newb question

[Tea Chick]

maybe you should try goats milk again before you decide. i don't know who you got milk from but the handling of milk can make a huge difference in the taste as can what a goat eats or even the breed of goat. there are pros and cons for both goats and cows. look into breeds like mini jersey and doxiemoxie is right dexter cattle are a good choice too. one thing to consider is that a mini cow will have to be bred to a mini bull to prevent birthing problems. just remember that a cow is just as likely to go thru an inadequate fence as a goat and will take her friend the sheep with her.

I don't remember. I think we got it from the store, honestly. DH is kind of stuck on milk comes from cows. Not that he's opposed to goat's or sheep's milk or whatever, if he had to, but we'd probably still buy cow's milk from the store and the goat's milk would go to the kids (I mean children lol). He's one of those that's a little stuck in his ways.
We'll make repairs to the fencing we have and fence off the back so that whatever we get isn't running all over the yard. We just can't fence in the entire property to keep it out of the street, for instance. I had hoped that a cow wouldn't be looking for ways to get out, like a goat. I understand goats must have absolutely perfect fencing and even then, they're trying to find enough space to get out of and they're smart enough to find it too. I was hoping it would be a matter of repair to make the fence adequate for a cow, rather than replacing all of it which is what I figure we'd have to do for a goat, and even then it seems like we'd have to tether it anyway, b/c I understand they're basically always trying to get out. The grass is always greener (or funner)...
I'll look into those breeds too.
Thank you for the advice and info.

 

[Tea Chick]

I just looked at Dexter cow on wikipedia. It's a very big cow with very short legs.

Is this average, conformation, record?
I kind of need a cow that's proportionate. KWIM?

 

[Baymule]

Not to sound rude, but if you can't afford to properly fence your 2 acres, then how do you propose to pay for a milk cow? In my area, a milk cow is $1,000 and up. Besides, the first thing a cow does is walk the fence line. If there is a hole, there goes the cow, if there is a weak spot, the cow makes a hole......

It would be much better, both for you and the cow or goat if you built a good fence first. We just bought a house on 8 acres and naturally, the whole place needs fencing, so I feel your pain. I have horses, so will fence a small area first and then buy a roll of wire at a time, until we have it all done.

https://shop.mccoys.com/farm-ranch-...nd-wire-fence/high-tensile-field-fence/p.3667

This is a 330 foot roll of goat wire for $230 it's the best deal I have found so far. Wire doesn't come cheap, neither do the posts. If you have any cedar trees on your property, they make good fence posts. I have been known to run wire from tree to tree in thick forest........ I can tell you that years later, the trees die, fall down and take the fence with them.

Check Craigs list, classified papers for used posts and gates, sometimes you can find a good deal.

I truly wish you all the best. Having your own milk cow or goat would be a wonderful addition for your family.

Almost forgot, if you have pine trees, you can cut them when the sap is moving, either in the fall or spring, and the sap will crystalize. We call it rich pine or lighter pine, great for fire starting kindling. My grandpa had rich pine posts on his land that were older than he was. Big trees, you can split into several posts.

 

[goatgurl]

if you start with a bottle calf it will be at least 2 years before you get a drop of milk if not longer and that's after you find a bull, breed the cow etc so i would think about a adult cow. one already fresh or bred would be easiest. i have a friend who has jerseys and he is selling 3 of them. one cow only has one working quarter and he still wants $1,100. for her and the two that have all four quarters working he wants $1,800. for so just realize they don't come cheap. and like everyone else says, you really need to get good fencing up first before you bring home livestock. and i still vote for a goat or two, lol.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

My DH is convinced that eggs, milk and meat come from the store..... and yet on a taste test, he was unable to identify/differentiate Nigerian Dwarf milk from store bought vitamin D cows milk. We drink our milk whole and (our) goats milk is even creamier/richer, but if handled well, doesn't taste goaty. Occasionally we get a bit goaty if it sits for more than a few days in the fridge, but I don't heat treat our milk, we drink it raw. Nubians (african breeds)are supposed to also have very mild flavored milk, whereas Swiss breeds are known for stronger flavored milk. Feed has a lot to do with it I am told as well.

Several of our goats can and have cleared 4 foot fences, but haven't gotten out of our yard. Jack used to follow Buck Naked over the cattle panels but he hasn't gone over one since Buck moved to a new home. He had Andy and now has Casanova and Spartagus for companions. Andy shoved through a weak spot in his fence til we tightened the corner with plastic twine from the hay bales. RavioliAnna jumped the cattle panel when she was sure the herd was abandoning her, but hasn't tried it since. I make sure everyone has a companion as much as I can, they seem pretty happy to be here. They haven't really given me too much trouble fencing wise, as long as they are too big to squeeze through it. Babies love to go exploring when they can fit through the holes though.

You could always try a few goats and switch to the more expensive cows if the goats don't work out.

 

[Tea Chick]

Not to sound rude, but if you can't afford to properly fence your 2 acres, then how do you propose to pay for a milk cow? In my area, a milk cow is $1,000 and up. Besides, the first thing a cow does is walk the fence line. If there is a hole, there goes the cow, if there is a weak spot, the cow makes a hole......

It would be much better, both for you and the cow or goat if you built a good fence first. We just bought a house on 8 acres and naturally, the whole place needs fencing, so I feel your pain. I have horses, so will fence a small area first and then buy a roll of wire at a time, until we have it all done.

https://shop.mccoys.com/farm-ranch-...nd-wire-fence/high-tensile-field-fence/p.3667

This is a 330 foot roll of goat wire for $230 it's the best deal I have found so far. Wire doesn't come cheap, neither do the posts. If you have any cedar trees on your property, they make good fence posts. I have been known to run wire from tree to tree in thick forest........ I can tell you that years later, the trees die, fall down and take the fence with them.

Check Craigs list, classified papers for used posts and gates, sometimes you can find a good deal.

I truly wish you all the best. Having your own milk cow or goat would be a wonderful addition for your family.

Almost forgot, if you have pine trees, you can cut them when the sap is moving, either in the fall or spring, and the sap will crystalize. We call it rich pine or lighter pine, great for fire starting kindling. My grandpa had rich pine posts on his land that were older than he was. Big trees, you can split into several posts.

You're right, that did seem a little rude at first, but I greatly appreciate your honesty and advice!!! We do have some pine trees; I'll see how many we have and maybe I can build a good sized pen out of them.
Again, thank you so much!!!

 

[Tea Chick]

if you start with a bottle calf it will be at least 2 years before you get a drop of milk if not longer and that's after you find a bull, breed the cow etc so i would think about a adult cow. one already fresh or bred would be easiest. i have a friend who has jerseys and he is selling 3 of them. one cow only has one working quarter and he still wants $1,100. for her and the two that have all four quarters working he wants $1,800. for so just realize they don't come cheap. and like everyone else says, you really need to get good fencing up first before you bring home livestock. and i still vote for a goat or two, lol.

Thank you for the info, @goatgurl
We realize that a cow isn't going to be cheap. We knew it'd be best to fence the property (or at least a good portion of it) first. With the chickens, we just bought them and then we started learning about their habits and likes and dislikes, etc. We're trying to learn first with the cow, goat, sheep, whatever milk animal(s) we end up getting.
Thanks!

 

[Tea Chick]

My DH is convinced that eggs, milk and meat come from the store..... and yet on a taste test, he was unable to identify/differentiate Nigerian Dwarf milk from store bought vitamin D cows milk. We drink our milk whole and (our) goats milk is even creamier/richer, but if handled well, doesn't taste goaty. Occasionally we get a bit goaty if it sits for more than a few days in the fridge, but I don't heat treat our milk, we drink it raw. Nubians (african breeds)are supposed to also have very mild flavored milk, whereas Swiss breeds are known for stronger flavored milk. Feed has a lot to do with it I am told as well.

Several of our goats can and have cleared 4 foot fences, but haven't gotten out of our yard. Jack used to follow Buck Naked over the cattle panels but he hasn't gone over one since Buck moved to a new home. He had Andy and now has Casanova and Spartagus for companions. Andy shoved through a weak spot in his fence til we tightened the corner with plastic twine from the hay bales. RavioliAnna jumped the cattle panel when she was sure the herd was abandoning her, but hasn't tried it since. I make sure everyone has a companion as much as I can, they seem pretty happy to be here. They haven't really given me too much trouble fencing wise, as long as they are too big to squeeze through it. Babies love to go exploring when they can fit through the holes though.

You could always try a few goats and switch to the more expensive cows if the goats don't work out.

Thank you for the information, @ragdollcatlady !
I married a city boy too, but he's getting countryfied a little. We had company over the weekend and my yankee city boy husband said, "Hey, ya'll". It was all I could do to keep my composure as I told the woman that I had him well trained and it had only taken 17 years. lol
Anyway, I'll look into the African breeds of goats. I know Nubians were popular in this area about 20+ years ago, but I'll have to find some goat contacts to find out what's going on now.
Thanks for the info/advice on the fencing!
BTW, I like all your goat names!

 

[greybeard]

I'm beginning to think that goats are too smart. lol So, I'm thinking about a cow (b/c we can repair the fence and finish enough fencing enough land to make a good pasture/meadow, about 1-1.5 acres).
I'm also thinking that a sheep could keep the cow company. Cows are herd animals, so one cow would want a little herd of something larger than chickens, right?

One milk producing dairy cow on 1.5 acres.............you are already pushing the limits of the land.
It is generally accepted, that it takes 2 acres of good quality forage to support one AU (animal unit-cattle) At 1000lb body weight, it will need to intake about 26 lbs of forage every 24 hrs. Add a sheep to that, and the needs from your 1.5 acre will only increase. In order to make milk, the cow will be taking FROM the pasture forage it eats and putting back (from the other end) only a portion of the total nutrients it took from the pasture.
be prepared to:
a. Supplement the feed requirements of the livestock on that 1.5 acres.
b. Fertilize to replace what was taken from the soil.
c. In all likelihood-both of the above.

There's an old saying among beef cattle and dairy farmers. "We're grass farmers first last and always--cattle producers 2nd."
You can manage 1 milk cow on 1.5 acres, but it won't be cheap or easy. I don't have dairy cattle, but do have beef cattle. The yard around my house is just over 1 ac and the same grass as in the pasture. One cow with a sucking calf by it's side will eat that yard down to dirt in a week or less.

You'd be better off with goats.

 

[Tea Chick]

One milk producing dairy cow on 1.5 acres.............you are already pushing the limits of the land.
It is generally accepted, that it takes 2 acres of good quality forage to support one AU (animal unit-cattle) At 1000lb body weight, it will need to intake about 26 lbs of forage every 24 hrs. Add a sheep to that, and the needs from your 1.5 acre will only increase. In order to make milk, the cow will be taking FROM the pasture forage it eats and putting back (from the other end) only a portion of the total nutrients it took from the pasture.
be prepared to:
a. Supplement the feed requirements of the livestock on that 1.5 acres.
b. Fertilize to replace what was taken from the soil.
c. In all likelihood-both of the above.

There's an old saying among beef cattle and dairy farmers. "We're grass farmers first last and always--cattle producers 2nd."
You can manage 1 milk cow on 1.5 acres, but it won't be cheap or easy. I don't have dairy cattle, but do have beef cattle. The yard around my house is just over 1 ac and the same grass as in the pasture. One cow with a sucking calf by it's side will eat that yard down to dirt in a week or less.

You'd be better off with goats.

Thank you so much for the advice, @greybeard
I'll share this information w/ DH. Very helpful!!!