Post by 3cows on Jun 5, 2013 11:42:36 GMT -5
I want a cow. Bad. We are almost done fencing the pastures but it may be a while before we can put up shelters and build a milking shed.
I was wondering if anyone milks just tied to a hitchig post? I would obviously prefer to buy a cow who is trained to stand tied for milking. But, is it possible? Recommended?
I can't decide if my enthusiasm is causing me to put the cart before the horse, or cow before the barn, in this case!
We will have 3 pastures that are all fenced and have gates on the cross fencing. It is 4 strand horse guard electric fence with the lowest rail at 18" and highest at 5". I don't think a calf could get through if they were separated.
Should I start cow shopping or wait 9-12 months until we can get a barn put up?
I have some good ideas of what I want from the milk shed. I'm thinking a 12'x30' shed divided into thirds with the two left sections being stalls and the third section being more closed off and being a combo stanchion/ storage area. My guess is that we will be looking at around $3k plus a ton of labor for poor DH!
Another question, does anyone here have young children? I have a 2 year old daughter and DH and I would love a second child. I'm not sure how easily I could milk and be with the kids. Should I just count on once a day milking in the evening when DH gets home? DD loves cows (she pretends to be a baby cow on a daily basis) and I'm sure she would enjoy the experience, but she is two and I can't expect her to entertain herself for an hour while I milk. I don't think the cow would appreciate frequent interruptions either.
My husbands response to all of this is to wait until webhave a second child and a barn. My response is to get a cow now. I figure I can get used to the routine now and sort out details later? DH and I approach life a little differently, eh?
So, any thoughts? I appreciate the input!
I will preface this by saying I haven't yet read your entire thread, but I wanted to say that I bought the first of my current cows BEFORE I had any fencing up except the yard. She lived (quite happily and became very spoiled) in the backyard for a month or so until the pastures were fenced. In fact, she was very upset when we moved her to the pasture as she had developed a real love of constant companionship. As for milking, I have an old barn and a small milk covered milk stall for bad weather use, but still milk 90% percent of the time outdoors. I like it and I think they do, too. Unless you are in an extreme climate, a temporary windbreak can be put up cheap and quick, out of a couple of tarps, pallets and a couple of beef panels. This link gives the general idea. My advice, get a cow. Your little one will be fascinated. We miss out on a lot in life when we wait for everything to be ready.