Question about a milk cow on five acres

DJ in WA · #41 01/25/14, 12:46 AM

I had goats. Got tired of complaints about the goaty flavor. Of course, I was told all the things I was doing wrong. Funny that once I got a cow, I never had any more flavor problems. I think some goats are worse than others, and some people are more sensitive to the goaty flavor. But you can't blame it all on one's milk handling methods.

On the other hand, a pure Jersey cow can drown you in milk, depending on genetics. And the heavier milker she is, the better nutrition she needs to avoid problems like milk fever and ketosis. Milk is not free.

In addition, many buy a used Jersey, and found like I did they can have problems like chronic, low-grade mastitis. I've also noticed many Jerseys are now bred with small teats - okay for machine milking but hard for hand milking. And by the way, hand milking several gallons a day isn't easy to begin with.

I like a beef/jersey cross cow - fewer problems, and if bred to a beef bull, get a beefy calf. I sold a jersey/Hereford heifer this spring because of more milk than wife and I needed - about 1.5 gallons daily after feeding her calf. That's over 10 gallons a week, which sounds like it would fill your needs.

My best cow was a cross between lowline angus and jersey - smaller but plenty of milk, and raised great calves.

DJ in WA · #42 01/25/14, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brighton

Just my opinion, but that is no life for a lovely milk cow and you will get better milk if the cow has fresh graze!!

It would be a better life than many milk cows have. Here is a dairy near my folks.

Question about a milk cow on five acres - Homesteading Questions

FarmboyBill · #43 01/25/14, 02:57 AM

Sammy, IF the vet didn't have a clue, how come my dad never had any problems? he DID feed alfalfa only as rufage, along with corn, where I only fed pararie hay. He fed corn. Grandad fed corn. Everybody likely did up home as it was the major crop in the 59s/60s. I didn't. In the last 20yrs his milk cow never got green grass, just alfalfa and corn.
Why they didn't feed wheat or oats, which they also grew, I don't know. BUT, by the mid 60s all the work horses was gone nearly, and with them gone nobody grew oats.

coolrunnin · #44 01/25/14, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

Sammy, IF the vet didn't have a clue, how come my dad never had any problems? he DID feed alfalfa only as rufage, along with corn, where I only fed pararie hay. He fed corn. Grandad fed corn. Everybody likely did up home as it was the major crop in the 59s/60s. I didn't. In the last 20yrs his milk cow never got green grass, just alfalfa and corn.
Why they didn't feed wheat or oats, which they also grew, I don't know. BUT, by the mid 60s all the work horses was gone nearly, and with them gone nobody grew oats.

thats the reason he had no issues and you you lost your cows, grain didn't change anything, and all vets are not created equal.

FarmboyBill · #45 01/25/14, 11:30 AM

Down here CR, NOBODY grows alfalfa around me/here. A Few people DO have milk cows. There NOT buying in alfalfa, cause its $HIGH$

sammyd · #46 01/25/14, 11:41 AM

I told you what the science behind feeding a cow is. I have never seen a cow die from not getting corn. There are plenty of organic dairies running grain free and there is at least one non organic bottler that I know of that buys grain free from non organic producers. These people are not killing cows with their rations.
The idea that you need to feed cows grain to keep their calcium level up or else they will get brittle bone disease is incorrect.

FarmboyBill · #47 01/25/14, 01:33 PM

Well, Sammy, After losing a BUNCHA money on losing those 2, I don't feel like experimenting.

nobrabbit · #48 01/25/14, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

One thing I found out the HARD WAY. A cow wont get out if shes fed. A goat will still try to even if shes fed.

I wish someone would tell our cows that.

FarmboyBill · #49 01/25/14, 04:02 PM

yeaH, in remembering that, I remember dad leased out his pasture and the guys cows couldn't be kept in.
Then for around 30yrs he tried to keep his in with electric fence. That didn't work either

CIW · #50 01/25/14, 07:34 PM

If a cow doesn't have enough accessible vitamins to facilitate absorption of nutrients. Especially A and/or carotene and D, the phosphorus and calcium won't be easily assimilated and will actually be expelled. This, over time will cause the cow to draw the calcium and phosphorus from her body to accommodate her milk production and her body will suffer. She can even starve herself to death.

FarmboyBill · #51 01/25/14, 08:53 PM

I should make a retraction. I never fed them any hay, as we got them in the spring, and they went down in the fall, just on green grass.

Ladyhen · #52 01/26/14, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustaholic

I do know that the French alpine goats we used to have gave great tasting milk. Had friends stop by just as my sweet wife was taking cookies our of the oven. We shared them and I asked if they would like a glass of milk.
They said yes so I got two glasses out and asked if goat milk was okay.
Yes he said.
NO she said. She said goat milk is nasty stuff.
Okay I said. I poured goat milk in his glass then I put the goat milk in the fridge and took out the goat milk and poured her glass.
They both loved their milk and she would not taste his.
After she was all done I asked her if her milk was okay and she said it was great. Then I told her the only milk we had was goat milk. She had to look in the fridge. Keep the udders clean. Keep the milk clean and chill it right away. Sometimes if they eat the wrong stuff you can taste it in the milk but a cow is the same way.

REALLY? I've tasted goat milk only once or twice and it smelled/tasted of GOAT. Having had a couple of goats (but never milking them), I have decided against having them again because I don't think I'd like the meat or milk. Hmmm...

WildernesFamily · #53 01/26/14, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladyhen

REALLY? I've tasted goat milk only once or twice and it smelled/tasted of GOAT. Having had a couple of goats (but never milking them), I have decided against having them again because I don't think I'd like the meat or milk. Hmmm...

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with goat milk. It really does change from goat to goat and also depends on how the milk is handled and stored. We borrowed an Alpine from a friend for a while and she had the best, sweetest, creamiest tasting milk I've ever had (right after our raw Jersey milk anyway, ha!!)

When we got our own Alpine, she had gotten into wild onions right before we brought her home. Her milk was vile! It tasted like chemicals.... took two weeks to clear up but now it is wonderful.

If you buy goat milk to try it, do NOT shake the milk container! It will make the milk taste "goaty."

postroad · #54 01/26/14, 02:42 PM

Some people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate Dexter milk.

MullersLaneFarm · #55 01/27/14, 06:45 AM

We considered the Dexter breed but ended up with Jersey and were never sorry.

With the Dexter breed there are 2 main lineages ... beef & dairy. You want to make sure you get the dairy line. With the Jersey breed .... well it's all dairy!!

Breeding. Semen for a Dexter is not as common and more expensive (and you have to know if you are getting semen from a dairy or beef bull!) Jersey semen is common so less expensive.

The Jersey isn't too much larger than the Dexter.

We kept our Jersey on rotational pasture during the spring-fall and good alfalfa hay in the winter and a mineral block. Every so often we might have given her a treat of corn & oats.

Our Jerseys alway had easy births. We did keep an eye out for milk fever and kept tubes of potassium, magnesium & calcium around during freshening.

One of our Jerseys didn't settle well with AI ... so we extended her freshening cycles out to two years. When we dried her up, she was still giving a gallon a day. When she freshened, we would get 3-4 gallons/day and she was feeding her calf.

I am a HUGE Jersey fan!

Bubbas Boys · #56 01/27/14, 08:01 AM

Mullerslane, how much ground did u keep her on? We are wanting to get one this year but still have to get some area fenced in. Thanks

MullersLaneFarm · #57 01/27/14, 09:24 AM

5 pastures about an acre each (couple less, couple more, 1 was 2 acres) that we rotated them through. Probably 7 acres all together. Also had a couple horses at the same time on the same pasture. Big believer of rotational pasturing.

rambler · #58 01/27/14, 10:47 AM

For a smaller acreage, or for maximizing the meat or milk you can get per acre, rotational grazing is the only way to run a pasture.

One has to start with what one can afford, so maybe you start out with just one big 4 acre pasture....

But put up the fence, and the watering and gates, with the goal of getting it split into at least 4 different paddocks.

Critters like tender hay better, and will regrade the same areas over and over, leaving the courser weeds and grass to grow. This means your big pasture will be over grazed in some areas hurting that good grass, while other as with the poorer grass will go to seed and not be used. Over time, your pasture gets worse and worse....

With 4 paddocks, you put the critters in one, and they clean it out in a week. All the grass is fresher, and they eat it all, so you are left with the whole paddock re growing evenly.

Move thrm to another paddock for another week.

In 4 weeks, they come back to the first paddock, which has nicely regrows now, with even fresh hay.

Weeds tend to not like this even mowing and grass tends to love being mowed down regularly, then allowed to regrow unmolested for a time.

Such a pattern of rotational grazing will give you maybe 1/3 more hay in a year, and it will be higher quality feed, than just one big pasture.

Some folks take it to the next level and do mob grazing, where you have 30 different pastures and put the herd on one pasture each day. Rotate every day. This costs more but it results in even better hay, more pasture from the same area.

Ideally you also have a spare pasture to put the critters on during bad periods, muddy or the like, a sacrificial pasture. It will get beat up and maybe weedy, but your good pastures don't get abused that way.

Also in spring often the grass grows much faster than the cattle can eat it. This allows one to bale hay from one of the pastures. Mowing a pasture now and then helps to keep weeds down, lets the grass grow back even and full. A good deal.

On 4 acres of pasture you have to do what fits, mob grazing might get silly, but if you can make 4-5 paddocks you will always end up with much better and much more hay for your livestock. Even just making 2 pastures and alternating between is a good thing, tho getting to 4 pastures really brings out the good gains.

Paul

Bubbas Boys · #59 01/27/14, 11:37 AM

Good deal Paul thanks for info. What is best seeds for Jerseys? I have been doing lots of research on best forages for pigs but assume cows would be different?! Thanks.