Family Cows for sale on Craigslist

[mandieg4]

We went to the dairy sale here yesterday and fresh Jersey's without any issues were bringing between $1000 & $1800 (even the few cross breeds that I saw), good Holsteins were bringing $1200 & $2400. If I had the money and was looking for a family milk cow for the first time, this ad would sound pretty good. I would gladly pay more money for a cow that has been trained to lead, was already used to being hand & machine milked, and that I could check out on the farm first.

We bought a second Jersey through the sale barn last month for $600, the only thing we knew about her was that she freshened the end of June and that she only had 3 good quarters. She was stubborn as everything, wouldn't lead, & wouldn't follow a bucket of feed. We finally figured out she had to have a lead cow to follow. I also found out the hard way that she will not tolerate being milked from the left side. Several hoof shaped bruises, a broken finger, and lots of tears later she is actually a really good cow. But I have learned my lesson. I will have to think long and hard before I ever buy another cow from the sale without a calf to help me milk during the learning period.

That said, I have one of my Jersey's listed for $2000 including her heifer calf, and I worry that that is too high. But there isn't anything listed around me that I can compare it to. I think she is worth just as much, if not more, than a cow coming through the sale barn and I'm not in any hurry to get rid of her so I feel comfortable asking that much. If prices in this guy's area are comparable, maybe he's not asking too much after all.

 

[Bourbon Red]

Hmm - it does seem a little high - and they aren't producing that well for holstein/swiss crosses. I think he was offering to train the cows to allow multiple calves to suck - not just her own - so you could feed extra calves and not have to take so much milk for the house. At least that's the way I read it. Still - wouldn't hurt to have the seller that close by and willing to lend a hand should anything go sideways.

 

[Farmfresh]

I think he was offering to train the cows to allow multiple calves to suck - not just her own - so you could feed extra calves and not have to take so much milk for the house.

Now THAT is a thought! How would you train a cow to do that?

 

[Bourbon Red]

Beats me! But seriously - chances are she'll either let them or she won't in a pasture situation. Some will let any calf suck - some won't (some of course won't let their own calf suck). Some cows will adopt any calf they can get hold of - others couldn't care less about any other than their own. My jerseys LOVE calves and will mother (like actively mother - not just tolerate nursing) anything that even looks like a calf - including licking me and the kids while I milk. Others - not so much. Any cow can be tied up to let other calves suck. Teaching the calves, who may have been bottle-fed for a while can be tricky in and of itself.

I'm not sure how one trains a cow to handmilking - you just milk her. She has to be milked - and you have to do it. It's a matter of her getting used to a human sitting back there pulling away. She might try to kick, etc. but the trick is to keep at it - you can't let her 'win'. She has to be milked and you're going to do it. All of it. Period. Eventually she'll give up (or put you in the hospital! - just kidding!). A lot of times they're young, just fresh and scared and sore from being moved/just having calved, etc. Pull up close (it's dangerous to sit too far away!) and be slow and gentle and don't take and nonsense from her. She'll either calm down or get shipped. Most only take a time or two. Some never do. My cows now knoe when they see me coming that they're getting milked. They stand in the pasture and know not to move till I'm done (although I have one that likes to take little half-steps away from me the whole time - I just scoot forward - she ain't getting away!). They don't get anything to eat or get moved to fresh grass till I'm done. It's MUCH easier than trying to milk a cow who's chasing her feed around a tub - they know to wait and get it over with - then it's chowtime!

 

[Farmfresh]

We had a horse once that would let the farrier walk up to him in the pasture and trim all of his feet without so much as a rope on his neck. It sure made things easier for everyone. It must be nice to have cows trained that way.

 

[pasohorsegal]

Folks have forgotton we are in a recessed economy, hay is at an all time high and money is in short supply 2500 is about 1200 to high. I wonder if the owner is reading what the forum folks are saying. Pure Jerseys on eastern Colorado Bred back go for 1500 on Creigs list.

 

[lee&lyric]

honestly he sounds like someone who's noticed the new market of people trying to learn hobby farming, and wants to make a buck off inexperienced people... i understand the need for training a cow to be milked by hand, but he also talks about training the cows to raise their calves... now, correct me if i'm wrong, but it sounded like he was trying to take credit for something that is a natural instinct to the cow the ad reads like he's hyping up an overpriced cow to people he hopes won't know better.

Hello,

I'm one of those newbie farmers. Thank goodness Lee knows what he's doing. We're in the market for a Jersey family milk cow. I just learned there are other breeds of milking cows (thank goodness). We don't have that kind of money just starting out and all. We are hoping to start with chickens then the cow. Chickens being as reasonable as they are I figured we might be able to jump on this . . . NOT! We'll keep our eyes open. There's got to be a cow for us out there, LOL. Still, good looking out, MetalSmitten, and sharing this listing.

Er aaah, is it difficult to "train" a cow to be milked by hand, by the way?

LL

 

[lee&lyric]

I'm not sure how one trains a cow to handmilking - you just milk her. She has to be milked - and you have to do it. It's a matter of her getting used to a human sitting back there pulling away. She might try to kick, etc. but the trick is to keep at it - you can't let her 'win'. She has to be milked and you're going to do it. All of it. Period. Eventually she'll give up (or put you in the hospital! - just kidding!). A lot of times they're young, just fresh and scared and sore from being moved/just having calved, etc. Pull up close (it's dangerous to sit too far away!) and be slow and gentle and don't take and nonsense from her. She'll either calm down or get shipped. Most only take a time or two. Some never do. My cows now knoe when they see me coming that they're getting milked. They stand in the pasture and know not to move till I'm done (although I have one that likes to take little half-steps away from me the whole time - I just scoot forward - she ain't getting away!). They don't get anything to eat or get moved to fresh grass till I'm done. It's MUCH easier than trying to milk a cow who's chasing her feed around a tub - they know to wait and get it over with - then it's chowtime!

DAAANG, Bourbon Red, you've got me going from quaking in fear (at the prospect) to my butt off. I needed that explanation though. Thanks a heap-a-bunch.

Lyric

 

[Farmfresh]

Personally, having spent a LOT of time with horses and other big animals that try to kill me, I would WANT a gentle cow that is used to someone milking her as a first one OR I would buy a young heifer that I could train to behave the way I wanted her to behave. That would probably be cheaper. Of course I have done a lot of animal training in my past, so that part would not bother me, and it would take a lot longer to get some good milk.

I think a gentle animal is better money spent that a hospital bill.

 

[SSDreamin]

We bought our cross as a heifer. She can't even be bred until next summer, but I felt that gives us plenty of time to get accustomed to each other. I was also told, by an old dairy farmer, to 'check' her on a regular basis. He said it gets her used to you 'being down there'. Maybe he was just trying to see if I'd do it I do, and she moved away quite a bit at first, but now just stands there, as if I were patting her back or checking her hoof. I personally wanted a cow that knew nothing but my way of milking, so if I do things weird, she won't know the difference!