hey all, researching options

[Shrarvrs88]

So I don't have anything to milk now...and live in the city, but soonish I will be moving back to my hometown and am wanting to get either a cow or a goat.

My question is, do cows get to be freindly pet-types? what kind of cow should I look at if I want a really nice trainable milk cow?

[linn]

I would get either a small Jersey or a Dexter. Dexters are great little dual purpose cows. If you get a Dexter make sure she comes from a good milking line.

[cathleenc]

I would consider our cow, a jersey/guernsey cross, fairly pet like - but keep in mind that she's 800 lbs and still pretty independent! If she wants to do something she'll do her best to do it, regardless of what the pet owner (me) says.

Now our goats? Definitely more pet like. Very much like dogs except, well, capricious.

[Callieslamb]

My cow isn't a pet. She's a working contributer to the farm. However, I can milk her standing in the paddock if needed. She didn't start out this way. She was from a herd and wasn't used to being touched. She is working very well for me, but I would highly recommend buying a cow that is already friendly - then you will have confidence in your ability to handle her. I like jerseys...but be prepared for a LOT of milk. I have an average milker and I bring 3 gallons to the house EVERY day. That's minus 1 1/2 gallons that I feed to the calf.

[darbyfamily]

ah, but 3 gallons isn't that bad when you make cheese!!!! I have both a Jersey cow and also goats. We get 2 pints a day from our Nigerian dwarf and she is very very pet like. We get 3 quarts from our Nubian and she is very friendly but bigger than the ND and not quite as friendly. We get about 2 1/2 gallons from our Jersey and she is very friendly and stands at the gate waiting to be milked in the morning and evening. Sweet as a peach!

[65284]

My Jerseys and some of my Dexters are both working animals and to some extent pets.
They come when called, can be milked almost anywhere and can be a bit of a pest at times wanting attention and petting. And I enjoy the interaction as much as they seem to.

If I'm setting resting while working aroung the barn or pasture, and it seems I do a lot of resting these days, they will come around and "nose" my hand wanting a scratch.

I wouldn't keep any other kind, I strongly dislike wild, spooky, or aggressive animals, if one turns out like that I put wheels under them, quickly.

[Callieslamb]

LOL!!! I could make 2 lbs of cheese a day and then we'd have to eat it to keep up! I have made butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. I love my jersey.

As a side note: lots of cows will do as family milk cows. I would go for a friendly, trained milker for the right price that you can find close to you. The breed doesn't really matter. HINT: Big cows eat a LOT.

[DonM]

I like Jerseys can milk ours anywhere with a bucket of feed

[deineria]

My Jersey heifer is as friendly as a pet. I would consider a Dexter if you're looking for small size though.
Really, you might do best to start with goats. I have the Jersey and dairy goats. I love both.
Some goats will 2 gallons a day. Consider a Saanen for high production.

[BlackWillowFarm]

Callieslamb gives good advice. The breed isn't as important as the temperament. As long as you find a friendly, gentle cow you'll be happy and it won't matter what breed she is.

You'll probably get the best deal on a Jersey though because there are so many of them around. If $ isn't an issue there are plenty of interesting dairy breeds to choose from. Pick one that has a wonderful personality even if you have to pay more for her. She'll be worth it in the end.

I have a Jersey and I'm positive she's the sweetest cow that ever lived.

[springvalley]

Callieslamb, hit the nail on the head, You could milk just about any kind of cow that gives milk. Smaller cows give enough milk for a homestead, depends on how much milk you need. My Jersey`s will give 3 to 5 gallon a day without being pushed(just pasture). And as said smaller cows eat aloooooooooot less, my jersey`s don`t eat anywhere near as much as a holstien will. And goats will give you enough milk also, some people just don`t like goat milk as much. Just make sure you get a good one as you will have to put up with them for some time.>Thanks marc

[Callieslamb]

Are you totally new to milking? Or have you owned a milk animal before? How to tell if a cow is friendly and trainable? I'd buy one already friendly and trained to milk. If they will walk up to you in a paddock and come for a sniff; if they will let you touch them all over, feel their udder while they are unrestrained in any way....they are tame enough for me to try to milk them. If they walk away or shy away, look for a different cow. When you move them to a new situation, they will be wary and nervous so expect that. Cows are all about routine. Once they learn it, you'd best keep to it for peace in the barnyard.

If you are new to milking anything....just a friendly warning. I was raised on a dairy farm. I know the ins and outs of cows and milking even after a 30 year break.....but when my own cow freshened...Oh my! I thought of all you brave folks that learn to keep a cow, milk her, sanitize equipment and process your milk all at the same time! My heart goes out to you. Learning to do all that and trying to train a cow to stand still to milk at the same time would overwhelm me. In fact, just milking my own cow almost did! For the first week it was really rough. But thanks to my very good friend, Carla - (Hi Carla!) - who warned me that it was coming....we made it. (and my cow is very well trained to milk to begin with). Do yourself a great favor and buy a cow already trained. You will be glad you did. After you are experienced and if you decide you want a more exciting cow....then you can go shopping again.

Best of luck to you!

If you don't have to feed her to get her to milk well for you, what does extra milk matter? It's only a problem if you are buying large quantities of grain and then throwing away the milk. I bring home 3 gallons of milk every day (after feeding the calf). I feed my cow less than a gallon of grain a milking to get that. I might get by with even less 0-that's just how much she can eat while I am milking her. I have sheep and plan on bottling any extra babies on the cow's milk. Pigs also like extra milk. It's great for the chickens too.

[Lizza]

My 2 year old Jersey is like a big (really big) dog. She came that way though and has just gotten friendlier the longer she's lived with us. We also have two calves that we bought from a dairy, they came sorta friendly but my girls work them a lot to get them really friendly.

This is Buttercup after she decided to tear down a fence to come "visit"......she was softly "mooing" to me from the window before I took this picture (I kept hearing a strange noise till I figured out where it was coming from!). She had just spent the week at our 4H Fair and really enjoyed all the company she got. My daughters hadn't put the calves back with her that night, so I think she came a lookin' for a little company.



I love my cows and was really surprised by how friendly they are. We've had goats for years (they are like obnoxious dogs!) but I didn't know what to expect from a cow. We are all now in love