posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 08:35 PM
reply to post by Thunderheart
1. 1-12 gallons a day
2. My first cow was one month old. I got her young so we could bond and she would be friendly. I had zero experience. I didn't want to deal with
a wild cow for my first time. She produced four gallons a day and was a jersey/swiss cross. My second cow is a registered Jersey and was six years
old when I got her. By the time I got her I understood what to look for and knew she was the cow I wanted over the phone. She produces one gallon a
day and I only have to milk her once a day. She is further out from when she freshened. She will be a bigger producer right after she has another
calf (freshens).
3. If you are wanting a large producer, get a Holstein. You will get up to 12 gallons a day and also a case of carpal tunnel if you plan on hand
milking her. If you are wanting to get a milking system, look on craigslist. If you don't find one, place a wanted ad. I did that and got a lot of
responses. I ended up buying a complete system for $250.00 I stole it.
4. You can feed your cow good grass hay or alfalfa. My cow turned her nose up at alfalfa and preferred grass hay. I also fed her horse feed that
has molassas in it. That was her very favorite. It is also good for cows because they need the carbs and can die quickly right after they freshen if
they get ketosis. They need loose minerals too.
If you do pick a high producer, you can share the milk with others. You can also make cheeses, butter, yogurt and sour cream. Back in the day, extra
milk went to fatten up the pigs and chickens. Nothing got wasted on the farm.
Jersey cows are what I prefer because they are easier keepers, have higher percentage of cream, sweet disposition and the milk tastes sweeter. Their
butter is very yellow compared to holsteins.
Be prepared to fall in love with your cow. They are a lot of fun and love to be brushed, scratched and played with. They learn what their names are
and can tell time better than most people I know.
There is an excellent cow forum called, "Keeping a family cow." You will learn more than you ever thought there was to know about a cow.