Don't have a cow, can't have a cow, but have a cow question...

[Kelly G]

I love cows! I've always loved cows! Looked at them in pictures, books, and at fairs. Then a woman I met while shopping for property to build a barn, introduced us to her pet black angus. She found out I liked cows and took us out to her pasture, and called "Angel! Here Angel!" Along comes Angel, running hell-bent-for-leather straight to us! She was 1,200+ pounds of affectionate steak! She presented her head for rubbing, her shoulder for scratching, and her but for rubbing.

I LOVED this cow!

I also LOVE the look of: Holsteins, Brahmans (those EARS!!!!), Brown Swiss (those deer-like faces!),

Anyway, we are moving next year to outside the Asheville, N.C. area onto some small acreage (5 - 7 acres). We are taking my two horses and as many chickens as we can (moving chickens seems like a HEAP of fun!), and eventually to add a cow

My purpose: really just for a pet and lawn ornament. NO BREEDING! I'm not opposed to having a milk cow....except that requires a breeding

My primary question is: can male calves (when castrated young & polled) be a good pet? Kind of like geldings make great mounts....low on drama and other hormone-related issues?

How much land does one cow need if we are feeding hay?

Should I consider a mini instead of a full-size?

What are some good books to read/educate myself over the next year?

 

[EweSheep]

I know very little about cattle except for my college years in aggie classes and doing pre vet courses.....

A mini cow would be more suitable as pets. A steer or a cow would be sufficent but cows do have hormonal difficulty and sometimes they can break down fences to get at a bull nearby.

I am sure others will chime in.

 

[Kelly G]

Do they need hoof trims like horses?

 

[roocrazy]

hi tbhere kelly g!!!
i love cattle too!!
steers even if polled, band. steers can be CRAZY along with all other cattle.
to get a cow tame i extremely recomend raising it from a weanling and halteer breaking it. mine was wild even as a calf but now shes like a puppy.
as for mini versus regular... that is tyotally up to you(id rather have standard cattle)
as for space they say like an acre for one cow and calf. but i think as long as they have some space and enough hay. theyll be fine.
not to sure on any books for you. i just used some buddys and the internet to jump in with show cattle.
i do warn you if you Do decide to get a cow... you will want ccalves and if you dont have the space for a bull, go to www.cattlevisions.com here you can browse bull to purchase seman from in order to A.I. your heifer.
i suggest for a breed. of coarse SHORTHORN
good luck with you new cow!

 

[roocrazy]

Quote:
yes.

 

[Quinn4321]

They shouldn't need hoof trimming as long as they have an outdoor pasture to walk around. Do you think any of the free-range beef cattle have their feet trimmed? Well, they don't. So, I don't think you should have to either. If your cows feet become overgrown and long, it need to walk around more, but you can get someone to trim off the extra foot.

 

[Katy]

A castrated steer that is allowed to mature and not be butchered is an ox....and they can be very tame.

How much land depends on where you live. Here, in a good year it takes about 7-8 acres of pasture to maintain a cow/calf pair for 6 months....the other six months we have to feed. This year because of the drought it's been at least 3 times that acreage for our pairs. Other places it doesn't take as many acres while others take much many more acres.

As a rule, no they don't need their hooves trimmed.

Sorry, I don't know anything about the minis.

 

[Johndeere96]

Yes a steer will make good pets I have a team of red and white Holstein steers (will be oxen at age 5) are like puppy's verys friendly and are gonna get large 2000# plus at Age 2 they are already 1200 + and they really don't need their feet trimmed Mina have never had it done and none of my grampas,dads or great grampas oxen got trimmed but that's because they always get worked and walk every day if yous will sit around in a small pasture it may need to be done

 

[Haviris2]

Well this is my first bottle calf, now a teen aged steer,

so yes, they can make great pets! My suggestion is to looking for a baby dairy bull, they tend to go fairly cheap and you don't have to tame a bottle baby. Although you do have to watch and make sure you put a stop to any unwanted behavior (like butting, may be cute when they're a few weeks old, but not so cute when they're over 1000lbs).

 

[Haviris2]

double post.