DCA farm
Well-known member
We buy most of our milk from a local dairy but it runs $6 a gallon it's good howeverAny dairies around you could ask to buy milk straight out of the bulk tank? Be cheaper than buying the cow and maintenance.
We buy most of our milk from a local dairy but it runs $6 a gallon it's good howeverAny dairies around you could ask to buy milk straight out of the bulk tank? Be cheaper than buying the cow and maintenance.
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
As long as she's tame enough to milk once a week…daily habit usually is a better trainer.I've had the idea from time to time to buy a jersey x beef heifer to milk. Leave the calf on all week, put the calf up Friday night, milk cow Saturday morning then put calf back in until next Friday. I've heard of a few people do it that way with one that don't milk too heavy. One milking a week would be enough for my wife and I.
winner!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.
Why not get a Jersey x Hereford or Jersey x Angus, either will milk adequately for a family cow, and they will produce a beefier calf.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
OOpsWhat I'm thinking I told her no way I'd buy one with out a calf in it cause I know what will happen
If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.Lol. My wife wanted a pony back in the day because she grew up with one as a kid she and her sisters rode around. So because our boys were young we got a ping, that turned into getting a second one. They loved to ride them around, but the promise of helping to train, maintain, etc quickly became a me only job. So they went down the road after a couple years of that. Then came the raising pigs, again turned into a me only thing taking care of them, into the freezer they went. Then my wife decided when things started getting crazy in the world that raising our own chickens again was a great idea, at least she was upfront when I asked her if she was going to take care of them, help clean the coop and collect eggs. She said "let's be honest here, you're going to raise them from pullers, build a new western store front looking coop, feed, water, clean and gather the eggs. Since you have to deal with the cattle already your already out there." I don't even eat but maybe a few eggs a month. Yet I collect eggs daily and clean the coop weekly. Now she's wanting to get a horse. I said absolutely not. I'll let you know how that works out for me. I'm sure I already know.
All great points. She must consider she has to get her bred for a calf the next year. That can be rather difficult. A1, probably and hope it takes.You can leave the calf on her so that you don't get too much milk. There's no need to keep milking until you have it all either. The calf will get it. If you milk her the same time every day she will walk to the barn at that time. Spray her for flies, wipe her udder for dirt and dust. She will be happy to stand and eat her grain while you milk her. Pick a time that's best for you. There's nothing magical about daybreak. It's rather enjoyable, but as time consuming as having a bottle calf all the time. You have to quit and let her prepare to have her next calf. Great thing is that you can milk out some colostrum for the freezer. It's been ages for me since I had one.
I kept a couple milkers for a number of years. Rather than buying at the sale barn I had better luck getting to know some of the family dairies who also showed at the fairs. I was able to pick up girls they were going to cull solely on not quite making the lbs of milk needed to stay in their program. They would come from great lines good feet, good udders. They may not be putting out. Hey if they are putting out 40 lbs and that dairy man needs 65, well my family isn't drinking 40 lbs a day, and I can sell the over abundance for a pretty penny.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.
4$ a quart outside Eugene. More around PDX.Why not get a Jersey x Hereford or Jersey x Angus, either will milk adequately for a family cow, and they will produce a beefier calf.
Get a calf from a local dairy, make sure it's not a twin, get it vaccinated for brucellosis between 5 -12months (thats here in Oregon).
Silver is right about tryin some raw milk. I grew up on raw milk and it took along time to get so I could drink store bought milk. I think
she could pasteurize it herself if she wanted. In the right areas it is a very marketable product. $8-$10 a gallon is what they were selling it
for where I worked.
I didn't read the directions, but if you hook it up backwards, does it put the milk back in? Inquiring minds want to know.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