Dairy Cow - TB you will be all over this one..

[dun]

The knock on Brown Swiss has always been that they eat like a Holstein and milk like a Jersey. The milking part is an exageration but the eating part sure isn;t. We alwasy raised hog on the surplus milk/shey/butterfat but is was used to soak corn and fed soured. Didn;t have any issues with texture or taste. The neighbor here raised pigs on straight milk, man that stuff sucked. Way too fat and the texture was about like a marshmallow.

 

[TexasBred]

Honest and naïve.
If the buyer wants a cow that has never had a case of mastitis it's up to him to do his homework. Stating that she has had a case makes a 'good' cow a 'budget', worth half the money. No one is going to buy a cow with the history if they can get one without - yet 10 - 40% of dairy cows have probably had a case at some stage.

99/9% of the time you're taking someone word for it when they said "no history of mastitis". At least this seller put the man on notice that she had a few flakes. One treatment should clear it up overnight. The odds of ending up with only 3 good quarters is slim to none.

 

[skyhightree1]

Is this a good deal?

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/4433599206.html

Cow Shares Avery's Branch farm - $80 (Virginia)
© craigslist - Map data © OpenStreetMap(google map) (yahoo map)

condition: new
I have 2 cow shares for Avery's Branch Farm in Amelia, Va. They have drop points all over the state where you can pick up your fresh, raw milk weekly. I paid $100 each for the shares and will sell them for a discounted $80 each. You have to pay a small boarding fee and each share qualifies you for one gallon of fresh raw milk per week.
Raw milk is so much better for your family and even those with lactose intolerance can easily digest raw milk. You get the cream on top for your coffee or for whipping and it is delicious! Milk the way God intended!
Check out Avery's Branch's website for more details and contact me if you'd like to transfer the shares to you. Thanks!!

 

[chippie]

I wouldn't do it. People make a lot of money selling shares.
You get 1 gallon a week per share plus you pay to feed the cow.
the comment that Lactose intolerant people can drink raw milk without problems is hogwash.

How much milk does your family drink? When we had all 5 kids at home (7 people including my husband and I), we went through 1 1/2 gallons a day. Now with only 3 adults at home, we still go through almost a gallon a day.

We are giving the extra milk to a pig right now. We don't have this cow's calf and we can't use her as double duty (raising a couple of calves and giving us milk).
When our cow had a calf, we would get another to put on her. We would keep the calves separate from the cow so that she would come up to be milked twice a day. When we needed milk in the house, my husband or I would milk what we needed and then let the calves in with her to strip her out. If we didn't need milk, we would let the calves in with her when she ate. It worked well for us.
If you don't need a lot of milk, I would look into getting a goat or two. Goat milk is good as long as you don't have the doe with a billy. If you do, the milk tastes just like the billy goat -- really really gross. Otherwise the milk is sweet without a goatish taste. Our two oldest children were raised on goat milk. We had a Toggenberg (very sweet goat and easy to get along with), Nubians ( they have strong personalities) and La Manchas which have the elfin ears. They are a gentle goat too.
Sometimes I think that I would like another.

 

[skyhightree1]

I wouldn't do it. People make a lot of money selling shares.
You get 1 gallon a week per share plus you pay to feed the cow.
the comment that Lactose intolerant people can drink raw milk without problems is hogwash.

How much milk does your family drink? When we had all 5 kids at home (7 people including my husband and I), we went through 1 1/2 gallons a day. Now with only 3 adults at home, we still go through almost a gallon a day.

We are giving the extra milk to a pig right now. We don't have this cow's calf and we can't use her as double duty (raising a couple of calves and giving us milk).
When our cow had a calf, we would get another to put on her. We would keep the calves separate from the cow so that she would come up to be milked twice a day. When we needed milk in the house, my husband or I would milk what we needed and then let the calves in with her to strip her out. If we didn't need milk, we would let the calves in with her when she ate. It worked well for us.
If you don't need a lot of milk, I would look into getting a goat or two. Goat milk is good as long as you don't have the doe with a billy. If you do, the milk tastes just like the billy goat -- really really gross. Otherwise the milk is sweet without a goatish taste. Our two oldest children were raised on goat milk. We had a Toggenberg (very sweet goat and easy to get along with), Nubians ( they have strong personalities) and La Manchas which have the elfin ears. They are a gentle goat too.
Sometimes I think that I would like another.

Thanks for letting me know I wont do it seemed kinda funny to me but im not savy on the milk market. We drink between 9-10 gallons per week. I drink 7 by myself kids eat cereal and drink it with dinner so it goes pretty fast. I thought the lactose intolerant thing was hilarious myself.

 

[3waycross]

Thanks for letting me know I wont do it seemed kinda funny to me but im not savy on the milk market. We drink between 9-10 gallons per week. I drink 7 by myself kids eat cereal and drink it with dinner so it goes pretty fast. I thought the lactose intolerant thing was hilarious myself.[/quote]


You need to look into one of those "can't suk" flaps. Someone needs to wean you Sky! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks for letting me know I wont do it seemed kinda funny to me but im not savy on the milk market. We drink between 9-10 gallons per week. I drink 7 by myself kids eat cereal and drink it with dinner so it goes pretty fast. I thought the lactose intolerant thing was hilarious myself.

You need to look into one of those "can't suk" flaps. Someone needs to wean you Sky! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:[/quote]

:lol: my wife said same thing said my milk consumption is ridiculous.

 

[chippie]

Milk is good for you. : )

Drinking that much milk, you would need several goats. Are there any dairies near you? Sometimes you can find a nice cow that doesn't give enough milk for the dairy to keep her in their milking string but will be good for a family.

 

[skyhightree1]

Milk is good for you. : )

Drinking that much milk, you would need several goats. Are there any dairies near you? Sometimes you can find a nice cow that doesn't give enough milk for the dairy to keep her in their milking string but will be good for a family.

There is 1 about 20 mins away that I may atop and inquire with them.

 

[dun]

I thought the lactose intolerant thing was hilarious myself.

The ability to digest goats milk and not cows milk has nothing to do with lactose tolerance. It's the size of the fat molecules, goats are much smaller then cows. That's why you need a seperator to be able to get enough cream to make stuff with. We did DHIA when we had the goat dairy, the fat content was equal or higher then a jersey, but it wouldn;t rise to the top like cows.

 

[skyhightree1]

is this a good set up?
http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/4490881091.html
We have a DeLaval style Milking system for sale. It is in excellent condition. Only used for a month and a half. Comes with two vacuum pumps, so you can have one where you milk and one where you clean the machine. Also comes with a extra set of inflations and hoses. Asking $1,200.

Thanks for looking.

 

[skyhightree1]

I am gonna see if I can get this one not really to keep but to make $ by selling her again.

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/4488747791.html

Opal is a 3 quartered cow that is a dream to milk. She calves easily by herself, and hasn't met a calf that she doesn't try to steal. Excellent dispostion, milks by machine or by hand. She is currently open. She is the perfect family milk cow, has given us gallons of creamy milk. We are downsizing and I am keeping her daughter and grandaughter. She would be a great first cow for someone to learn on.

 

[chippie]

find out when she had her calf and why she isn't bred now. If she is the cow in the front, she looks kind of fat for a cow that is milking.
If she is dry and open, that may not be a good sign.

 

[bigbull338]

i was thinking the samething.as she may not breed back.

 

[skyhightree1]

I contacted the seller and will see what they say I was thinking she was way too fat to be milking as well.

 

[TexasBred]

I contacted the seller and will see what they say I was thinking she was way too fat to be milking as well.

Sky you don't need a milk cow. You need a very gentle nurse cow...just get a teat in your mouth and nurse til your full. Save all that hard work. :lol2: :hide:

 

[skyhightree1]

I contacted the seller and will see what they say I was thinking she was way too fat to be milking as well.

Sky you don't need a milk cow. You need a very gentle nurse cow...just get a teat in your mouth and nurse til your full. Save all that hard work. :lol2: :hide:

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: