Birdsong Farm
  • Welcome
    • Meet the Milkmaid
    • Resources
    • Contact
  • Learn to Make Cheese
    • Cheesemaking Classes
    • Cheesemaking Store
    • Prerecorded Classes
    • Gift Cards
  • Jersey Cows
    • About our cows
    • The Blossom Family
    • The Princess Family
    • The Fancier Family
    • Milk Cow Mentoring
    • Jersey Sales
  • Cowtales Blog

CowTales

Tales about the cows at Birdsong Farm...

Should I Buy a Calf or Cow?

9/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Trying to choose between buying a baby calf or bred heifer, or a cow that is already milking? In this post I outline a few of the pros of buying a cow versus buying a calf.
I often read questions on discussion forums and Facebook groups from individuals asking if they should buy a calf or a cow as their family's future milker. There is not a black-and-white answer to that question, and what works great for one family might not work at all for you.
​

My first milk cow started out as a 9-month-old heifer; my second cow was a 2-year-old that was already milking. In this post my goal is to give you a few of the pros of buying a cow versus buying a calf.

Pros of Buying a Calf:

You can raise and train a calf the way you want, but keep in mind that training takes time and isn't always easy.​

A calf will often transition to a grass-based farming model easier than a cow.
Calf or Cow? (April 9, 2016) Trying to choose between buying a baby calf or bred heifer, or a cow that is already milking? In this post I outline a few of the pros of buying a cow versus buying a calf.
When Birdsong Princess Isabella freshens in 2016, she will be 10th heifer I've trained as a milk cow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that her attitude will be better than her mum's.

Pros of Buying a Cow:

​When you buy a cow, there is little to no waiting time before you can start milking. Waiting for months and months before you can start drinking fresh milk is a test of patience!

A cow is already trained to stand for milking, which is a bonus if you've never milked a cow before. At least one of you is a pro at the whole milking process. ;)

Since a cow is already milking, you know that she's given birth to at least one calf. One risk of buying a calf is that you don't know if she is a freemartin. This is where the heifer in a set of mixed (male/female) twins is not fertile. 

And finally, you might be shocked at a milking cow's price tag, but it's nearly always cheaper to pay the extra money for a milking cow. Trust me, raising a calf from birth to freshening not cheap. 
Calf or Cow? (April 9, 2016) Trying to choose between buying a baby calf or bred heifer, or a cow that is already milking? In this post I outline a few of the pros of buying a cow versus buying a calf.
Birdsong Summer Blossom was my first milk cow, and she arrived on the farm as a 9-month-old heifer. Thankfully she was a sweetheart and easy to train for milking after she freshened.

What do I recommend? ​Your choices might be limited by what's for sale in your area, but if you've never milked a cow before I highly recommend buying a trained family milk cow rather than a calf.

When you look at my Jersey Sales page, you may notice that here at Birdsong Farm I always sell trained family milk cows rather than baby calves or bred heifers. This is partly because I am building my herd, and partly because many of the families that are buying a Jersey from me are first-time cow buyers.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories 

    All
    A2 Milk
    Business
    Cheese Making
    Family
    Farm
    Jersey Cows
    Kitchen
    Musings
    Nubian Goats
    Photos
    Podcasts
    Sports
    Tutorials

    Archives

    January 2020
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013

Birdsong Farm
Naomi De Ruiter
PO Box 486
Falkland, BC.  Canada
V0E 1W0

milkmaid@naomisbirdsongfarm.ca
250-938-1606

By visiting www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca, you are consenting to our Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy.
© Birdsong Farm, 2011–2022
  • Welcome
    • Meet the Milkmaid
    • Resources
    • Contact
  • Learn to Make Cheese
    • Cheesemaking Classes
    • Cheesemaking Store
    • Prerecorded Classes
    • Gift Cards
  • Jersey Cows
    • About our cows
    • The Blossom Family
    • The Princess Family
    • The Fancier Family
    • Milk Cow Mentoring
    • Jersey Sales
  • Cowtales Blog