Choosing a Dairy Cow…..Part One
Greeting Folks
There are always a lot of questions coming this way about what kind of cow one should get for the homestead. I should state, right off the bat, that not every homestead needs a cow. Many a small landholdings would fare very well with a few dairy goats. We won’t get into that now, however. This is for those who have chosen to own a cow.
Instead of starting out talking about breeds, I will cover some stuff that is important no matter what breed you decide on. These posts will cover the basics on conformation traits that make up a good dairy cow. These posts are geared toward homesteaders who want a cow that provides enough milk for the family, lives a long time and is an easy keeper.
The Udder
For obvouse reasons, the udder is one of the most important things look at when purchasing a dairy cow. You want a cow that has a shallow udder, one that is well above the hocks. A young cow should have a small udder, they only get bigger and deeper with age! Young cows that milk like mature cows, become dead cows faster. The problem with deep uddered cows is this…they drag their teats through the mud and are prone to mastitis. They also step on their teats when getting up. It is also hard to milk cows with deep udders, the pail or milking claw won’t fit under it. Best case, you can teach her to stand on oak blocks. The rear udder attachment should be wide. If we want a good volume of milk, and don’t want the udder deep, we need to store that milk in the width. Steer clear of cows with very narrow rear attachments. The fore udder attachment should be smooth. It should blend right into the cows belly. You also want a cow with a good center crease. The center crease divides the udder in half. The crease should be very deep and strong. This crease supports the udder and keeps the teats from sticking out. When teats stick out, they get steped on and they are a general pain in the neck to milk…by hand or by machine. Look for vaining, the udder should have lots of vains. It takes a lot of blood to make milk. You should see the cow after she is milked out. Check the udder texture, it should fold down flat and wrinkly after milking. These are the basic things to look for in udders. We have a saying…..no udder, no cow.
July 6th, 2006 at 6:23 am
Hi Scott, your upcoming series of posts on choosing a dairy cow comes a great time. Just last night I was talking with JFC about dairy cows and it was a few days ago that I was discussing this with a brother attending our church. Your information is most welcome. Thank you
July 6th, 2006 at 6:40 am
Maybe you could include some pictures of good and bad udders! Then I just might know what in the heck your talking about:) hock, crease, width udder attachment - who knew a cow had so many parts….
July 6th, 2006 at 7:17 am
who knew a cow had so many parts….
The car dealer sold a car to the farmer. The quote was $8000 — but when it came to the contract, the price listed there was $11000. The dealer explained that it was for the non-standard items: two-tone paint job, genuine leather interior, a horn, superior audio system, etc.
Not long after, the car dealer bought a cow from the farmer, and was shocked to see how much the price went up after the initial quoted price … to which the farmer replied it was for non-standard options: two-tone genuine leather exterior, two horns, superior audio mooing system …
July 6th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
Well, since we’ve already got one, I’ll have to file the info away for the next time. Until then I won’t be interested in no udder cow.
July 9th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
James, your post is udderly ridiculous. You are trying to milk this for all its worth. =)
You posted some good information. When we bought our first dairy cow, we had several books with pictures. We looked at the cows, and then at the pictures. =) With us, God picked out some good cows for us, because we were clueless.
July 10th, 2006 at 6:37 am
Hey Guys,
I’ll get back to this soon…..we are right in the middle of haying. Lots of breakdowns, rain and tough ripe hay
Then I’ve got some broilers that should have been killed days ago waiting to be processed. As soon as I get a spare minute I’ll get part 2 out for ya’ll.
Please pray for my pastor, who is in the hospital. He has heart problems and was taken in on Sunday morning. No church building, now the pastor is laid up. You might have read on Leah’s Blog about cousin Pete’s newest baby. He seems to be getting better, and for that we Praise the Lord. The doctors had given him a 50-50 chance of surviving. Continue to pray for Pete and Sarah and little Augustine.
I’m off to the feilds….till next time,
Scott
July 10th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
James Says: Until then I won’t be interested in no udder cow.
Marci (Farm Girl) Says: James, your post is udderly ridiculous. You are trying to milk this for all its worth. =)
JFC questions: James, has your daughter been reading this thread? I can’t imagine the contortions her face has gone through. I imagine that she is cowed by the pun-ishment that is being dished out.
July 12th, 2006 at 7:21 am
Most families don’t need a full cow for their own use, even a big family that makes cheese.
So a family can find a really good deal in a cow that has only 2-3 working teats. She gives less milk, but loves you more for keeping her from slaughter. I expect to pay $600 or so for a 3 tit Jersey.
One local big dairy farmer said “a good cow is worth a lot. An excellent cow is worth double. You have to feed and milk them just the same. The extra milk is the pure profit.” So when it comes to the family cow, you may want a cheap one.
July 12th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Great post! Very good points, I had never considered all the requirements of the udder- except for squeezing the milk out!!
We’ll be in the market soon for one, so this is very timely.
July 13th, 2006 at 6:30 am
Hey Clint
We have had some good ole 3 titers over the years. Just be very carefull, make sure that the nonworking tits are shriveled up. If the quarter is big and swollen, the next time she freshens you could have a real mess on your hands.
January 13th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
any one know where I can find a gentle 3 udder cow for my homestead.
I live in central PA and I have been looking for some time.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
has anyone milked a so-called beef cow? I am about to buy one for milking but I wonder how much she will give -
September 26th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Depends on the cow. Some will milk well and some won’t. Remember that beef cattle have been bred to give enough milk to feed a calf. Dairy cattle have been selectivly bred to give much larger amounts of milk than is required to feed a calf. I once milked a herford cross that looked very “beefy” and she peaked at over 100 pounds a day…so you never know. Another thing to concider is how the udder looks. Teat size and such. Again beefers have not been bred for ease of milking. Hope this helps.
October 6th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Wow, 100 pounds for a Hereford mix! How many gallons is that? I noticed Herefords have good milk bags a lot of times!! I am pretty sure 100 pounds of milk is too much milk for my small family! What was she mixed with? Do you know anyone who milked an Angus?
October 9th, 2007 at 11:24 am
There is 8 pounds in a gallon of milk, give or take a little. She was part holstein and a kind of a rare bird. Milk an Angus? Gee, I’ve never met anyone brave enough to get their head that close to an angus foot
but I’m sure someone somewhere has done it.