Post by sweetjoy on Oct 25, 2008 0:01:40 GMT -5
Brand new soon-to-be milk cow owner here, still learning the basics of EVERYTHING cow. I posted my short intro on the welcome board and hoped you all might help me get off on the right foot!
I didn't expect to find a cow so quickly, we were planning on next year January at the earliest but I have found a good cow to buy and can't pass it up. Her current owner is a member of your board - Laura - who decided to downsize from 3 cows to 1 cow. I'm buying her 4 year old Mini-Jersey/Dexter cross - who is in milk and unconfirmed in calf as well (due in June). I'm excited that she's coming from a friend I know and trust. She'll be bringing Faith to her new home sometime next month. Her pics are at
boise.craigslist.org/grd/868505746.html
So next week we are putting up the fence around our 1/3 acre pasture and we brought home 3 ton of alfalfa hay today. I wanted to get some grain too. We have corn and soy allergies in our family and I wanted to avoid those grains and spoke with a feed company that will mix me up some barley/oat/wheat mix, no corn. Is that sufficient for grain, or what else should we add?
I have so many questions, but let me narrow it down to just a few for now and I sure hope you can spare some time to steer me right!
First, what shots to cows get and why? Laura offered to have the cow current on her shots. I am wary of vaccinations as I don't want residue in my cow's milk. How do you all deal with that? What shots and vaccinations does a cow need that is an isolated family cow? This one's coming from the company of just two other cows so she is fairly well isolated and raised there from birth I believe.
Second- I'm also curious - what do you do when you have to be away from your cows? That is the biggest concern to me right now. The reason we were planning to wait til the first of the year to get the cow was because we have a trip coming up in December and will be gone 10 days. (Disneyworld! We've been planning for months) I'm concerned because we'll be getting Faith next month sometime and then have to leave for 10 days quite soon. I am concerned about how she will adjust to changing homes and then having us abandon her for 10 days! I have a couple friends who I could ask for help but I am really worried about it. I have heard you can get a calf on the cow, and then you can leave her? I am at a loss here.
Third and last thing- can you help me make a list of supplies we'll need to acquire, since we have nothing yet for a dairy cow? I am worried I will forget something and then need it and not have it!
Thanks in advance I hope I'm not a burden! We are SO excited to get started with this whole thing, even if it's a lot to learn.
I didn't expect to find a cow so quickly, we were planning on next year January at the earliest but I have found a good cow to buy and can't pass it up. Her current owner is a member of your board - Laura - who decided to downsize from 3 cows to 1 cow. I'm buying her 4 year old Mini-Jersey/Dexter cross - who is in milk and unconfirmed in calf as well (due in June). I'm excited that she's coming from a friend I know and trust. She'll be bringing Faith to her new home sometime next month. Her pics are at
boise.craigslist.org/grd/868505746.html
So next week we are putting up the fence around our 1/3 acre pasture and we brought home 3 ton of alfalfa hay today. I wanted to get some grain too. We have corn and soy allergies in our family and I wanted to avoid those grains and spoke with a feed company that will mix me up some barley/oat/wheat mix, no corn. Is that sufficient for grain, or what else should we add?
I have so many questions, but let me narrow it down to just a few for now and I sure hope you can spare some time to steer me right!
First, what shots to cows get and why? Laura offered to have the cow current on her shots. I am wary of vaccinations as I don't want residue in my cow's milk. How do you all deal with that? What shots and vaccinations does a cow need that is an isolated family cow? This one's coming from the company of just two other cows so she is fairly well isolated and raised there from birth I believe.
Second- I'm also curious - what do you do when you have to be away from your cows? That is the biggest concern to me right now. The reason we were planning to wait til the first of the year to get the cow was because we have a trip coming up in December and will be gone 10 days. (Disneyworld! We've been planning for months) I'm concerned because we'll be getting Faith next month sometime and then have to leave for 10 days quite soon. I am concerned about how she will adjust to changing homes and then having us abandon her for 10 days! I have a couple friends who I could ask for help but I am really worried about it. I have heard you can get a calf on the cow, and then you can leave her? I am at a loss here.
Third and last thing- can you help me make a list of supplies we'll need to acquire, since we have nothing yet for a dairy cow? I am worried I will forget something and then need it and not have it!
Thanks in advance I hope I'm not a burden! We are SO excited to get started with this whole thing, even if it's a lot to learn.