there will come a time when he or she will begin to drink all of your butter. This will require a little separation. We separate the calf into a little pen or pasture for the evening and milk our cow first thing the next morning. Then we reunite our cow with the calf for the remainder of the day. (how to share milk with a calf here)
Every day begins with milking and ends with separating the calf.
Are you comfortable working with large animals?
Cows are big. Jerseys are much smaller than Holsteins, Brown Swiss and other breeds – but they are still big.
I have been squashed against walls. My feet have been stepped on. I have been knocked over by a cow who wasn’t looking where she was going.
We do everything we can to be safe, but sometimes you still end up with a cow standing on your boot.
Are you OK with getting dirty?
I have been licked in the face by all of my cows.
I have been slapped in the face with tails coated in sloppy, wet manure.
I have been pooped on.
I have been peed on.
I have been sneezed on.
I can not tell you how many times the contents of my cow’s cud ended up in my hair.
It’s groody, Y’all.
Do you have time?
When you are milking a cow, you really do not need to be in a hurry. These things take time and if you need to be somewhere, anything that can possibly go wrong during milking will.
The cow will not go in the barn. She will step in the bucket. And she will poop all over everything. Just because you have no time for it.
Do you have the money?
A good family milk cow will cost you something. A family milk cow can cost anywhere between $1200 – $2400 depending on your area and the condition of the cow you are purchasing.
And then you will need to feed her. Even if you have a hundred acres of pasture she will still need hay. Hay is like the carbs in her diet. If a jersey cow eats nothing buy green grass she will probably have loose stools, digestive issues, and can develop more serious health issues (like ketosis). Providing free-choice dry hay will allow her to get the balanced diet she needs.
Be sure you have-
- a source for hay (if you can not bale your own)
- a way to get it home
- a place to store it
- and plenty of it to get through the winter.
Can the cost of a cow be justified on paper? I don’t know. For me, owning a milk cow is not about saving money or even breaking even. She is a lifestyle. She nourishes my family. She fills my gut with probiotics. She is our natural allergy medication. She provides us with CLA, and numerous vitamins.
My milk cow is not about free groceries. She is here to give me a better life. I am healthier. I am more active. I am more self-sufficient. I have more life skills. I am happier.
A cow is an investment – mentally, physically, emotionally and financially.
But she is worth it.
She will be an enormous part of your life. She will provide companionship, love, and amazing food.
If you are one of the few who are looking to invest in a milk cow you are a ROCK STAR. I may not know you personally, but I know you are probably pretty die-hard, quite adventurous and a bit of a rebel.
I say go for it.
And send me pictures! candi@farmfreshforlife.com
By the way, you should be a member here! You get the Family Cow eBook free, learn how to feed a cow, how to care for a cow, cheesemaking galore, home dairy recipes that work, and personal help navigating the family cow when you need it.
XO,
Candi
