A few weekends ago we quietly celebrated a year with our sweet Jersey cow, Creme Brûlée. Becoming a new cow owner is like having a baby in that it really does take several months to get your bearing! And caring for a cow after many years of caring for goats was very much like having my second child; in some ways everything was same-old, same-old, but in other ways, it was completely brand new! For months prior to Creme's arrival, I had been reading about cows, dreaming about cows, talking to cow owners, and preparing for her arrival. Creme Brûlée is one of the sweetest, most wonderful cows imaginable, thanks to excellent training from her previous owner. But when she arrived at our … [Read more...]
A Homestead Calf is Born
As if the arrival of bees and baby chicks last week was not exciting enough, Friday morning's breakfast was interrupted by Brian's announcement that there was a baby calf in the pasture! We had been excitedly preparing for Creme Brûlée's labor, knowing that it would happen between the dates of April 26 and July 4. Creme was bred by a bull, and while the window of insemination was clear, the exact date was not. So, over the past few months we watched her udder fill, checked her pin ligaments, and watched her vulva, but didn't really expect her to give birth so soon! (Okay, full disclosure - there was mucus on Thursday, but Creme seemed so NOT in labor, that we went to bed not really … [Read more...]
Can I Afford to Buy a Family Milk Cow?
Can I afford to buy a family milk cow? We considered this question long and hard before we welcomed Creme Brulee to our homestead three years ago. I like getting real about money on the homestead, so I think it's important to publicly talk about the financial side of this really big investment. And yes, a cow is a large investment - in money, in infrastructure, in time and effort. But it's also a hugely positive investment in your homestead, your pasture, your community, and your family's well-being. Brian and I looked seriously at our finances before purchasing a cow, as we would with any major purchase. We are able to get delicious raw cow's milk from a family farm, as well as … [Read more...]
Welcoming our Homestead Cow
It's hard to express the excitement we feel at finally welcoming our new Homestead Cow, Creme Brulée. Having a dairy animal once again feels so right, so perfect for our little homestead, and yet it's been a long path to find the right cow, to create infrastructure for a cow, and to invest in a cow. And the learning adventure has just begun! For Christmas last year, I presented Brian with a homemade Gift Certificate for "One Dairy Animal of Your Choice." For years we cared for Alpine dairy goats on our Oregon homestead, but when we moved to Missouri, we felt that a family milk cow would be a better choice. For one, our landscape is well-suited for a grazing animal. And the fencing … [Read more...]
What Every New Cow Owner Should Know…
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 … [Read more...]