Post by lisacb on Jul 25, 2024 1:16:55 GMT -5
Hi, all. I have enjoyed reading this forum for a while. What a generous community of folks willing to share your time and expertise!
After reading about raising cattle and dreaming of cows for the last 15 years, last year we finally took the plunge a got two small Dexters, a heifer and a steer (who is getting close to going to freezer camp). We went with Dexters in part because we have a small 1-acre lot and because waist-high cattle were a gentler/less intimidating introduction to large livestock for my husband who didn't group up with anything bigger than a dog. (In the last 20 years we've raised pigs, turkeys, meat rabbits, ducks, catfish, chickens, quail etc.)
As a teenager I had horses, pigs, sheep, goats, etc, but cattle are totally new to me. And I know enough to know that having a shelf of highlighted books is not that same as in-the-flesh experience. I've been delighted by how chill these two are now that they've settled in (compared to horses.) Even our more wary heifer is still content to see a new thing, walk over to smell it, nudge it and and then continue whatever she was doing. No shying, just zen.
On just one acre, we obviously don't have enough pasture to supply the needs of even one small bovine. Rain is rare here in San Diego and water is REALLY expensive so in addition to buying lots of hay we cut and carry as much of tree forage as we can (mulberry, loquat, pecan, banana, banyan and other fig-family trees, persimmon, grape) and have tiny micro-pastures that we move the cows to for a snack and variety and so they can have something fresh. I didn't plant our regular veggie garden this year and am eyeing that plot for a mini-pasture... Now every green park or lush lawn just looks like cattle food going to waste to me.
Our two cows are rock stars in the community which, while still zoned for livestock, has lost most of its livestock/barns/pasture/riding trails over the years. Most days, whoever is feeding or mucking meets at least one new neighbor as a steady stream of people stop by to say hi to the cattle since their main corral is near the street.
When we lived in Oregon we bought 6 gallons of fresh Jersey milk every week and made yogurt, butter, ice cream, mozzarella and ricotta and would love to do that again. My teenage daughter wants a dairy cow (and so do I) so we're discussing looking for lower producing cow, not a heifer, of a dairy breed. (Since we don't know what we're doing we figured it would be good if at least the cow knows what she's doing.) I've handed her my dog eared copy of Keeping a Family Cow.
BUT, I'll be honest, I'm terrified of the metabolic problems I've read of that can come along with many dairy breeds. She will probably find a 4H or Grange group to broaden our cow mentor group. Since we're not really in the country we have to look harder for cow mentors, although there is a Jersey owner who has the only other cow within miles and miles and she's willing to share what she knows! Hooray for helpful folks.
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