Would it be a mistake to buy this cow?

[Ark]

Can you tell enough about her, just by these few pics?

She is 2 years old, is nursing a 4 month old calf, and is bred back. Half Jersey, half Guernsey.

I stupidly didnt take BEFORE pics of her udder, but did take two after I milked her. It wasnt a whole lot bigger before, but afterwards, I could still feel a lot of milk up high in the udder. It was tight still.

She doesnt tie her up or anything. Just sit down beside her and milks her while the cow eats. And even though she doesnt know me at all, she let me do it with out moving.

She only gave a gallon of milk and didnt let down at all. So, that was the foremilk, I guess. (?) (I'm a goat person, so I'm just guessing here.) The owner told me that it was because it had been her routine since the cow calved to only take a gallon because that is how much she needed for her bottle babies.

Then later on, she wanted more milk and couldnt get the cow to let down. But, she always lets her milk down as soon as she lets her go up to the other field to join her calf. I actually saw her start dripping milk as soon as we let her out. So, I presume that means she let down.

Here is how she looked from behind after milking. One quarter is smaller than the others but milks out easily.


Side view of udder after milking out 1 gallon.


The owner tells me that she feels she messed up by allowing her to spend too much time with the calf and that next time she calves she should have restricted access to it. ???

Could it be that moving to our house, away from her calf, she would go ahead and have to let ALL the milk down eventually?

I have another pic of her, but it is taking forever to download.

[Gin64]

It is really hard to say what she will do. You may have to wait until she calves again to break her from the habit of holding milk. But yet she may move to your house tomarrow and let it all down the next day.
From what you have said and what little you can see of the udder I would probably take the chance if it was me. To have one stand with out being hiched is a blessing alone.
Good luck on what ever you decide to do.

[Ark]

[Ark]

They want $1000 for her......


...going to be hard to swing that. But, from what I can find out, it's an average price around here. We arent in a very "dairy" part of Texas.


I know prices vary around the country, so that may or may not be a fair deal. She is so tame and docile though, and I really appreciate that!

[farmergirl]

If you can scrape together $1000, I'd say go for it! Even if she ends up not being textbook "perfect", you can still get alot of use and enjoyment from her. I think she's pretty

[Gin64]

From the other pic she looks pretty sound. And I would say that is a real good price. You can get your milk and also beef to put in your freezer.(by this I mean the calf) Unless you do not eat the stuff.
Do you know that to butcher your own cow you save any where from $3000 to $4000. Alot depends on if you can find cheaper cuts of meat in the store.( Sorry ventured off subject)

[farmergirl]

Gin64,
I'd be interested to hear more about the economic advantages of raising your own beef for the table.

[Gin64]

As in what?
One day I sat down with the local paper and added up the cost of all the cuts we had just had done on a beef . It came out to $3500. shocked the dickens out of us. We just to for granted having our own beef from cows that would not make it on the milk line anymore. And today hamburger in the store was on sale for 1.49lb. I have an old cow that will be calving soon that will have the heavenly ride. She is one of the big girls. She should bring in about 600lb plus of meat. And if you figure processing at $300 you saved a lot of money. Or am I wrong?

[sammyd]

I always figure raising it saves money.
We buy a calf in early winter and give it one bag of milk replacer nice 2nd crop hay and 18% starter till the grass is green Then out on pasture till the grass is gone one winter of hay and 14% dairy mix and in June it goes into the freezer..last butcher bill was 250 for the slaughter and processing...550 pounds of beef.
Grain is about 10 bucks/80 pounds and it doesn't take much of that if the hay is good.

[Ark]

Here's one more pic of her, minus her head, being milked.


I am SO hoping we can come up with the money!
And if we do, it'd be nice to raise the calf for beef!

[dezeeuwgoats]

I'd beg, borrow, steal.......lol. She sure is pretty - and if she's feeding a four month old calf, plus giving a gallon, with milk afterwards (for her calf), I'd guess she's probably a good producer.

I think $1000 is a good deal. You can't find producing jerseys around here - I found a heifer calf, but am looking at a year and a half before I see any milk.....

Sincerely;
Niki

[jerzeygurl]

Originally Posted by farmergirl

Gin64,
I'd be interested to hear more about the economic advantages of raising your own beef for the table.

We figured up ,counting what we would have gotten for the bull at market and the cost of butchering, that we have about $2 bucks a pound in our meat. Now granted he didn't cost that much when we bought him, but we could have gotten money for him at market.

$2 a pound for lean ground beef isn't bad, but our t-bones ect were also $2 a pound.

We eat steak several times a week.

Our feed costs for whole farm, poultry, horses, goat, sheep ect, averaged out to a $1 a day per mamma cow, which easily is made up by calf and milk.

So our cost of feeding him was nil..

[Ark]

Originally Posted by dezeeuwgoats

I'd beg, borrow, steal.......lol. She sure is pretty - and if she's feeding a four month old calf, plus giving a gallon, with milk afterwards (for her calf), I'd guess she's probably a good producer.

I think $1000 is a good deal. You can't find producing jerseys around here - I found a heifer calf, but am looking at a year and a half before I see any milk.....

Sincerely;
Niki

Beggin and borrowin in process right now!!!!!!