Are you? Will you ever be truly “ready”?
Do you enjoy cows?
What are your resources? Infrastructure? Children? Spouse? Beef cattle? Capital? Marketing? Extra time? Empty pasture?
Are you a clean freak? While it’s totally possible to have super clean dairy products, cows are messy by nature.
Be honest with yourself. Unless you use over 5 gallons of milk a week, it’s probably cheaper to buy raw milk, even at $10/gallon. If you plan to use extra milk to make cheese you will need time and equipment. Cheesemaking can become efficient and be a great way to use extra milk, but it probably won’t start out that way!
If you’re working on a budget, be realistic in your expectations. Decide what elements of the perfect cow you’re willing to give up? Udder? Tests? Color? Age? Horns? Breed? Experience?
Last week I saw some open Holstein heifers sell at a auction. They brought $1500 each. Not bred, not tested, not registered, they went for the meat market. The days of cheap cattle are gone.
Be realistic in your expectations of what your cow will do for you. If you’re going go 100% grassfed, prepare to either buy expensive hay, or have lower milk production and body condition.
If you plan to calf share recognize that you’re paying for that convenience by giving the calf the best milk and likely giving up a close relationship with your cow—she doesn’t need you because she has her calf.
If you chose to not vaccinate or use antibiotics realize that your vet will probably not value you as a client.
If you plan to AI, get someone lined up before breeding season. An open dry cow is worth hamburger.
So many people are starting their homestead farm journey midlife. Can you learn to handle a 700-1200lb beast?? Absolutely!
Before you tell me you’re a small person or cows are so big so you can’t…learn about Cow Camp.
Every spring for the past 25 years 40 kids between the age of 8-14 wash, clip, halterbreak, and show 25 unhandled dairy heifers (500-700lbs each)…in three days. Yes, some kids go for 3-4 years or have prior experience. But—they’re kids!! Even the absolute greenest city kid that know nothing about cows completes the job. How?? Because they’re kids!! Everyone around them is confidently doing the same thing, and they don’t know they can’t. That’s the single biggest thing in their favor. Secondly, the counselors and teachers are extremely experienced.
So first you have the kid dynamic that’s super adaptable, secondly because you’re teaching kids, they learn and respect older people easier, and thirdly the teachers are experienced.
Imagine yourself as a 30-50 year old adult being taught how to halterbreak a heifer by a 15 year old kid with no degree—it’s a little harder to take their advice seriously just like it’s harder for the 15yr old to boss you around like you need to be without being disrespectful. So yes, you have a disadvantage, so maybe give yourself 2 weeks instead of 3 days to train one. That may be your basic starting point, but to really read the cow and understand her takes time and observation. Learn her body language, learn the herd dynamics. Then go to your local fair (they need more attendance anyway) and observe again.
You can likely start a conversation about cows with someone in the barn, don’t be in a hurry, they may talk for 45 minutes. Because cows is what they do. You’ll leave with at least one more nugget of knowledge. Sure, you’ll develop your own style of management, it’s not the best or the worst ( if it’s the worst it won’t last long!), but fits your lifestyle, and that’s what you’re looking for.
And finally, a bit of personal advice. If you chose to buy from someone like us, or another helpful farmer, use them as a resource, but don’t abuse them.
Alan will go out of his way 100 times for a pleasant customer, even if it’s years after a sale or not even a cow they bought from us. He and I will spend hours talking, messaging, or researching to help someone. But an entitled, arrogant, assuming, or accusing customer goes on the “do not sell to” list and makes us regret the initial transaction a 1,000,000 times!
Perhaps this post is too open and too forthright. But we want your success, and to achieve that you have to be honest and open about where you are in life.
