Guest guest Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Does anyone have a check list of questions and things to look out for when buying a dairy cow? Does anyone have a check list of things to do & testing when setting up a family cow? Can anyone recommend a book to get started? Thanks! Ellen Schwab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 This might be an excellent place to start, a small booklet ($6) produced by the Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund. "Raw Milk Production Handbook" by Tim Wightman https://www.farmtoconsumer.net/EducationalRawMilkHanbook.asp Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hi Ellen, I have The_Family_Cow by Dirk van Loon which is good. Well, I should say which *seems* good, as I don't actually have a cow yet! I would want the cow to at least be an A2 breed like Jersey or Guernsey. I don't know what the testing costs but I would rather know that the cow herself was A2/A2. Blessings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Here's a few resources that I would recommend: Safe Handling - Consumer's Guide: Preserving the Quality of Fresh, Unprocessed Whole Milk by Peggy Beals. This book is available from here: https://www.farmtoconsumer.net/Handbooks.asp This is my guidebook on how to care for the milk properly, and I'm going to buy a few extra copies to loan to the herd owners. Your Calf: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing Beef and Dairy Calves by . This is an excellent book for a beginner. I still use it, and I've been raising dairy cattle for about a decade now. For testing a cow for A2 milk, try here: http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/A2Genotyping.php The test costs $25 per cow, and you will receive results within two weeks. I tested my cows this spring, and I got the results back two days after the lab received them. You may want to ask a knowledgeable dairy farmer to mentor you, and consider joining the Keeping a Family Cow forum: http://familycow.proboards.com/index.cgi. The forum has a wealth of information, and I've heard that the book by the same name is an excellent resource for those wanting to buy a family cow, although I haven't read it myself. Hope this helps. Naomi Fournier Birdsong Farm, Enderby, BC, Canada http://naomisbirdsongfarm.webs.com/ Does anyone have a check list of questions and things to look out for when buying a dairy cow? Does anyone have a check list of things to do & testing when setting up a family cow? Can anyone recommend a book to get started? Thanks! Ellen Schwab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 not all jersey cows are A2A2. Guernsey is about 90% if I remember correctly. You will have to purchase a tested animal to make sure that they are A2A2 if that is important to you - or buy a goat or a sheep instead as all goat and sheep milk is A2A2. aliza > > Hi Ellen, > > I have The_Family_Cow by Dirk van Loon which is good. > > Well, I should say which *seems* good, as I don't actually have a cow yet! > > I would want the cow to at least be an A2 breed like Jersey or > Guernsey. I don't know what the testing costs but I would rather know > that the cow herself was A2/A2. > > Blessings, > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2011 Report Share Posted June 18, 2011 Not all cows are going to thrive on pasture either. Some just don't stay in condition without large supplemental inputs. So be very careful concerning ancestral characteristics like this. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.‎"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."Kurtis Stavenwww.wildthingorganics.ca not all jersey cows are A2A2. Guernsey is about 90% if I remember correctly. You will have to purchase a tested animal to make sure that they are A2A2 if that is important to you - or buy a goat or a sheep instead as all goat and sheep milk is A2A2. aliza > > Hi Ellen, > > I have The_Family_Cow by Dirk van Loon which is good. > > Well, I should say which *seems* good, as I don't actually have a cow yet! > > I would want the cow to at least be an A2 breed like Jersey or > Guernsey. I don't know what the testing costs but I would rather know > that the cow herself was A2/A2. > > Blessings, > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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