Thinking of getting a cow

[Pearl B]

Im wondering if it would be cheaper to buy a cow and raise it, or buy from someone that already owns a herd & buy meat from them.

How much does it cost roughly a month to feed 1 cow?
What do they absolutely need?
How likely or often do they need medical care or attention?
Ive got 2 acres. How much/strong does a fence have to be to keep one in?
Will t-posts and fence field do the trick, or would I need something stronger?
Whats the best age to buy a cow destined for freezer camp?
Would I be better off buying 1 cow & breed it, then raise the babies. That way getting meat and milk, or would veterinary costs be to high to make that feasible on a shoe string budget?
My primary interest is in the meat more so than the milk.If its not much more though, some milk would be nice to.
How much shelter do they need? Would a lean-to be enough?

Im in the desert in N. Az. Most of the hay we get around here is the square 100pd type bales. Can I get by with 1 bale a week?
Do they need grain?

Are cows much different than having horses, which Ive had before.

TIA, Im just kicking around the idea. One of my main concerns is vet costs, how much,how often, as a general rule of thumb.

[sammyd]

If you're on a shoestring and have little knowledge I would suggest leaving the brood cow idea alone.
2 acres of desert isn't much for a cow and once they get any decent size you will need a bale every other day at least. We feed a 60 pounder every day when they are close.
T-posts and field fence will work, but running a hot wire around the top of that will help a lot.
We have yet to have a vet out for a beef steer and we've been at it for over 5 years. We don't vaccinate either but that may be something to look at by your area.

Get a good sized feeder steer, stick him out in your 2 acres, give him access to a supply of good hay and water with a decent amount of grain and send him to the butcher anytime after he hits 1200 pounds.
Or buy a half from someone.