So is it really worthwhile, financially?

[farmerlor]

So with the rising cost of milk and especially cheese (family motto is: There's no such thing as too much cheese) and of course the worry about additives we're thinking about getting a milk cow. We were thinking about a beef cow as well but I've showed him the most economical thing to do would be to breed the milker to a beef bull and butcher the calf....but anyway, I digress. So if I get this milk cow (I was raised around cows my whole life but that was centuries ago) do they pay for themselves or will I spend more money on grain and hay than I get in milk and cream for cheese? Should I buy a little heifer calf and raise her or plop down a cool thou and get a cow already producing?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Do you have acreage to make your own hay? That would help with the costs. If you don't have, try to buy the hay off the field, it's usually cheaper that way.

Grain costs are going to very around the country/world plus the volume that you buy changes prices. But, as you said, you would be in control of what you feed the cow.

Your right about breeding her beef. Just remember your going to want a replacement heifer too.

As for getting a milking cow or a heifer calf, finances may dictate that. But, if you can afford the milk cow, then ask yourself when you want the milk? If you buy a calf it will be 2 years before she will be in milking, do you want to wait that long? Or are you looking to start getting your own milk right away?

Have you thought about the breed? On the breed page there are pics of the different breeds and at the bottom links for information about different breeds of cattle.

 

[farmerlor]

Nah, this will truly be a back yard cow. We live on about 8 and a quarter acres and part of this is pasturing horses. I have about an acre that is unused at present and I can dedicate that to my cow but I realize that we'll be supplementing pretty much all year.
Patience is not a virtue of mine and naturally I want the milk NOW but dairy cows are expensive!
My preference would be to get a Jersey. The farmer who had dairy cows when I was a kid had Jersey and Swiss girls. Such a pretty herd and such rich milk. But again, big cows eat more feed and of course produce more milk. I might be better off with a Dexter.

 

[wynedot55]

a jersey cow would best suit your milk needs.as well as the pasture you have for her.because youll be feeding her 15lbs of feed a day plus hay.an she can eat the grass.

 

[Imissmygirls]

I am trying to recall how much it cost to feed the Jersey we had a few years ago. I am thinking it was 5 # of grain/day plus a small bale a day? I didn't feed her *well* because she gave about 30-40# a day and I was handmilking and didn't need more than that. Just enough to keep her in condition to breed back.
It only pays if you have to buy all your dairy now and can use up all that she produces, plus, growing your own fodder for her. At the time, I was buying a gallon of milk+ a day for my kids. That adds up fast.
I never bothered making cheese. We made butter and ice cream though because of all the cream she produced.
You can give the excess to any chickens or pigs, or feed the milk to a purchased calf to feed for beef.

 

[kstaven]

My personal opinion is that if you have good forage and will be using ALL the milk for drinking, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream. Then a cow is a worthwhile addition. Total up how much you spend a week on these products and that will tell the tale quickly.

 

[jhm47]

It is important to remember that a cow MUST be milked twice a day. Whether it is done by a person or a calf is immaterial, but imagine the discomfort a cow would endure if her udder were allowed to be full for a long period. And, if she is not milked regularly, she will become susceptible to an infection called mastitis. NOT a fun thing to try to cure. Good luck!