Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2008 8:59:19 GMT -5
Well, I called the dairy yesterday to confirm that we do want to buy the cow we looked at the other day ;D. She is currently milking approx. 4 gal per day. She is bred back and is due to calf on Feb. 18. We have ordered a milking setup from Hamby's ( complete unit with supplies included). We are working on making a functional "milk processing area" - Last year we bought a 240' chicken barn from our neighbor with 5 acres of mostly pasture. Included was a 24'x36' "machine shed" that my dh turned into our animal barn with two large stalls and two smaller calf stalls. We can store two round bales in there as well as an area for grain and other supplies. Also on that property is a small approx. 12x 16' shower house where the workers sanitized themselves when the chicken barn was functional and raising broilers. That shower house will be our milk processing area. We plan to milk in one stall in the barn, bring the raw milk into the milk house and strain, cool, refrigerate, etc... There is room for an 8' countertop area for making products, room for a fridge, room for a portable dish washer (someday) room for a small stove (someday) There is already a sink (right now a laundry tub, but we will change that to stainless as soon as we can...
Can I get some advice on what to do to make her transition from a herd of approx. 70 cows to our small farm (3 hereford and two 3 mo. old jersey steers) more comfortable? Should we keep her separate from the other animals for a time period? Should we keep her in the barn for a few days so she knows where she will be milked?
We are very excited about this, but want to cause minimal stress on our new cow. Thanks and any advice will be appreciated!
Can I get some advice on what to do to make her transition from a herd of approx. 70 cows to our small farm (3 hereford and two 3 mo. old jersey steers) more comfortable? Should we keep her separate from the other animals for a time period? Should we keep her in the barn for a few days so she knows where she will be milked?
We are very excited about this, but want to cause minimal stress on our new cow. Thanks and any advice will be appreciated!