Post by bertaburtonlake on Apr 29, 2005 12:00:52 GMT -5
Hi everyone!
I was not sure where to put this so hope it is ok here.
My name is Berta. I am married to a wonderful amdn and have 4 children ranging in age from 24 to 7 years old. The younger 3 of these still live at home. We live on a beautiful 11 acrehomestead on a large lake which we feel blessed by God to own. We have been here 3 years and are slowly but surely beginning to get it to the place I have dreamed of having since I was a child. We have had chickens since the beginning. I have Katahdin lambs 3 ewes and a ram) coming in June. We also have 2 labs and 3 cats.
I have ALWAYS wanted a family milk cow (is there a gene for this??? lol ), I finally have a lead on a farm about 20 minutes from me where I may be able to get a Jersey. It is a small farm owned by old folks who hand milk their small herd. This is sooo exciting to me!
I want to make sure I have everything in place for our "girl" before we get her. we have fenced with field fencing (10 gauge woven wire 48" high) about 2 acres of very thick grass for the sheep. Can the cow run with them? Is this fencing ok or do we need to augment with a strand of electric at the top?
We have a large post and beam stable built for horses that was here when we purchased the property. It has 10 good sized stalls. The floors are of hard packed clay soil with sawdust over it. It has both water and electricity. Are the horse sized stalls good enough for a milk cow and calf? What modifications, if any, would it take to convert one (or 2 together) to a milking stall?
I was planning on only having water available at the stable for the sheep to come and get at will. Will this work for the cow, too?
I know sheep cannot have copper in their salt/mineral supplements, so the cow's and the sheep's would have to be separate. How would be the best way to do this?
Whew, this has turned into a long postI I am just so excited I could go on and on! But, I won't bore you any furhter. I have read most all of the posts here and feel like I know you and your bovine family already! Thnaks for bearing with me and for any suggestions and answers to my (dumb?) questions!
Warm Regards to all,
~Berta
I was not sure where to put this so hope it is ok here.
My name is Berta. I am married to a wonderful amdn and have 4 children ranging in age from 24 to 7 years old. The younger 3 of these still live at home. We live on a beautiful 11 acrehomestead on a large lake which we feel blessed by God to own. We have been here 3 years and are slowly but surely beginning to get it to the place I have dreamed of having since I was a child. We have had chickens since the beginning. I have Katahdin lambs 3 ewes and a ram) coming in June. We also have 2 labs and 3 cats.
I have ALWAYS wanted a family milk cow (is there a gene for this??? lol ), I finally have a lead on a farm about 20 minutes from me where I may be able to get a Jersey. It is a small farm owned by old folks who hand milk their small herd. This is sooo exciting to me!
I want to make sure I have everything in place for our "girl" before we get her. we have fenced with field fencing (10 gauge woven wire 48" high) about 2 acres of very thick grass for the sheep. Can the cow run with them? Is this fencing ok or do we need to augment with a strand of electric at the top?
We have a large post and beam stable built for horses that was here when we purchased the property. It has 10 good sized stalls. The floors are of hard packed clay soil with sawdust over it. It has both water and electricity. Are the horse sized stalls good enough for a milk cow and calf? What modifications, if any, would it take to convert one (or 2 together) to a milking stall?
I was planning on only having water available at the stable for the sheep to come and get at will. Will this work for the cow, too?
I know sheep cannot have copper in their salt/mineral supplements, so the cow's and the sheep's would have to be separate. How would be the best way to do this?
Whew, this has turned into a long postI I am just so excited I could go on and on! But, I won't bore you any furhter. I have read most all of the posts here and feel like I know you and your bovine family already! Thnaks for bearing with me and for any suggestions and answers to my (dumb?) questions!
Warm Regards to all,
~Berta