What's with your user name? And what about that avatar?

[fawkestheman]

I want a cow but, too much work and money...

 

[islandgirl82]

I had a team of brown swiss (Ben & Jerry) when I was growing up. .. they were a lot of work. Fun and super sweet but no fencing would hold them in. ..we were constantly repairing/replacing it and time and money certainly adds up.

 

[hennible]

I want a cow but, too much work and money...

I honestly drink enough milk to warrant a cow... Not a Holstein but a jersey or dexter

 

[Blooie]

If milk didn't get sour, I could buy a gallon on January first and use up the last of it on December 31.

 

[hennible]

Lol
A gallon last me two days, just me...

 

[perchie.girl]

I had a team of brown swiss (Ben & Jerry) when I was growing up. .. they were a lot of work. Fun and super sweet but no fencing would hold them in. ..we were constantly repairing/replacing it and time and money certainly adds up.

Our neighbors bought a dairy cow because they had six kids... The only way they could keep her in the paddock was to tire a logging chain to her with a four by for fastened to the end of it.... Kind of like a watch fob. When she jumped the fence the chain and four by four would stay in the corral and hook on the fence. She could clear a five foot fence... Holstien I believe...

They make Great oxen.... Big too


deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Lol
A gallon last me two days, just me...

A Holstien produces appx 9 gallons per day... Jerseys .... 5 to six gallons per day..... Even the miniature cows make two to three gallons per day

All cows goats sheep ... have to be milked twice a day sometimes three times per day.... Even a Nigerian dwarf goat which is a dairy goat that comes to about knee height produces up to a half a gallon per day....

Fresh goats milk is NOTHING like the stuff you get in the store. Also for goats milk if you dont keep a buck on the premisis it makes for a milder taste on the milk. You can do AI for breeding or take your goat to visit the buck or billie. I was one of those who disliked goats milk till I tasted it fresh from a good goat dairy farm.

So all that considering expect to learn how to make Cheese, Cream and butter.... Yep from goat milk too.

You have to freshen the goat or cow every year.... breed for a baby once born they get to feed off the colostrum momma makes for about a day or two then they are removed and fed off a bottle then bucket from then on. In Dairy's boys are raised up for veal.

Its a lot of work.... even with a milking machine... unless you want fore arms like Popeye.... LOL.

deb

 

[islandgirl82]

My parents realized just how much work went into them and they didn't want to commit. I was the only one to work with them; bottle feeding around the clock (they were only a few days old when we got them), got them trained to the yolk but by the time they were a year old and I was in school so couldn't put all the time into them that they needed, they were sold to a guy who had the time, a LOT more experience and could finish them properly.

I've had goats as well...only one was ever in milk. She was a Saanen named Sprite and she would follow my sister and me to the beach and swim with us. Milking twice a day...before and after school...it was time consuming and you're certainly tethered to your farm so kiss little trips or even afternoon/evenings out goodbye (but that goes for cows too). Her milk was great right up until she got into the goldenrod.

 

[tntchix]

Never did try raising dairy cows.

We raised 4 calves for meat in the backyard. Kids were too young to care for them because of school so guess who got the job? Clueless and got no help from hubby (they were his idea) I did my best for them. My reward? Giardia. Ugh. Oh, and the trip to the slaughterhouse is the reason my youngest won't eat beef.

It was the best meat though. Thanks Lil Jim, T-bone, Porterhouse and Poke.

 

[islandgirl82]

We raised our own pigs once. ONCE. Because we all cried when we had to take them to slaughter. They were intelligent, fun and sweet but we got them for meat so we followed through. I'll never do it again. I've considered getting a rescue pig to help till areas where burdock has taken over but I couldn't raise any for meat again, nor could I with cattle. I've thought about raising a freezer flock but I'm still on the fence about it as the longer I have chickens, the less often I eat meat. Admittedly, I'm a terrible livestock owner when it comes to raising for meat.