Meet Roo...Our Family Cow
About two weeks ago, Shannon, our son Jack, our friend Joe, and I went on a 3 ½ hour drive into Wisconsin to buy for me a …….dairy cow!
We have been buying my milk – raw – from a local dairy farmer, but the farm is a long way away from us. So for a while, I have been toying with the idea of a family cow. You can read a lot about the concept of a family cow on this forum: http://familycow.proboards32.com/index.cgi
Shannon and Joe have both been nudging me along in this idea, and when the opportunity came up – I jumped in.
Roo comes from a certified organic dairy farm. She is a Jersey Shorthorn cross. Roo is in her second lactation and is expected to freshen (have a calf) in August. She gives us about 2 gallons of milk a day. The dairy no longer wanted her because she has one quarter ( an udder is divided into four quarters each with it’s own teat) that is bad and one that doesn’t make enough milk. For us – she’s perfect.
We don’t need all the milk she can make so our pigs get the extras. Pigs love milk! Her owner told us that after she freshens she’ll give 6 gallons a day!
You can't see it, but there's a bowl of milk under all these noses and ears...
Really!