My lady wants a milk cow

DCA farm · Jan 28, 2022

I've manage to put it off as long as I can. Cause I know how this is gonna play out I've explained to her about what a milk is gonna do But she keeps telling me I want a milk cow I want a milk cow. I've been watching them sell for weeks and weeks 600-800 will get you one with a baby at the barn. Give me some pros and cons of owning a milk cow. We do drink a lot of milk a gallon every 2 days and they ain't exactly giving it away at the store no more.

Lucky_P · Jan 28, 2022

You'll probably need to increase your consumption to a couple of gallons a day. At least. lol

There's a pretty good overview presented here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/03/family-milk-cow.html

Has she considered a dairy goat?

DCA farm · Jan 28, 2022

Lucky_P said:
You'll probably need to increase your consumption to a couple of gallons a day. At least. lol

There's a pretty good overview presented here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/03/family-milk-cow.html

Has she considered a dairy goat?

No on the goat that's not gonna happen

Dsth · Jan 28, 2022

is she thinking its like the old westerns where someone goes out and milks the family cow in a super clean barn? it is hard to justify buying a milking system for one cow. buying a dairy cow at the sale barn would be a terrible idea since no dairy farmer that I know takes a perfectly good cow to the sale barn. does she know how to check for health problems like mastitis? cows also do not produce pasteurized milk so drink at your own risk. hopefully if you do get a good cow, she won't be one that likes to kick. it would also be great if the cow always come in nice and clean before milking. a little manure in that freshly milked bucket of milk may quickly change her mind about that cow milking business. keep us posted and take some pics for me. good luck.

Ky hills · Jan 28, 2022

I've never drank any raw cow's milk but most everbody in my parents generation did, and had some friends that ran a dairy till just a few years ago, and they drank it. People say its different, and would take some getting use to it. My mother said that growing up they always separated the cream off and sold it. Then when she would go visit one of her aunts, she had a neighbor that had a Guernsey cow and he brought one of the days milkings to her aunt. She said they left the cream in the milk and she said it was so much better.
Honestly. I know that a lot of people have an aversion to goats and goat milk, but if I were going to do my own milking, I believe I would have a goat. They are clean animals, and wouldn't take as much feed and space as cow. I milked a Saanan goat for while, she had more milk her one baby could take, and I gave what I milked out to a bottle calf.

Silver · Jan 28, 2022

Is she familiar with raw milk? If not she might want to try it for awhile before committing to a milk cow. I grew up on it, milked one for several years as a kid. Just the smell of it is enough to turn me off now.
I do miss the cream though.

kenny thomas · Jan 28, 2022

Silver said:
Is she familiar with raw milk? If not she might want to try it for awhile before committing to a milk cow. I grew up on it, milked one for several years as a kid. Just the smell of it is enough to turn me off now.
I do miss the cream though.

The great thing about the cream is it makes butter. Good and yellow butter. Salty makes it even better.

wbvs58 · Jan 28, 2022

I would say, fine. Just as long as she deals with it, gets up early to milk "HER" cow looks after it locks the calf away at night etc.

jltrent · Jan 28, 2022

Skim the cream off and make some homemade ice cream. When I was younger we use to make it and it sure was good. I use to hate store bought milk as it had no flavor. It has been a few years since we milked.

Lee VanRoss · Jan 28, 2022

This ain't going to end well. Brace yourself.

uplandnut · Jan 28, 2022

Any dairies around you could ask to buy milk straight out of the bulk tank? Be cheaper than buying the cow and maintenance.

Lucky_P · Jan 28, 2022

Loved my cows. Both grandparent families milked, and I drank home-produced milk as a little tyke. I've milked more beef cows than I cared to.
Liked the goats when I had them - just couldn't keep 'em in our fences.
But if I *had* to milk one, and it was just me and the wife, I'd get a goat; probably a Nubian - just 'cause I like their looks, but the Nigerian dwarfs are pretty good milkers.
But... thankfully, she doesn't want raw milk, and I sure as heck don't wanna be tied down to milking every day - even if it were only once a day.

I have a veterinary colleague who's breeding miniature Jerseys (and now mini Zebus)... and she sells them as fast as she can make 'em... for crazy-@$$ prices! IDK about folks...

sstterry · Jan 28, 2022

Dsth said:
it is hard to justify buying a milking system for one cow.

They make systems for homesteaders that maybe milk just one cow. I used to milk one when I was growing up. That didn't last long because we had more important things to be doing when it was easier to could just buy a couple of gallons a week.

I have a great-aunt that churned her own butter until just a few years ago.

Edit: Here is a small milking machine

J+ Cattle · Jan 28, 2022

After a week when gets tired of milking you can turn it into your new nurse cow.

chaded · Jan 28, 2022

wbvs58 said:
I would say, fine. Just as long as she deals with it, gets up early to milk "HER" cow looks after it locks the calf away at night etc.

Yeah it's kind of like my wife keeps telling me she wants a horse until i remind her that she doesn't have the time to take care of one and I'm not doing it.

sstterry · Jan 28, 2022

chaded said:
Yeah it's kind of like my wife keeps telling me she wants a horse until i remind her that she doesn't have the time to take care of one and I'm not doing it.

My wife told me she wanted a miniature donkey for this past Christmas. She did not get it!!

MurraysMutts · Jan 28, 2022

Give ya a good excuse to to hang out at the sales and buy a couple bottle calves....

DCA farm · Jan 28, 2022

Dsth said:
is she thinking its like the old westerns where someone goes out and milks the family cow in a super clean barn? it is hard to justify buying a milking system for one cow. buying a dairy cow at the sale barn would be a terrible idea since no dairy farmer that I know takes a perfectly good cow to the sale barn. does she know how to check for health problems like mastitis? cows also do not produce pasteurized milk so drink at your own risk. hopefully if you do get a good cow, she won't be one that likes to kick. it would also be great if the cow always come in nice and clean before milking. a little manure in that freshly milked bucket of milk may quickly change her mind about that cow milking business. keep us posted and take some pics for me. good luck.

Idk what she thinks she milked one of my corriente in the chute a while back and ever since then she wanted one

DCA farm · Jan 28, 2022

MurraysMutts said:
Give ya a good excuse to to hang out at the sales and buy a couple bottle calves....

Good ole headache makers there

DCA farm · Jan 28, 2022

J+ Cattle said:
After a week when gets tired of milking you can turn it into your new nurse cow.

What I'm thinking I told her no way I'd buy one with out a calf in it cause I know what will happen

My lady wants a milk cow

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