A good cow, well fed and cared for will produce enough milk to more than pay for her feed. If you have room to run a cow and can cope with milking her, it should be worth the expense.
Jerseys and Guernseys are the most popular breeds of dairy cattle to use as house cows. Cross bred dairy cows with some Jersey or Guernsey characteristics may even be more satisfactory than pure bred cows.
These breeds are popular because they are small-bodied and so require less feed for body maintenance and milk production. Their milk is rich in butterfat and, although they do not give as much milk as the larger breeds, they provide plenty for a family’s needs.
Friesian and Australian Illawarra Shorthorn (AIS) cows are larger, cost more to buy and feed, give more milk, and have a higher resale value. Their calves are bigger and bring more money when sold either at one week old or later as a weaner or vealer.
Selecting a house cow:
You should consider more than costs and returns when considering buying a house cow. She needs to be quiet to handle, free from bad habits such as kicking and, above all, easy to milk.
Where do you buy this ideal house cow? If you have had little experience it would pay you to enlist the help of a knowledgeable, trustworthy local farmer to buy one on your behalf.
Clearing sales on properties where all livestock and equipment is being sold are a good source. House cows on offer there must have given sonic satisfaction otherwise they would have been sold beforehand. Cows offered in saleyards must be treated with some suspicion as they may be someone’s rejects. When buying privately, ask for a trial period with an option to purchase.
Feeding:
Good pasture is the cheapest source of feed for the cow. She should be able to maintain herself and produce enough milk for the family on grass alone. To do this she will need about 1 to 2 ha of pasture depending on the type of country and quality of the pasture you have available.
If you want to completely hand feed her, you would have to feed about 12 kg (one-third to one-half bale) of good hay per day. That amount of hay would be enough for body maintenance and the production of 4 to 5 L of milk each day. To produce an extra 5 L of milk you would need to feed 2 kg of grain.
Between these two feeding systems—all pasture and all hand feeding— are a large number of combinations. You will have to experiment to find which is best for your circumstances.
The usual situation is that you would have enough pasture to meet the cow’s needs for most of the year. Hay or grain supplements may be needed in winter when pasture tends to be poor in quality or in short supply.
Remember:
- It is most important that the cow be well fed for the first couple of months after calving. A setback at this stage can have the effect of decreasing production over the whole lactation period
- Cows need shade in hot weather
- Provide plenty of clean water at all times
- A mineral supplement (usually as a block lick) may be required on poorer country
How long can you milk the cow?
In a normal lactation, daily milk production rises to a peak six to eight weeks after calving and then gradually falls off until the cow goes dry.
This period of time can be as long as a couple of years, but is usually only nine to ten months if she calves each year. It is best to mate the cow so that she calves every 12 months. To do this she will have to be mated two to three months after calving, as the normal gestation period is 283 days (about 91/2 months).
Mating:
The cow will only go in calf if she is mated when she in “on heat”. Recognizing heat periods can be difficult, especially if you only have one cow as one of the best signs of heat is cows mounting one another. In this situation, the cow standing to be mounted is on heat. With single cows, watch for bellowing and excitement.
You can usually make arrangements with a neighbour or local farmer to take your cow to a bull for service while she is on heat. If she does not conceive to the service she will come on heat again in three weeks.
Artificial insemination can be arranged in some dairying districts.
Drying off:
Your house cow should milk for nine to ten months and then have a two month spell to build up her body reserves before calving again. If the cow’s production gets too low before ten months have elapsed, she may have to be dried off early. To dry her off just stop milking her and stop feeding supplements.
If the cow is still producing 9 to 10 L per day or more she should be milked every second day until production falls below that rate and then dried off by not milking her. Treat with a long-acting “dry cow” antibiotic at drying off if she has had mastitis during lactation.
The dry period:
Once the cow is dried off don’t just forget about her until she calves again. Remember her condition at calving and immediately after calving can influence her production in lactation.
So make sure she is in good condition but not overfat at calving. She may need hay or grain supplements if she is low in condition before calving.
Calving:
The majority of cows will calve without problems or assistance. Signs of calving are: one week before —ligaments on rump and tailhead relax
- opaque mucus discharge from vulva
- udder is full and tense and may drop milk from teats
- cow is restless and tense, may smell the ground around her
- tail twitching indicates labour has begun
- thick whitish mucus discharge from vulva
- appearance of water bag and commencement of straining
From the appearance of the water bag till completion of calving is usually 1 1/2 hours. In a normal birth the forelegs and head appear first.
If the cow does not seem to be calving normally, if she is taking time than usual, or if the afterbirth is not expelled within 12 hours of calving, a veterinarian or experienced person should be contacted.
How soon can you use the milk?
The first milk produced after calving is called colostrum. It is thick, yellowish and sticky. It is very rich and contains essential antibodies which the calf needs in the first day of its life. Colostrum is not fit for human consumption as it has a strong laxative effect. You can use the milk when it appears normal at five to ten days after calving.
MilMkiinlkg is produced and held in the secretory cells of the udder and released into larger ducts under the influence of hormones released from the brain. When the udder is stimulated by washing before milking, hormones are released causing milk to be “let down”.
If the cow is frightened or ill treated, adrenalin is released into the bloodstream blocking the path of the let down hormones to the udder. So above all, treat the cow kindly and firmly.
With stimulation of the udder and teats for approximately half a minute, good milk let down shoYuoldu bseh oacuhldie bvee dc.l ean and efficient when milking. If there is a lot of hair on the udder, clip it off. Preferably use udder soap and water to clean and stimulate the udder. Use clean buckets and strain the milk before use.
Health problems:
Mastitis is the most common health problem with dairy cows. It is an inflammation of the udder usually caused by bacterial organisms. Flecks or clots in the milk are a sure indication of infection. It can be cured with antibiotics, although the success of treatment during lactation is not encouraging.
Treatment at drying off with a special, long-acting, dry cow antibiotic is usually most successful. Good hygiene when milking lessens the chance of your cow contracting mastitis. Cows with a history of mastitis infection usually develop large, hard lumps in the udder. If possible, have some experienced person examine the udder carefully before you buy a house cow.
Drenching for worms is of little value in adult cattle unless stock are obviously not doing well or are scouring. Seek advice before drenching. Udder sores occur from time to time and these can be treated with udder creams. If you are concerned about health problems in your house cow, consult a veterinarian.
The milk separator:
If your cow produces more milk than you can use, it may be useful to acquire a separator. These can often be purchased at clearing sales for a reasonable price. They mechanically separate the cream from the milk and the cream can then be used for butter making or with desserts. It is illegal to sell the milk you produce.
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