buying your first dairy cow

[duckidaho]

We are planning on getting a dairy cow this year. Do you buy a cow that has been bred and wait for her to give birth and come into milk? Or buy a new mother with a calf? We'd also be interested in raising the calf for a beef cow. If that is how it's done. We are, of course, on a budget, but I found with getting dairy goats that a little extra up front went a long way.

[Callieslamb]

It depends on what is available and what experience you have. If you buy a cow already in milk, you can have her milk tested to see if there is any mastitis or other bacteria problems. If she is already bred- then you know that she can be bred. If she has had a calf or 2- then you will know her ability to deliver a calf. A bred heifer is one of the most expensive ways to go, but you will have a cow that should last you a long, long time. If you have milked before, training a cow to be milked might not be a huge task for you.

[carellama]

Tell me about milk testing. I just bought my first cow/calf combo. The owners know her history, have her mom on the property. This is her first calf. She is broke to milk and will stand in a head gate to be hand milked. I feel fortunate to have found her. I have been looking for a while and slim pickins out there.

[BlackWillowFarm]

It's best to buy a cow already in milk and bred back. That way you know what you're getting. If you find a dry, bred cow she should be due to calve within a few weeks otherwise you have to wonder why she's dry. Or, find a fresh cow with a calf. Either way you'll want to have a way of getting her bred to keep the milk coming. I would avoid dry cows that are open. Getting a trained milk cow is a good idea if you don't have experience milking cows.

I raise my Jersey bull calves for beef. They finish slower than a beef breed but the meat is really very good.

[willow_girl]

I have worked on dairy farms for years and have also had family cows.

I would ask dairy farmers in your area if they have a healthy low-production cow they would be willing to sell. Ideally, she already would be bred back and confirmed pregnant. It's great if you have the opportunity to milk her, especially if you'll be hand-milking. Are her teats short and tight, hard to strip? If you have a miserable time milking, you probably won't stick with it long. A cow with long, loose teats and an easygoing disposition is worth her weight in gold. Doesn't matter so much what she looks like or if she's only a 3-teat cow. Even a sub-par Holstein will pretty much drown you in milk unless you're feeding an army! The key factors are that she has the ability to get pregnant and carry a calf, and that she's easy to milk.

Another alternative is to go to a dairy auction, if there are any in your area. I don't mean a slaughter auction, but a sale where dairy farmers buy and sell cows. Sale barns in areas with a lot of dairy farms will hold these periodically, or you may see herd dispersal auctions advertised. Generally the cows have been sleeved (pregnancy checked by a vet) just prior to the sale and sometimes a summary of their DHIA records (production and udder health) will be available. Again, look for a low-production cow with nice long teats.

I would stay away from buying a heifer at the outset. You'll have to break her to milk, and you can't get an idea what a heifer's udder will be like and/or how easy she'll be to milk. Heifers are more prone to calving difficulties, too, especially delivering stillborn calves. The fact that she's a heifer is no guarantee she won't freshen in with mastitis or a blind quarter. At least with an older cow, if the seller is honest and/or you take an experienced friend with you, you'll have a good idea what her faults are, and sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don't!

Anyway, JMO, and best wishes in becoming a cow owner!

[duckidaho]

Thanks willow girl, that was a great bunch of info. I didn't think of it, but I bought my firsts dairy goat trained to stand. It was a big help I can see having trained subsequent does. I don't know where exactly I'll find a cow in milk, trained, and pregnant. (I don't live in a big dairy area) But I'll sure try.

What does "bred back" mean? Thanks,

[sammyd]

bred back just means bred

[Callieslamb]

Originally Posted by carellama

Tell me about milk testing......

Find a lab in your area. They will usually be the kind of lab that tests water for the health dept, etc. Ask them if they can do a SCC ( somatic cell count) and plate count on milk. SCC is bacteria in the milk. Plate is cleanliness of equipment. If you are hand milking - plate count isn't important.

the test is about about $15 here and takes 3-7 days to get the results. The lab here will email it to you. They can also help you interpret the results. A high SCC indicates mastitis.