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Barnyard Buddies:  Question about buying dairy stock?  |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 20 2011 : 4:49:27 PM
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To farmgirls that have milk cows-- Do you generally have to buy a calf from a backyard breeder? Or will a full dairy occasionally sell heifers if you get in touch with them?
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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herbquilter
True Blue Farmgirl
891 Posts
Kristine
Bonney Lake
Wa
USA
891 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2011 : 5:11:17 PM
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I have the same question and another: Cost vs output of milk? Worth it?
Goat cost vs Cow cost?
I am exploring options.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many, Herbalist, Master Energy Intuitive
http://herbalmommasda.blogspot.com/
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2011 : 7:18:53 PM
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Given anecdotal evidence, I'd presume that a goat is more efficient at turning forage into rich milk, eats the least and has the lowest cost of maintenance, when you consider how the majority of the world has always drank goat milk instead of cow.
My process of selecting a dairy animal is based on my needs vs. what resources I have available.
At first I thought I had to get a cow, because I assumed my family would refuse goat milk, then I read that goat milk was easier to digest and that the "weird taste" in commercial goat milk is limited to only one of the dairy breeds.... then I read that you cant really make butter from goat milk because their milk is leaner and you dont get heavy cream... I could still go either way, but I've got my heart set on a doe-eyed jersey heifer someday.
Nice high butter fat, large output, small frame, breedable down to mini bulls for more compact backyard friendly offspring.
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2011 : 8:27:09 PM
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I've made butter from my goat milk. It takes awhile for it to sit and the cream to come to the top. And I don't get much. But it can be done. And it's white not yellow.
I did all the pros and cons to a goat or a cow. The main thing that got me was the amount of poop a cow makes as to waht a little goat makes each day. I read a cow poops 85 pounds a day.That's like 1 1/2 feed sacks of poop. Put like that it really doesn't sound like much now. But goat poop is so easy to just rake up.
And yes, dairy's do sell heifers occasionally. But your best bet would be somewhere like Craig's list or your local market bulletin. And word of mouth. Just start asking around. Someone knows someone who knows someone...
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
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Sweet_Tea
True Blue Farmgirl
194 Posts
Tara
Newberry
SC
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2011 : 06:34:52 AM
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Dairy farms will sell their cows, You can also buy them as calves and bottle feed them until they are older, but then you have to breed them to get the milk going.
Or you can go to cattle sales.
I get cows from both places.
Farmgirl Sister #2974
~ http://notsosweettea.blogspot.com/
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears"
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2011 : 09:47:37 AM
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if you are new at this, make sure you bring someone with you to "check Out" the cow for you, to make sure she is tame enough to milk, and has no bad vices, and has that general overall healthy look...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2011 : 1:43:51 PM
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oh how i so agree with everything said so far. i have been milking cows now for almost 3 years. i love doing it. i better love it, cause it is hard work. that said i bought keeping a family cow book. i went to their website and READ AND READ. well i have learned many things along the way. many were HARD core lessons of life. i am in love with jerseys and their milk. we are milking 2 cows now 2 times a day. we use a machine. for us ATTITUDE of cow is major number one prority. halter and lead broke. prefer if second year calving having been milked by hand or machine before we get her. size matters. poops are huge. we have a tractor. we built to fit the tractor for cleaning. in our state i can sell my extra milk legally. i can have 2 cows in milk. i cannot advertise. i dont need to. i sell more milk than i get. we sell eggs also. so folks buy gallon milk 2 dozen eggs and i have $11.00. our goal is 50.00 a day. we are getting closer i so agree with touching moving milking the cow BEFORE you buy. one bad quarter sucks. hazel our girl has one quarter that takes extra work to get empty. it is time consuming even with a machine. i love my side can bucket milker. easy use and i can see when a quarter is empty through the clear view top. if i can help let me know. dairys cull milk cows often. my best cow is a rescue 2 teater. easy milker easy calving leads with the car or tractor. fine girl my isabelle. happy days ahead for you sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2011 : 4:16:18 PM
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I'm new to cow ownership, but not new to livestock in general, so I think with some research into breed standards I'd be pretty equipped to choose a healthy animal, so that doesn't worry me.
An option I'm kicking around is bottle feeding a heifer and making a pet of her from the ground up (I've seen dairies giving away week old bull calfs for free, so a heifer calf can't be all that expensive.) It may take much longer until I get my first gallon of cream, but my girl and I will be best buddies and I'll know she's been treated well almost all her life.
It's a great plan as long as I don't get stuck with the one cow out of a thousand who can't conceive.
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2011 : 5:05:43 PM
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Another question-- what kind of milk machine/pump should I get as a backyard milker if I go the bovine route? I'm considering expense, ease of use and ease of cleaning.
How about caprine milkers?
What types of features are expensive bells and whistles and what are some actual important features?
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2011 : 07:48:35 AM
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well jen you have good questions. for me i need a machine.. my hands will not do the action as long as it takes. it takes time to milk a cow. i put the machine on and go and water the stock. come back and strip her out. now not all cows are this easy. hazel has a difficult quarter. i have to work it to get the milk out. she is only 5. she came from a dairy. this quarter takes way longer to get empty. i have to manually work it and pull the inflation. seems like the inside tube is crooked. dairys get rid of cows usually for a reason. i would want to know why a cow was for sale. i agree with you about a calf. if she came from good parents it would be great. she would bond with you. you would learn as you go. i love new challenges. i think the machine choice would be decided by the cow. a belly surge only holds 5 gallons. when hazel reaches her peak after calving she will easily give that in a milking easily. i would have to change cans mid milking. i love mini jerseys for small farms. they give less milk but it is still cow milk. my goal now is to have A-2 jersey / dexter milk cows. hope this helps happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2011 : 08:06:10 AM
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Sherrye I just read an article on Dexters in the Hobby Farm Magazine. They are a fantastic breed! I've since been on the web researching about them. I have a new dream if we can acquire a little more acreage!
I've also found the A-2 subject interesting! Thanks for talking about this. I would have never realized the importance otherwise.
Thanks!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2011 : 11:32:05 AM
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your so welcome connie, we have a herd consisting of 4 heifers 3 we will breed in a month. we have 3 cows and then one jersey that is ours. we also have curly our steer this year. we have been raising them now for almost 20 years. they are soooo easy to handle and easy keepers. folks love the meat. low cholesterol if grass fed. if you have questions just ask..jpg) if i did this right ,,,this is hippo she is wider than tall. wonderful mom. this is her calf curly. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2011 : 3:48:57 PM
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Oh I am so envious! I wish I could come visit and learn all about them from you. She is kinda Hippo shaped isn't she! I love their broad faces. Is it hard to find them to buy?
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2011 : 3:59:00 PM
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Ok, well I inquired at a couple of dairies listed on the American jersey club breeders list and none responded (old contact information I think.) But I was informed of a livestock auction across the valley held weekly. Maybe I can get hubby to cruise over there one week to scope it out.
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 06:52:17 AM
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jen good morning, if you go to realmilk.com i think it is. they have a state by state listing of folks selling milk. through there you may find one. i would post on craigs you are looking. just an idea. if you go to an auction. be careful what you buy. some times its not a healthy cow or calf. since you have had other stock you probably know this. also if you are looking for a dexter go to dexter.com i think it is. well i hope i helped a little. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 6:14:04 PM
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It's a guarantee that if a farmer is selling a cow, it's his worst cows. And if he's liquidating a herd? it will still be the worst part of his herd! lol
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. ~Will Rogers |
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MommaJ9
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Kimberly
Longview
Washington
USA
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 10:43:32 PM
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We just bought our first dairy cow and asked all the questions that you've asked. We ended up buying a registered Jersey heifer (13 months) who had been handled by the owners since birth. In fact, when we went to pick Tilly up, she was loosely tied to a fence, chewing her cud. We're still 8 months out from milking her (if the AI worked), but in the meantime, we're just getting her used to us. Auctions usually aren't the best places to purchase a milk cow...there's probably a reason they're at auction. Craigslist worked great for us, but you have to use different key words. Each time we searched, we came up with different results! Good luck to you~getting a milk cow (or goat) is a pretty awesome adventure!
Farmgirl #783
http://jabezfarm.blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: Question about buying dairy stock? |
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Question about buying dairy stock?
