Anyone have a milk cow?

[Ang]

I have drank Hereford milk. It tasted like grass not like the rich, creamy milk I was expecting. I'd stick with a milk breed. I have batted around the idea of getting a Jersey but then I would have to find someone to milk her when we left for a weekend. Fresh milk is the bestest though!

 

[CrowinKing]

I've had dairy and beef cattle all my life. As for the milk issue the milk has everything in it creme and all in my opinion its alot better then store bought milk!!! Have ?'s ask!

 

[texaschickmama]

Thanks, guys for the great answers here. I think if we raised one up from a calf she would be a lot more tame and used to us. I can't wait to taste some fresh milk now. I thought about goats at first, but got differing opinions on the taste of the milk. Also, they are hard to contain and since we are building a brand new barbwire fence, a cow is a better choice for us.
Anyone have a brown swiss? Is Jersey the best milk?

 

[chickenannie]

A question about newbie who's also thinking about starting out with a milk cow... How much time per day does it take to milk one cow? Can you milk it once a day? Is there a machine to milk just one cow or does it have to be by hand (which I presume takes much longer).

Thanks!

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

Yeah, a milk cow would be great but wouldn't she have to be bred every year to keep her in milk? What do you do with the calf especially if it's a male? Also, doesn't a Guernsey give several gallons of milk morning and night? I've always heard Guernseys were the best family cows but that's a lot of milk.

 

[CrowinKing]

Yes she would have to be bred every year and I don't know if they make a devise to milk one cow I like brown swiss there a little bit smaller than most and are really tame we had one that would fallow me around all the time! they should be milked atleast twice a day oh if its a bull you don't want to milk it you won't like that milk!!!!

 

[countrygirl4513]

Brown Swiss have the sweetest temperment, IMO. I was raised on a dairy. We had a variety of cows. We milked twice a day, had to. There is nothing in the world like going to the milkhouse and lifting up a dipper of all natural 100% cow milk. However, if onions are in season...needless to say, your milk is onion-e. That always did bite. But Daddy milked for years over 40. So I spent my life shoveling poop, milking, bringing in, feeding, you name it we did it. I'm not sure if the cow has to be bred to keep milk. We always had a bull, so my memory can't recollect. I'd love to have a milk cow. But fencing would break my bank.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Yes they need to be bred once a year (or more if they don't settle the first time) to keep milking. That is why it is called freshening when they have their calf-the milk supply is freshened. You can call in an artifical breeder when she is in heat to breed her. As for the calf you can sell it or raise it. A bull calf can be steered and raised for meet. Either for your own use or to sell. A heifer calf can be raised for replacement, again either for your cow or sold to someone else.

Yes a hand raised cow is more friendly if you put the time in. Doesn't mean they won't be stubborn though!

You can get a small vaccum pump and make a stall in the barn to milk her. Delaval has a bucket that sits on the floor that the claw is attached to by hoses and that works well. Surge has a bucket that hangs on the cow with a strap and has the claw attached by hoses. Either would work. Personally I preferred the Delaval one. Now I have pipeline but that would be overkill for one. Get the electric pulsation and not the vacuum one. It is the better type.

Yes cows need to be milked twice a day. It only takes a couple minutes to milk the cow and will take you longer to clean the milker than milk her.

The taste of milk will vary if you change the cows feed. Example if you are feeding baled hay and switch to green grass it will have a different taste. Not bad just a little different.

 

[texaschickmama]

I'm almost settled on a Brown Swiss, but WHERE can I find one here? EVERYONE has Holsteins or Jerseys. I'll keep looking.

 

[chicknmania]

Don't they have to be in calf before they start producing milk, though? If so, what is is like to deal with a pregnant cow and delivering her calf?