Mark’s been talking about the Homestead Dairy Cow, sharing his experience and knowledge. Want to know good breeds to get? What equipment is good for a homestead dairy cow? How to graze your dairy gal? Check out these videos.
We milk (or will soon) 4 different breeds: Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Jersey, and Holstein. They are all on grass with a little grain for extra energy while they get milked (plus a bribe to get in the stantion never hurts!). The Jersey gives VERY creamy, golden milk, while the Holstein is less rich and whiter. They all do well on the pasture. These gals are all here on Baker’s Green Acre because they are nice and gentle as cows go. On occasion they have their moments, like when Moonlight won’t leg Scarlet into the corral because Moonlight wants to get out and get milked, and there’s a one-cow-at-a-time gate between them!
Milk cows are a great addition for the milk (we love the fresh milk, cheese, and ice cream, of course), AND for the kids. It’s been a growing experience for them to learn the importance of faithfully milking on a consistent schedule, the essentialness of thoroughly cleaning the equipment, and the patience required to handle cows. As with most things on our homestead, this functions to feed us and to help us raise the kids to be capable, thoughtful, thinking people.