Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
10:35 pm
June 12, 2011
Offline
Well, I'm sorta clueless so far on cows. (I know, not a good thing to say just after I've announced that I'm getting one, lol) BUT…there's always a but…I'm very willing and able to learn and adapt. Thanks for posting that article; it was really helpful! 
11:58 pm
October 31, 2010
Offline
I have checked out miniature Jerseys and find that they are VERY EXPENSIVE to obtain. Something that I learned is that Jersey's were originally smaller breed in the first place and if they are bread for "smallness", you can still get some that are on the smaller side and continue breeding them for smaller characteristics by good selection of the sperm used. So far as I have been able to find (and I may not have found everything!!!) purchasing a regular Jersey is about 10% of the price of the miniatures that I've found out there.
One way to get a good family cow is to find an organic dairy that grass-feeds their herd and ask them when they're ready to retire one of their girls. 
As they get older and don't produce as much, they're not as valuable to the big producers but still can have many good years in them, producing WAY MORE THAN ENOUGH for a family.
Just something to think about!
9:40 am
February 10, 2009
Offline
Totally agreeing with Leah's Mom, Finding a vet who will AI (most any large animal vet will) or ask at a dairy farm nearby who they use, they often have someone trained to do it themselves and once certified, they often will charge a nominal fee to AI other cows (less than a vet). You can get a pipette of sperm from the bull of your choice (based on small calf weight for your jersey) and try to get another small jersey calf to keep for the next generation of milkers.
The vet or AI tech will have a tank to store it, and you can get progressively smaller calves yourself. Not as small as a 'mini' but when you breed for size to extremes, sometimes other issues arise.
Large dairies select sires for their herds based on huge milk production for older, proven cows, smaller calf size for first time mama's.
10:05 am
June 12, 2011
Offline
Well, a lot of the purpose in getting a mini (for us) is that we can make some money back on the yearly calf. Also, we wouldn't want to feed a full-sized cow for less milk. It just seemed more doable to locate a mini because there is a growing market for the babies. 
11:54 am
May 14, 2011
Offline
This maybe a stupid question but where do you look/ find dairy cows for sale? I've done some internet searching but haven't come up with much. I'm guessing thay are easier to find in the midwest than the southwest, but really I have no idea.
1:19 pm
December 14, 2010
Offline
I was trimming my finger nails this morning and remembering the days when I milked six Jerseys by hand. Keep your finger nais short. If you wouldn't like nursing a baby with teeth don't milk a cow while you have long nails.
11:36 pm
December 8, 2010
Offline
I have bought some from dairies. Usually they will have what they call a cull cow with a problem they don't want to wait out the healing and usually the problem is something that makes the time very beneficial. One I bought did the splits on the concrete so she had to be hobbled for a couple of months. Another one dislocated a hoof and even though it healed just fine they didn't want to wait 2 months for it to heal. Also sometimes they just have extras for sale, I have 3 I have bought from a dairy just because they had more than they needed. You could also find them in http://www.craigslist.org.
12:56 pm
August 24, 2010
Offline
We found ours on an online classified for the Utah, Wyoming and Idaho areas. Nevada ppl jump on there a lot too. There seems to be a lot of dairy cows in the Utah area. Even home cows, not just dairy extras.
8:03 pm
April 8, 2010
Offline
I am online daily with lots of dairy folks on twitter all over the place. If you want, I can ask my tweeple in a particular part of the country about house cows.
8:11 pm
May 14, 2011
Offline
Thanks JerseyLady, if I had the space I'd be all over that offer.
Thanks Alicia & Holstein for the tips.
I'm green with envy for all of you that have enough space for a/few dairy cows. Someday I will have enough land and my first new addition will be a dairy cow.
9:57 pm
June 12, 2011
Offline
Well, I started cleaning up the barn for the (still unaquired) cow today! Only problem was the spiders. I felt like I had them on my back, on my arms, in my HAIR (the worst!) and stringing webs across my face. I had to stop and wait untill I had mustered enough courage to go on. Anyone else have a completely exasperating case of arachniphobia?? 
8:09 am
December 14, 2010
Offline
I like to cut a brushly sapling about four feet long and use that to clear spider webs a regular corn broom works well also. I work in many older homes and the spiders have been in them for as long as the people. The spiders work fast at putting webs back up when I clear them out. I walked into a web the other morning and got the whole web and the spider on my chest. She just went back to work assessing the damage and figuring out how to rebuild.
6:29 pm
August 24, 2010
Offline
She's Here!! Sunny Belle, whom my friend nicknamed JWow Cow (something to do with a TV show that I don't watch). How do I post pics??
4 1/2 days and I'm totally loving it!!
Ross, nails are short…Oh how I am going to miss my nails! Not that I had them done, or even painted them very often…they were just a very usefull tool, hahaha.
She had to get used to coming out of the pasture and walking to the milking area, her old house she just walked right into the milking room from the pen. But she greets me at the gate now. Stands nice for her halter and up the driveway we go. = ) She also had to get used to being patient with me, as she had become used to the milking machine, but she stands their nice and chews her hay now.
And oh how I am loving the fresh milk! No wonder I've never really cared for the milk from the stores! And nice bright butter, and great cream for my coffee…
I grew up with the BLM range cows pushing on the fences and destroying haystacks if the gates didn't get shut, so I never thought I'd say this….But I love this cow!!
9:58 am
June 12, 2011
Offline
Wow, SO awesome! I can just picture you and your cow…and I am so jealous because MY cow isn't here yet! Best of luck to both of you! 
11:07 am
April 8, 2010
Offline
Yay, now you are officially part of the Dairy Sorority. Enjoy and keep us posted!
12:15 am
December 14, 2010
Offline
I had written a nice witty post and it got lost in cyber space. I am pleased that your jersey is a gentle creature. She will enjoy a scoop of feed in a pail at milking time and a smooth stone in the pail with the feed will slow her down. We had one cow that would allow me to milk her for as long as the feed in the pail lasted.
12:49 pm
August 24, 2010
Offline
I'm working on getting my pics on to Photobucket to post…
Ross, thankx for the stone tip. She gets a ration of grain at each milking, and she's getting better on standing there after it's gone. The stone tip will help. I have put some hay next to the grain bucket, so often times she munches some hay too.
Jersey Lady–Dairy Sorority, Love it! Lots of my friends are calling me "Milk Maid". haha.
I might dress up as a Milk Maid for halloween. I have blond hair, touches the tops of my shoulders..so I envision my hair parted in the middle, braided pig tails with red ribbons at the end, a blue gingham checkered dress, white stockings. A "milk Pail" with "milk" in the bottom (white yard with one end tacked down, the rest coiled on top, it looks like milk). My parents did this one year– my mom had a great full body Holstein outfit, complete with udder, and my dad was the "farmer" in overalls, flannel shirt and straw hat. And the "milk pail" was a big hit.
9:25 pm
June 12, 2011
Offline
Haha! Love the costume idea! I wonder if you could take your cow trick-or-treating. Now, I don't know about your neighbors, but I would personally give you double rations on the candy if you brought her along! 
12:24 am
August 24, 2010
Offline
Ok..I've put pictures of Sunny Belle JWOW Cow on my blog www.blondenak.blogspot.com .
I haven't had the time to upload them to photobucket and then get here…I've too busy with Milk! And cheese! Yogurt! Ice Cream! Butter!! I'm playing with making cottage cheese tomorrow. =)
Most Users Ever Online: 120
Currently Online:
24 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
2 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Leahld22: 2676
Ross: 1950
MaryB: 1777
JeannieB: 1477
Shells: 1184
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 13
Members: 5888
Moderators: 3
Admins: 4
Forum Stats:
Groups: 1
Forums: 14
Topics: 2994
Posts: 57780
Newest Members: christiewahlert, basketsldj, joycelorelle, Leah Beth, bwshook, Amy
Moderators: Pete (7965), wvhomecanner (3063), Flatlander (1555)
Administrators: Suzanne McMinn (7255), emiline220 (15), CindyP (7770), BuckeyeGirl (4363)
Sections
Latest Posts on the Farmhouse Blog:
- May 24, 2012 - Bread 911!
- May 23, 2012 - Get This Print!
- May 22, 2012 - Second Place Ribbon
Sign up for the Chickens in the Road Newsletter, too!
