Family cow

[nyhunter]

Ive been interested in getting a cow for dairy and to breed to a angus for meat. I found a 6 yr old jersey for sale for $700 and she is bred back for april.  I have a 100 x100 ft dry lot and a 10x12 three sided shed that I would need to keep her in untill i could fence of some more pasture in the spring.  Ive never owned a cow so what are some questions a buyer should ask and also what to look for when looking at the cow?? Also what things should I have on hand for when the cow arives.  What type of grain do you feed ? I can only store 100 bales of hay at a time but have a good supplier .  Are jersey's decent cows ive been getting conflicting info about thier temperment and health problems. 

[barefootfarmer]

I have three Jersey cows. In my experience they have been solid cows health wise. Not overly friendly, but not stand offish either. It really depends on the cow.

If she's currently in milk, and I would assume that she is, then you need to know if she's being milked once or twice a day. By hand, machine, with calves or some combination?

What does her udder look like? It should be nicely attached, not hanging below her hocks. As she ages and produces more calves and milk it will sag eventually. If you will be milking by machine then you want the teats up higher. If by hand, are the teats spaced nicely and a good size for your hand?

Do all four quarters work? What is her history with mastitis? How does she calve? Does she need help, does she calve on her own? Does she easily pass her placenta each time? What is she bred back to now?

Do her hooves look well trimmed? Does she walk easily, no limping?

Find out what the owner is currently feeding her grain wise and try to duplicate that if it is working well. I'm assuming she's in milk since she is 6yrs and not due until April. I usually dry my cows off 45-60 days before they are going to calve to give them time to rest their bodies. She'll need a source of fresh water, loose salt, loose minerals and if you can afford it and have access to it, loose kelp is wonderful for cows. If you can find a nice dairy ration for grain, use that. I just use a basic livestock feed with molasses in it. It's a 16% protein. When the weather takes a turn for the worse I'll also add in some higher protein feed that is around 22%.

It looks like you're in NY. A three sided shed that you mentioned will be great for keeping her dry and out of the wind. Have a plan for cleaning it out since she'll most likely deposit manure in it at night.

The milk from my jersey cows is wonderfully rich and creamy. I'd expect her to reduce the amount of milk she's currently providing once she makes the move to your place. That's pretty typical. Depending on the feed quality that she's currently getting though, her milk could actually increase if you provide something better. Try to find out how much she's producing now so you have a baseline to gauge what's normal for her so you'll know if she's holding back milk when you milk her. If you don't milk her out completely she can get mastitis.

I'd suggest joining a cow forum. I personally love Keeping A Family cow proboards. join up, introduce yourself and let everyone know you're new to getting a cow. The people are all incredibly helpful and friendly. And at some point you're going to need help and someone on that board will talk you through it. familycow.proboards.com/

Keeping a few dairy cows is one of life's greatest pleasures. It's hard work, but worth it.

[willowgirl]

All good advice there! I'd add that you should probably have her preg-tested prior to the purchase. Even if she has been tested already, it's not uncommon for a cow to experience a spontaneous (and unnoticed) pregnancy loss in the early stages. If she's currently being milked, and the farm you're buying her from is a commercial dairy on DHIA test (or you have a DHIA organization in the area), you may be able to have her tested via milk sample; otherwise you'll probably need to get a vet to do it. You may want to run a couple other tests as well, for BVD, leukosis and Johne's. Those can be done by the vet, or sometimes through the DHI if those services are available in your area.

Also, if she is on test, ask to see her butterfat, protein and especially her somatic cell count (SCC) which is a measure of udder health and milk quality. A cow with a high SCC is more prone to developing a full-blown infection (mastitis).

If her owner balks about having any of these tests done (especially if you're willing to bear the expense), be wary!

That's not to say that there aren't good cows for sale out there ... I'm sure there are. She could be a low-production commercial dairy cow, or a family cow belonging to a family that is simply tired of the twice-a-day routine. But you don't want to buy someone else's problem ... especially without realizing there IS a problem!

Good luck and I hope she's a nice one. It's really fun having a family cow (although it IS a lot of work!).

[nyhunter]

Great info..thanks. I should be going out sometime this week to look at her, and now I know a few things to ask. I found another 1st calf jersey a little closer but she has a weak qrt so i'll need to get more info on it to see if thats a dealbreaker or not.

[willowgirl]

Did you find a cow, Hunter?

If you're willing to come down to western PA, I could hook you up with a nice girl in the herd I milk! She's a second-lactation cow, a big white girl I call Snowy. She is currently in milk, making 52 lbs. a day on her last test, and confirmed pregnant to a September breeding. Only thing wrong with her is that she was a little slow to breed back (about 250DIM when I last bred her) so probably her production will drop below the cut-off before it's time to dry her off.

With milk prices so low, my boss has been culling HARD ... she would have been shipped last week except there was another cow who was a long time in milk who had tested open after having previously tested pregnant (must have lost her calf). So Blondie went on the truck instead.

Snow is one of my favorites, so I'd really like to find a home for her if she has to leave the herd. LMK if you're interested! I'm not sure what culls are going for right now, but I can ask the boss what he got for Blondie. When I've arranged rescues in the past, he's usually charged the same price he got at the auction for the last comparable cow.

[nyhunter]

Thanks for the offer but I dont think I can arrange for trucking that far. The jersey sold before I could get out to look at her and im now waiting to hear back on a older dutch belt cow.

[willowgirl]

Is that an Oreo cow?
Good luck! I hope this one works out for you.

And if anyone else is interested in Snow, feel free to contact me ... would like to have something lined up, just in case!