Cow question about miniaturesgreenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread |
If I want to raise some miniature moo moos just for beef and stock production, do I have to milk? Will the calves eat enough to keep the cow from exploding with milk or getting mastitis? I hope this isn't a stupid question...I realize in nature they do quite well without our "help", but was wondering whether they had been so inbred to produce milk that it was a necessary task.
-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), June 27, 2000
You didn't mention if your mini moo-moos were going to be of a dairy type. I have Dexters, and I never milk them. They do just fine without me. I have also had a Jersey, who was a family milk cow. I went years without milking her, and she had calf after calf. No problems! But I can only speak of the Dexters and my Jersey, I haven't owned any other breeds.Good luck with your venture! Kim KountryLife.com
-- Kim P. (farmer40@webtv.net), June 27, 2000.
sue, after the calf is about 6 or 7 months old you will need to wean them. cow will dry up on her own will not have to worry about mastitis or exploding there bag will be big for a few days but will gone down, there is no way you could ask a stupid question this is what this form is all about. big dave
-- david e jackson (davidejackson@ccconnection.com), June 27, 2000.
I haven't picked a breed yet. Won't the momma cow wean the calf herself, like other animals do? We did raise cows before, but that was in my youth (sigh) when I didn't appreciate what I had. Sue
-- sue (sulandherb@aol.com), June 27, 2000.
Most cows will self-wean their calves, but some will let them continue to nurse as long as they want. I've seen two calves on a cow, last years and this years, which isn't a good situation. Primary purpose of forced weaning is for the cow to dry off. A non- lactating cow requires far less nutrition. I try to get all of my calves from mid-March to mid-May, so most will go into winter dry.
-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), June 28, 2000.