Cows or goats?

[TigerLilly]

Why not have both? Personally, I'm lactose intolerant, so I have goats. I also have miniature cattle (zebu). The best of both worlds!

 

[zzGypsy]

some goats are louder than others. I find our lamanchas are loud only if they're in heat or they're REALLY hungry. like missed a feeding hungry.

if you get a cow, you need to consider what' you're going to do with all that milk. and you'll need an extra fridge. think about how fast your fridge will fill up on 5-8 gallons a day. if you're not making cheese every other day, you're going to have a lot more than you'll know what to do with.

there are some lower production dairy cows, milking shorthorns, mini-jerseys. sometimes you can find a cull cow from a dairy, one that only has 2 quarters in production instead of 4, and that brings the quantity down. if you get a cow from a dairy, make sure it's one that can be hand milked... not all of them like it and some aren't really good starter cows.

goats vary in production based on size, breed and individual performance. ours produce between a quart and two gallons a day. two gallons is a pretty high volume for a goat, most won't do that much.

if you're looking for weed patrol you might need more than 2 of either choice.

 

[danischi24]

Get a milk cow with calf or ready to calve. Keep the calf on her & let him have most of the milk. Separate him from her at night & milk what you want for your family in the morning before letting him rejoin her. Let him be able to see her & be near her at night though-maybe a grill partition between them. Teat length & shape is of great importance when choosing a cow (or goat). Milking tiny or badly formed teats by hand is no fun. I was in the dairy industry for years & some of those cows were such a pleasure to milk & some were such a pain-they would cramp your hands up. Get a no-kick-stick. My best friend especially with cows who haven't been hand milked or first timers. A good milking stall is also your best friend for anything but the most docile cows. You can make one yourself easily. Just a rectangle of metal poles or wood. Something like this with some tasty food in it: http://www.bits4farms.com.au/images/products/cavalier-horse-crush-1296.jpg
Make sure that she can't jump out, though if your cow is laid-back this wont be a problem.
If you need more milk & pasture clearing, add a pair of dis-budded goats.
Breed your cow 4-6 months after calving. This will keep your cow in highest production. You want her to have 2 to 3 months break after you wean the calf before she has the next one.
Or you can wean the calf after 3 months or so & sell it as started. Then you will have all the milk for your family/pigs (pigs will consume anything your family doesn't & love you for it) until she calves again. Many cows will taper off but continue to produce a gallon or 2 (or more) if not rebred, for up to 3 years.

 

[PotterWatch]

Also, if you haven't hand-milked before and that is the route you are planning to take, be warned that milking a cow is more physically demanding that you might think. It takes more hand strength than most people realize. New milkers to our program regularly take 2-3hrs for their first milking where they get around 2-2.5gals. Once you get the hang of it and your muscles are trained for the work, it will take far less time. The jersey I had been milking until last week was a kicker. She had to be hobbled for every milking and even at that, you couldn't put the bucket down to milk, you had to milk with one hand and hold the bucket with the other so you could pull it away if she started to kick. Even milking with only one hand, I could milk her out within 45 mins (that included the time it took to set up and clean up the milking area). The holstein we had before her only took me 30mins because I could milk with both hands.

It can be hard to find a dairy cow that is used to being hand-milked, depending on what area you are in. If you can find one that is already used to it and had good manners, that would be what you want for a first cow. Goats that are good about being hand-milked are much easier to find.