rachels.haven's Journal

[B&B Happy goats]

Naw, I'm not really a sheep person.
If I got sheep my 4 year old would never let me live it down because he wants the next animal we do to be a dairy cow-specifically a (giant) holstein but he'd settle for any of the other bold spotted ones (especially a Guernsey named Guern) and I could take care of it forever for him. Unfortunately for him, cows are a whole other level and definitely not for hanging out with kids...Maybe when he's 14 I'll get one for him instead of a car. He's been asking since we moved here-only A LITTLE (giant) dairy cow.

...I feel like if we got a cow we'd need to build a separate barn shelter, a separate hay shelter for round bales, get a trailer, get a different car, get a round bale feeder and stock tanks, bigger milking stanchion, stronger fences, different manure management strategy...I think I'll just take him to someone's dairy farm store and buying some raw cow milk for Christmas, because I am not smitten by cows-yet. Some of the smaller breeds like jerseys are beautiful.

Not trying to sell you anything ....but...in the 70 s when I had my farm, we had six milking goats and six cows all in the same small barn, the adult cows as well as calfs would ALWAYS step aside while I was pregnant so I could feed them, they were so loving and kind...guess it is all about how they are raised.
My vet now, became a vet due to his pet cow he had growing up. He just put her down last year....be it sheep, goats, chickens ,ducks or cows....animals will respond to kindness.

 

[Bruce]

I'm not real sure you have enough space for a cow anyway.

 

[rachels.haven]

Aw. That's so sweet. Yes, and very little grass. Maybe in ten years when all the trees have fallen down and the goats have stopped new weedy ones from growing up.

 

[rachels.haven]

Oh my goodness. I love my kids. We went to local dairy farm and spent $5 on a half gallon of unpasteurized, unhomogenized, normal milk for my youngest to enjoy for the holidays (or whenever, that's not super pricey considering price of producing milk). He asked the farmer himself to see the cows, so he got to pet and introduce himself to a herd of about a dozen extremely silky, fluffy soft normandies and normandy crosses. In the car he got sad because he really wants one of those cows now. They had spots. He's in love with the cow milk and cows.

(The other kid got frozen feet because he wasn't wearing snow pants and handles cold about as well as I do.)

We're still not getting cows, but that was fun.

 

[thistlebloom]

Rachel, I'm reading through your journal and am enjoying it very much. I'm at the part where you have just moved -love that little barn!- and I got sympathetic stressed over your driving through a blizzard in the dark in sub zero temps. Whew, so glad you made it ok!
Rainy yucky indoor kind of day here, so perfect for catching up.

 

[Bruce]

How far is that dairy from your house? Maybe he can work there when he gets older.

 

[farmerjan]

Normandies are a great breed of dairy cattle and make a good "dual purpose" breed too as they carry alot more weight than the standard dairy breeds that we are familiar with. More meat on the calves for butcher. Neat that your son likes then so much.

 

[rachels.haven]

That's a good idea @Bruce . I'll try to make that his plan. His eyes light up every time he saw a cow picture in the grocery store afterward. I wonder where he's going to decide to take this cow-obsession business.
Thank you @thistlebloom . I think we're finally getting settled in here after all the chaos. It took a while.

And @farmerjan , I guess the dual purpose-nature explains why they were selling beef in their farm stand too (and berkshire pork, and duck and goose eggs). The cows were really lovely too. They were way friendly and I've never seen cows in such good shape with such a soft coat texture. Whatever they're doing for them over there, it's working. I hope they sell lots of $5/half gallon milk (and beef and pork) and are able to continue with their adventure as long as they want.

I'll probably be back on Monday for some pork and beef.

 

[Bruce]

Normandies are a great breed of dairy cattle and make a good "dual purpose" breed too as they carry alot more weight than the standard dairy breeds that we are familiar with. More meat on the calves for butcher. Neat that your son likes then so much.

ENABLER!!!!!

 

[thistlebloom]

I just looked Normande cattle up. Those are some very pretty cows. I pay $6 per half gallon of raw cream line Guernsey milk. Kind of a luxury, but it is delicious, and if I'm going to drink milk at all, I'd rather it be the real deal.