| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| faithymom |
Posted - Dec 21 2006 : 11:26:52 AM
I was wondering if anyone knows how much milk the average home dairy cow gives.
WHEN I get my farm, I want to have a Jersey cow (but a dual-purpose breed would be OK, too) and was wondering how much milk they give per day.
I would want enough that I could make cheese and yogurt in addition to milk for daily use.
Thanks for you insights!
Faith |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Mar 01 2007 : 12:23:22 PM
hi ladies
I too had a jersey named Dolly. She was soooooooo very little and only grew to past my knee. We had her for 7 months, and still, she didn't grow much past my knee. My husband said that we should give her to our friend that has a petting zoo. I begged him to let me keep her as she was such a dear sweet pet. She would follow me down the lane to get the mail. My dog would sleep with her......oh she was so sweet. One day I came home and went to see my Dolly and she wasn't there. My husband had given her to the petting zoo. I was heart broken and also mad at him for giving away my Dolly. He said that he didn't think that I truly wanted to keep her. (my husband is very intelligent but sometimes a wee bit thick in the head)
Anyway.....the odd thing happened.....Dolly who was so small for so long, started to grow and now is a full grown cow and is still as sweet as ever (but still living with the petting zoo people.)
"learn to watch snails" SARK |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Feb 20 2007 : 11:21:43 AM
Ricki Carrol has a great cheese book.
I have a web page with cheese making resources.
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com/cheese.html
We hit 5th for family milk cow!!! How did that happen!!
Cyndi
Muller's Lane Farm http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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| herbquilter |
Posted - Feb 15 2007 : 11:52:31 AM
I really appreciate the cow talk. We are considering a cow late summer/early fall. We live on only 1 acre, but will have 1/4 to 1/3 in pasture for her. We will build a small barn for hay storage & milking in the summer.
Any advice for a beginner with the cow or barn plans (on a budget) would be great.
Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| windypines |
Posted - Feb 15 2007 : 05:16:14 AM
I see cow talk is still going, so have to put in my two cents worth! Ha
My Summer, a jersey, is doing fine. We got her for 525 last fall. She is only milking on 3 quarters, so she was going to go as a cull cow. She will calve the end of sept. She gives plenty of milk, and I make cheese, butter, almost everyday. I make colby pressed cheese, and curds, moz, ricotta, kefir, chevre,ice cream, cream cheese. My cottage cheese has not turned out the best. Either it is too squeaky, or a bit to sour for everyones taste. I have 2 different books that have helped me alot, Goats produce too, by Mary Jane Toth, and Home cheese making by Ricki Carroll. None of the products are hard to make, but they do take some time. I have not tried to age any cheese yet. Wanted to get the hang of making fresh first. Colby cheese that is squeaky is good!!
I am not sure about letting the calf suck, and still trying to milk the cow. My dad always said the cow will not let her milk down, if the calf is still sucking on her. I don't know. I plan to bottle feed the calf after it is born. Iwill let her suck right after she is born, but that will be all. That is what we used to do on my dad's farm. Worked there. I will freeze several bags of colostrum. It is good to have in the freezer incase you need it for another calf. I also have some beefers.
No mastitis, knock on wood. I wash summer with soapy water, strip, dip, dry, milk, dip, and in the cold weather I use bag balm, dip and dry. She is not in a "warm barn", so I try to keep her as dry as possible. She has a 12x12 pen, beded deeply, and it seems she can only lay and dump in one place, and they happen to be the same! :) She is outside all day, can go in when she wants, and in at night. So I clean her pen twice a day.
That kind of gives you an idea of my work for the day with Summer. She has been a very good girl for me. Michele |
| farmer miller |
Posted - Feb 14 2007 : 07:26:36 AM
Faithymom--YOU SHOULD LET THE CALVE SUCK, THE MOTHER. MILK FIRST JUST TAKING WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR FAMILY, THEN LET THE CALVE HAVE THE REST. |
| farmer miller |
Posted - Feb 14 2007 : 07:19:27 AM
JUST ABOUT ANY COW WILL MAKE A GOOD MILK COW.ON THE FARM,HAS A CHILD I MILK A strawberry roam,cow she was a little feisty and did'nt like standing to long in one place. Our best milk cow was old Bessie she was a black and white face angus. I like her the best, she had bigger and longer udders. |
| katiedid |
Posted - Feb 13 2007 : 11:44:52 AM
Dolly was the name of the Jersey cow on the Anne of Avonlea movie...I love that movie!
Dolly is a cute cow name....
Cyndi, I just googled 'family milk cow' and your farm's website was the 5th hit! I was so excited to see that!
K
my new blog http/www.theknifemakerswife.wordpress.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 2:42:06 PM
And don't forget...Jerseys excel in cute too!!!
Nope..havn't tried aged cheeses yet..maybe some day. Right now since we are down to milking Mona every OTHER night (and getting about 3 gallons or so) I don't have much spare milk for cheesemaking. After she calves in May I will be drowning in milk again and will be trying new stuff. We are big cheese eaters here. I havn't figured out a great place to keep my cheeses to age them though..that is my main concern at this point about that.
I think Dolly is the sweetest name..I love that!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 2:33:03 PM
Our Dolly (a jersey) is milked once a day in the winter and is currently giving 3-4 gallons. When she is milked twice a day, she gives about 7 gallons.
How much milk will depend on what she is fed and her access to clean water too.
Every cow is an 'all-purpose' cow and can be used for milk, meat or draft. Some breeds excel in different areas. Jersey meat is better than angus for taste - you have to get past the yellow marbeling though. Jersey oxen are one of the calmer breeds for draft and you can hardly beat jersey milk for cream content!!
Cyndi
Muller's Lane Farm http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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| katiedid |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 2:25:10 PM
Jenny, have you even made any cheddar or other aged cheeses?
How about you Libbie, are you milking you dexter?
Are dexters really a tiny cow?
Love the cow talk!!
Kate
my new blog http/www.theknifemakerswife.wordpress.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 12:45:34 PM
Oh yes..ricotta is an easy one to make!! I use the whey from making mozzarella (another easy one) and it is really quick..and good! You should try it Mel..you would have fun and it is so fresh tasting and yummy.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 09:29:35 AM
Aunt Jenny do you make your own ricotta cheese? I keep saying that I am going to make my own cheese, butter and yogurt but haven't yet
independent consultant with Epicure Selections www.epicureselections.com "Everyday gourmet simply by opening a jar!" |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 3:27:44 PM
We have always used it raw. I honestly wouldn't think of any other way. We had goats before the cow and did the same with their milk.
We had one very slight case of mastitis in one quarter with Mona about 4 months or so ago..quickly taken care of. It was during a really muddy spell and I think that was the problem. I am very very careful. She never got real sick..I caught it at the very onset.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| faithymom |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 12:58:59 PM
Do you pasteurize or use it raw?
Have you had mastitis problems from the milking machine?
This talk of cows, and the chicken discussion, is giving me 'farm-itch'...It's so hard to wait for something I want so badly...
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 12:49:02 PM
We only kept Mona's bull calf last year for a short time. I left him with her for that time. If she has a heifer calf and we keep that calf longer I will probably separate them after a few weeks and put the calf (with a sheep buddy) in an adjoining smaller pen where mom and her could touch noses through the fence and bottle feed..since we do rely on the milk. I would keep a heifer calf on mom's milk longer I think unless there was a source of fresh milk for her. I hate to see a heifer put on milk replacer.
I have Mona down to every other night milking now and we are getting about 3 gallons a milking..enough to barely get by (for our family)without buying milk. The end is near for the year and we will be without fresh milk for about 2 1/2 months..yikes! She is due to calf May 25th. I have been freezing butter like crazy and have ricotta and cottage cheese frozen too..but it is the daily milk and cream that will be hard to not have. I LOVE having a cow!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 12:42:02 PM
I have to tell you ladies that the cow talk is awesome. I love to hear about the "dancing cow".
We aren't to the point to have a cow yet, but are aiming for that this fall.
There's a opportunity to share milking a cow locally. That may work out really well for our family.
Please keep up the cow talk.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| faithymom |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 12:04:43 AM
OK, I just got the book, "Keeping a Family Cow" and now I would like to know how whether you bottle feed your calves or leave them with mom and share the milk supply with the calf?
I have read the pros and cons given in the book and would just like to hear how it works at your place?
Faith
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
| Libbie |
Posted - Jan 09 2007 : 08:58:47 AM
Oooohhhhhh...I'm hoping for Mona's calf to be a heifer, too!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 08 2007 : 5:06:21 PM
It was easier to say goodbye to Norman knowing I could go visit (he went to my Nephew's house just about 1/2 mile away and I did go see him for awhile. He isn't so cute and cuddly now but I still check on him. He is 10 months old now!!! Next year's calf will hopefully go down to Libbie..much easier to say goodbye when you know who they are going to..BUT I hold out hope for this one to be a heifer calf so I can visit for years to come. I do know that Norman's time is short.
I am tempted to call a vet out to make sure Mona is indeed pregnant before drying her up. I just would die if I dried her up and then found out she WASN'T!! Mona is starting to show now too..and just has a clumsier attitude..although she still has a little feisty heifer in her. She fairly DANCED around a flake of hay I thew out for the ewes the other night. It was hilarious!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| psouper |
Posted - Jan 08 2007 : 4:10:03 PM
Jenny - I'm HOPING she's bred. We had her AI'd 3 times last summer. The tech seemed to think the 3rd time was the best - lots of signs of being "ripe." I can't get a vet to come here and palpate. Vet shortage and nobody wants to bother with a family cow. I missed the deadline to send blood to the lab for a pregnancy test, so -- we'll just wait. She'll be due at the end of April if she is indeed bred. Her stomach seems huge and lopsided - I don't know . . . . .
I admire you for being able to say goodbye to a 2 week calf. It's much easier to butcher a steer. We add a foster calf too, so she nurses two. She has raised 3 calves for us in a year.
Polly
www.favoriteapron.blogspot.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 04 2007 : 12:25:49 PM
NO...I will have been MILKING her for 12 months. She is due to calve later this year..I bred her for May 25th so it wouldn't be so cold like last spring when she calved. I did word that weird didn't I. Nope..she is an ordinary cow..pregnant for only 9 months like all the others. haha.
Wow..I wish cows were so cheap here. It would be fun to spend the extra money just for the trip to see PEI!!! (and Mella!!)
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| faithymom |
Posted - Jan 04 2007 : 10:51:33 AM
ooo...a trip to PEI AND a cow for half price...sold!!!
Just kidding...I live in town right now and don't think my neighbors would appreciate the noise...no matter how LOW the price was...lol...
Mella...it reminds of the scene where Anne sells Rachel's cow...lol
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
| mellaisbella |
Posted - Jan 04 2007 : 10:18:53 AM
Hi ladies....Aunt Jenny, I reas your posting and I am not understanding something (my brain has been in a fog since the flu I had) Mona couldn't possible be pregnant for 12 months???? Or is that the last time she calved? I have a shocking thing to tell you ladies (I think I told you this already Aunt Jenny) Jersey cows aren't worth much here....even if they are pregnant. We had a buyer here the other day and he was only willing to pay $500.00 for a pregnant Jersey....Any of you ladies planning on coming to PEI? I'd sell you one for $600.00!!! crazy how things are eh?
mellaisbella "I wanna touch the earth, I want to break it in my hands, I want to grow something wild and unruly" |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 03 2007 : 9:35:39 PM
I wish we had space to raise a calf..but we don't (not and keep my ewes too!!) and so I only kept Mona's bull calf for two weeks and milked her twice a day until about 2 months ago when I went to once a day (whew!) and still get 3 gallons or so a day..I plan to milk her until about the first of March and then start gradually drying her up. She is due to calve on May 25. Since she calved on March 2nd that will be 12 full months. Is your cow bred now Polly? I have heard of people milking a cow for two full years..how cool is not dealing with the whole calf thing..but then..I love the adventure too!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| psouper |
Posted - Jan 03 2007 : 4:42:59 PM
We keep a calf with our jersey, and milk once a day. It's been a great arrangement. In the past year my cow raised 3 calves, and now she's 18 mos into her lactation and I'm still milking twice a day ( cause the calves are off her) and getting about 2.5 gallons.
Polly
www.favoriteapron.blogspot.com |
