milk

 Monday morning when I went to the barn at 5:30 to start chores, I heard a wonderful sound inside - the soft low moo of a mama cow talking to her newborn.  There is nothing like that ever so peaceful sound.

We had been anxiously awaiting our milk cow's calf and really, really hoping for a heifer (female) calf so that one day we can milk her, too. Our plan was for our youngest daughter, Maggie, to bottle feed it and halter train it so that she could be shown at the County Fair next year. She would be tame and trained to be easily handled for milking when she grew and gave us a calf of her own. Of course, if it was a boy dairy calf it would only be destined to be meat so we couldn't make a pet of him. We really really wanted a heifer.

I came around the corner in the barn Monday morning to see Roo, our milk cow, standing quietly over a still wet calf. She was attentitvely licking off the calf, and the calf was laying down with it's head upright and alert. All was well.

I went to get some clean straw to spread out to cover the messes, and as I spread it around I checked to see what Roo had given us. It was a girl!  I went in the house to wake Maggie so she could get started with her calf. 13 year old Maggie was so thrilled so see it take it's first steps and drink it's first bottle. She named her Rosie.

We are proud to welcome Rosie to Bear Creek Acres

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!