More thoughts from a want to be cow owner

DamnearaFarm · #1 06/20/11, 12:16 PM

Reading some other posts got me thinking... dangerous, I know.

What should I look for in a family milk cow? What things might a seller tell a buyer that can be confirmed and what would I just have to take their word on?
1000-1500 bucks is a large amount of money to me and i'd hate to get swindled.

Thanks

linn · #2 06/20/11, 12:29 PM

I would look for a young cow that was milking and safe in calf. By young I mean four or five years old. I would not buy an untrained heifer. Make sure that she is gentle and that she will stand for hand milking. Check to make sure her udder is even and that all four quarters are milking well. Check for any hard spots or lumps in the udder. Ask the vet in your area what tests are needed before buying the cow. The seller should pay for the testing. The vet should check the age of the cow when she is tested, make sure that is a stipualtion. Some sellers are not above saying a cow is younger than she really is. If the cow is registered, ask to see the registration papers and make sure the seller understands that you want them to have the registration transferred to you.

DamnearaFarm · #3 06/21/11, 05:10 PM

Thanks, Linn.

You just gave me an idea as well. I'll check with the local cow vets when it's time to buy, if they don't know of any milk cows for sale they can at least give me an idea of where to check for vetted herds.

Callieslamb · #4 06/21/11, 07:19 PM

Note: sometimes a cow will stand still for you to handle her udder, but not for milking - try to actually MILK her. If she moves around a lot, I'd pass. Have the milk tested for Somatic cell count and ecoli. A local lab might have other suggestions of what to have the milk tested for also.

Any cow moving to a new situation is going to have some problems - she might be more antsy while milking and might even raise her foot -so give her time to adjust and settle in before you start to worry.

DamnearaFarm · #5 06/22/11, 01:21 PM

Thanks, Callieslamb.

We typically give new horses a bit of time to settle before we start fiddling with them, so it stands to reason a cow would need it too.

BlackWillowFarm · #6 06/22/11, 10:52 PM

When you buy her she'll probably be in milk, so have a plan for the nights milking. Make sure she's penned up somewhere so you can get her to the milking area when it's time. Look for a gentle cow that the farmer can handle. See how she acts around him, because once she's gotten used to you, she'll most likely be that way for you too.

I try to always buy gentle cows already in milk, and confirmed pregnant. When I pick them up I put a halter on them or ask the farmer to do it for me so I have a way to catch them in case I need to after they get home.

Getting to know your cow vet is a great idea. I got lucky and found a Jersey dairy close by and have been getting cows from him. He has a small enough herd that his cows are pretty comfortable being handled by people. If you have dairy farms near you, that would be a good place to start. Sometimes they'll have cows that aren't making it at the dairy but would be good as a family cow.