I have some VERY, VERY exciting news (and I bet you can guess what it is!) – in a month’s time, we are going to become first time cow owners! (Cue the excited squeal!) For months I’ve been connecting with an amazing farm that raises Jersey cows, waiting patiently to see if there would indeed be a cow for our family. And the answer is yes, yes, yes! She is a registered Jersey in her second lactation, she is in milk and has been exposed to a bull, so we’re hoping she’ll be bred when she arrives in mid-October.
Even though we raised Alpine dairy goats for years, we’ve never cared for a cow. So, I reached out to my favorite cow-owning homestead bloggers for their VERY BEST tips for a new cow owner. Here they share the advice that they wish someone had given them when they first got a cow!
Katie from livinlovinfarmin suggests that new cow owners be prepared!
“And in prepared, I don’t just mean physically and emotionally for the long hours and the physical strain it takes to manage and milk a cow, I mean a well prepared, well-stocked medicine cabinet.” (Katie has put together an amazing guest post detailing her cow medicine cabinet, which I am really excited to share in the near future – thank you Katie!)
Quinn from Reformation Acres reminds us that cows are creatures of habit.
“Know well the condition of your cow and give her proper attention. These gals thrive on routine and do best if they know what to expect each and every day and get the hands-on attention they deserve. Livestock is a huge and yet highly rewarding commitment and what they are offering to you and your family is an extremely valuable (and delicious) return for the time and effort you’ll put into them.”
Connie from Urban Overalls shares her experience with the less glamorous side of milking a cow!
“While I currently do not have a milk cow, I grew up milking cows. The one thing I wished I had known or that my siblings who had milking duty before it was passed to me was … tie the tail to something to prevent it from swishing around if the cow has loose bowels that day. The last thing you want is a poopy tail swatting around you”
“Be sure that you have a few resources that you can turn to when you have questions or concerns. A few good books and then one other person who is experienced with family milk cows is invaluable!” (And by the way, Ashley is an amazing source of cow information. I have been known to email her photos of potential cows, just to get her advice!)
Ashley from Whistle Pig Hollow votes for coming home with an experienced cow.
“For a first milk cow, I highly suggest getting one who has been milked before, so at least somebody (the cow!) knows what’s going on when milking time comes. And as soon as you get your cow, start working with her and getting her comfortable with the future milking routine (assuming she’s not already in milk). Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out to people with more experience than you! Our local dairy farmers, our neighbors who own cows, and the man we purchased our milk cow from have been so helpful.”
After researching the different breeds of cows we settled on Dutch Belted cows for their unique qualities that meshed with the family farm set up that we had already started. We have not regretted our decision. We love our small herd of Dutch belted cows for their dual purpose aspects as every dairy farmer is also a beef farmer at times. Also for the quality and amount of milk they give. Their ability to metabolize grass and browse efficiently, and their ruggedness and adaptability to weather conditions in upstate NY. Our farm Rocky Fresh has a Facebook page where you can view scenes of our farm.
Hi Terri
When is your cow due to calve? Mine is dry right now. I bred her A.I. to a Jersey, so hoping for a nice heifer. She is due Feb 18th, so we have been stuck with store milk for a while. I miss that good milk, but was able to stock up on homemade butter before we dried her off. Thank Heaven for that. And I still have enough to last a long time.
Polly is a great cow, if she isn’t at the door at milk time, just call, she will be there. I also have one named Daisy, that we will be selling., she is due to calve in April, as we only need one cow. Although we do have a bucket milker for Polly, Daisy has longer teats, so she would be a good one to hand milk. So, good luck with your cow, interested to see how you get along with her.
Thank you Vera! Wow, so in just a few days, you’ll have a new calf! How exciting! We are still working on getting to know Creme Brulee. She is super sweet and affectionate, but also very very playful and frisky. We need to build a stanchion so we can start working on her milking routine. She is due to calve somewhere between early May- late June. We’re very excited!
There is so much to learn when getting a cow. Have lots of emotional and intellectual energy, time, and money freed up for this project or don’t start. Really. Don’t expect everything to work like you’ve read in books! But once you get used to home grown cream, it will be very hard to imagine doing anything else.
I am 6 weeks into my jersey cow adventure. It will take about 4 weeks for your hands to get use to it and you will be quicker along the way. I recommend giving her a bit more feed in her bucket when milking until you are quicker than she is eating. This way she is less likely to move looking for the scraps.enjoy your adventure and using your milk for all sorts of things. Oh and prepare for new arm muscles, it’s a great workout.
Ah, yes, the burn of milking hands! I remember it well from when we were milking 4 Alpine goats! I’m hoping my husband and I can “double team” and milk a side a piece. We’ll see how she likes it! Enjoy your Jersey!
I love this advice! I’ll be bringing my new girl home in a few weeks and I’m busy trying to get prepared for her. It is so great to be able to get advice from experienced people. 🙂
We milked over 20 years, every cow had a name and personality. I no longer have a milk herd but we got a Jersey last spring. She is a doll. Never picks up a foot. And is always there waiting at milk time. Comes right into the barn and gets into position.
Keeping a schedule is important. 12 hours apart is great. I don’t understand the post about all the medicine. Your cow should not be sick.
But being very clean about the way you milk, is important. Get some “teat dip” and use it after each miking, this will help to keep her from getting mastitis. Make sure she is “empty” and keep in mind, You can’t take milk from a cow, she has to give it. Meaning, she must feel comfortable around you.
So, here is hoping you get a sweetheart like we did. She is a joy to be around.
Sounds like such a sweet cow that you have! I’m looking forward to getting to know the personality of our Jersey.
As for the medicine cabinet post – it’s a great list of things to have on hand for prevention and emergencies. Because while I agree that a healthy cow should be healthy, you never know what will arise, and it’s good to be prepared.
If you have not yet read the series of books that begins with “All Creatures Great and Small”, I highly recommend the five books as a good beginning for any animal care experience. I grew up with cattle, usually had one milking cow around, and I did not learn as much from those years of exposure as I did from reading this series of books by and about a veterinary surgeon going about his business. Enjoy!
After researching the different breeds of cows we settled on Dutch Belted cows for their unique qualities that meshed with the family farm set up that we had already started. We have not regretted our decision. We love our small herd of Dutch belted cows for their dual purpose aspects as every dairy farmer is also a beef farmer at times. Also for the quality and amount of milk they give. Their ability to metabolize grass and browse efficiently, and their ruggedness and adaptability to weather conditions in upstate NY. Our farm Rocky Fresh has a Facebook page where you can view scenes of our farm.
Hi Terri
When is your cow due to calve? Mine is dry right now. I bred her A.I. to a Jersey, so hoping for a nice heifer. She is due Feb 18th, so we have been stuck with store milk for a while. I miss that good milk, but was able to stock up on homemade butter before we dried her off. Thank Heaven for that. And I still have enough to last a long time.
Polly is a great cow, if she isn’t at the door at milk time, just call, she will be there. I also have one named Daisy, that we will be selling., she is due to calve in April, as we only need one cow. Although we do have a bucket milker for Polly, Daisy has longer teats, so she would be a good one to hand milk. So, good luck with your cow, interested to see how you get along with her.
Thank you Vera! Wow, so in just a few days, you’ll have a new calf! How exciting! We are still working on getting to know Creme Brulee. She is super sweet and affectionate, but also very very playful and frisky. We need to build a stanchion so we can start working on her milking routine. She is due to calve somewhere between early May- late June. We’re very excited!
There is so much to learn when getting a cow. Have lots of emotional and intellectual energy, time, and money freed up for this project or don’t start. Really. Don’t expect everything to work like you’ve read in books! But once you get used to home grown cream, it will be very hard to imagine doing anything else.
Great points! I can’t wait until we’re enjoying Creme Brulee’s cream!
I am 6 weeks into my jersey cow adventure. It will take about 4 weeks for your hands to get use to it and you will be quicker along the way. I recommend giving her a bit more feed in her bucket when milking until you are quicker than she is eating. This way she is less likely to move looking for the scraps.enjoy your adventure and using your milk for all sorts of things. Oh and prepare for new arm muscles, it’s a great workout.
Ah, yes, the burn of milking hands! I remember it well from when we were milking 4 Alpine goats! I’m hoping my husband and I can “double team” and milk a side a piece. We’ll see how she likes it! Enjoy your Jersey!
I love this advice! I’ll be bringing my new girl home in a few weeks and I’m busy trying to get prepared for her. It is so great to be able to get advice from experienced people. 🙂
It’s so exciting, isn’t it! Good luck getting ready for your new cow!
We milked over 20 years, every cow had a name and personality. I no longer have a milk herd but we got a Jersey last spring. She is a doll. Never picks up a foot. And is always there waiting at milk time. Comes right into the barn and gets into position.
Keeping a schedule is important. 12 hours apart is great. I don’t understand the post about all the medicine. Your cow should not be sick.
But being very clean about the way you milk, is important. Get some “teat dip” and use it after each miking, this will help to keep her from getting mastitis. Make sure she is “empty” and keep in mind, You can’t take milk from a cow, she has to give it. Meaning, she must feel comfortable around you.
So, here is hoping you get a sweetheart like we did. She is a joy to be around.
Sounds like such a sweet cow that you have! I’m looking forward to getting to know the personality of our Jersey.
As for the medicine cabinet post – it’s a great list of things to have on hand for prevention and emergencies. Because while I agree that a healthy cow should be healthy, you never know what will arise, and it’s good to be prepared.
If you have not yet read the series of books that begins with “All Creatures Great and Small”, I highly recommend the five books as a good beginning for any animal care experience. I grew up with cattle, usually had one milking cow around, and I did not learn as much from those years of exposure as I did from reading this series of books by and about a veterinary surgeon going about his business. Enjoy!
We have read some of those, and listened to some on “tape”. Great stories!