Milk Cow

[Pond Life]

The buffalo thread got me thinking about something I've been wondering about for a while.

Whats the pro's & con's of keeping a single cow for home milking & selling off the calves.

Lots of the local people are keeping one or two cows & breeding but I've never heard of anyone in the village milking.

With the local cattle how long can you keep milking them before they need to get pregnant again.

This question is not aimed at maximum production, just enough for home use.

[Maizefarmer]

Milk was traditionaly not much part of the rural Thai's diet (thats why you don't see them milk much)- but that is slowly changing and more and more rural Thai's are keeping the od cow or 2 each year.

Easily done - glad someone got some encoragement out of the Buffalo thread, I got jumped all over for it's technicality. Actually, it's all rocket science and if just keeping 1 or 2 for milk (i.e. this is not a business), just ensure it gets loads of green grass and clean water and it'll be fine - no need to measure things out as was in that artical.

Give it somewhere to get shade from in the heat (i.e. big tree in the field or roof of some sort - no walls needed). If you have 2 rai and can water it throughout the year - so long as you plant the right type off grass, it'll be fine. Suppliment that with some hay and/or rice straw and it will pick away at a bundle a day as it sees fit.

Get the vet to come round once a year to do the AI and that wil give you a calf a year and around 250 - 300 days of milk each year (to answer the question).

Throw some anti-biotics into the water container once a week or so (that will deal with all the usual bugs) and all wil lbe fine.

Fresh grass, clean water and shade - and you'll have a happy cow.

Try to get no more than 3 yrs old - closer to the time, if you wish I'll pin some basics up i.e. what to look for (physically) when going to choose the family pet - and what to avoid like the plague.

Good luck.

MF

Edited May 13, 2007 by Maizefarmer

[RamdomChances]

I'll just add a bit to MF's post.

Try to buy one thats pregnant, get it checked by a vet to verify this. At least then you know it is capable of pregnancey. With only one cow you might have problems deciding when it's on heat as the easiest way to tell is that an other cow will mount them....no pregnancy = no milk.

Calfs are feching next to nothing at the moment, but this might change and at least you'll have the milk, probaly far more that you will need

[fruity]

Thanks MF, incidentally the Buffalo article was great, but, as you concede just a little on the scientific side:-) Your Milking cow advice;'sound as a pound' . What I would like to add as an ex-UK pedigree breeder of A.Angus cattle, among other things, is this; from my observations here in Thailand over the last 13 or so years.

If you want a good milking cow, head for Korat, Packchong district -best. Most of the smaller & indeed bigger producers in this area keep Fresian's as opposed to Friesians with the 'Orrible HOLSTEIN blood in them ( Holsteins are bigger, bone(ier) & like Jerseys, when crossed irregardless, of the breed ( B. Blues-included) can not produce a fattener, or muscle producer. ( Muscle, remember, being, meat).

From experience here, a good Friesian cow (past first calving) will set you back 20-30,000 baht.

I practice here in Thailand exactly the same as I did 'all of my life' in the UK with milk cows / calves....i.e. Multi-Suckling....This is a simple practice. You have your milk cow; hopefully Fresian, she begins lactation (milking period)-which last's for two years if correctly managed with a Fresian OR O'rrible Holstein. Assuming she is a Fresian, having being crossed with a BEEF breed, she'll have a decent calf at foot. Remember she is capable of giving with the correct diet, 4-5 Gallons of milk per day ( depending on age) This is where 'Multi-Suckling' comes home. As MF, so rightly says, Calf's are cheap; you have a Fresian cow who produces 4-5 Gallons per day ( sorry too old for litres!)-You, therefore, have an excess of at least 3 gallons per day!........Answer; buy 2-3 extra calves to put on to the cow. This is a fairly straightforward practice, supervise, i.e tie up the cow securely & short, put one of her rear legs in a sling for the first few times ( don't want her kicking the baby's to death) & introduce the calves to her, heads first, then allow the calves to suckle. This needs to be done 3 times daily initially, afterwards, two times, within a week, leave the 'family' togther'-'forever'.............Similarly; repeat the entire exercise several months later with the same Dam & a new bunch of calves.......................In short; a good milker can produce very good benefits.

These days I am content to look at my long-eared wonders; my Indu-Brazil's; .......see them grow when fostered onto a Fresian!!!!!

MF; What do you have on your place; Friesians or O' Hol's? .........Holstein's, I concede, will give the bigger milk yield. What about your Beef cattle here? My guess Brahmans will do best here?

[Maizefarmer]

Fruity

Dominant gene I use is Fresian - it took me about 12 years to get the mix right. Would I say I have the best. Yes and No - they are the best for the farming model I run, The point is, I don't think there is any one breed that is better than the other in Thailand. It is more a case of choosing a breed and/or mix that adapts best to how you intend to manage that cow, which in turn will be influenced by what you can offer it (i.e. pointless keeping a purebred Fresian or Holstein unless you are going to feed it the best forage and keep it in an a/c barn)

Thailand is not good for purebreds - being there, done that - the conditions are not suited (i.e. forage mixes and climate: humidity) - best option is to find a mix - however, I'd be reluctant to reccomend any one hybrid type over another, as how successful any it will be will be very much down to how you decide, or can, keep and feed it.

4 - 5 gallons per day is an optimistic yield. Yes, in Europe that's quite possible, but here in Thailand that would be right at the top of what would be possible.

Beef wise I found not much differance between one European over the other - the important part is mixing with something (Brahmin is good) to get a nice oblong profile (as opposed to a wedge with a milker). Too much European and it becomes a wedge - and the same arguments I highlighted above apply as well.

So which is best? There is no answer to that.

MF

[Pond Life]

Thanks for all the info, sounds like its a reasonable idea.

Im unlikely to try it for at least a couple of years as im working overseas on & off & it doesnt seem like something you can do without being there nearly all the time.

Another advantage of keeping a calf on the teat that I read about, is that you can go away for a couple of days & let the calf take care of the milking, would you agree with that ?

I'd be looking for the lowest maintenance cow I could find & not worry about the milk yield, in this case would I be better going for one of the "local" breeds, in my area they are nearly all small, brown with small ears, no idea what theyre called but i'll ask when I get home in a few days. Also a few Brahmin.

The locals are in the habit of bringing their cows in at night, into a roof on poles barn with mosquito net all around. They light a small very smokey fire inside, then bring the cows in & shut them in with more mozzie net.

Is this realy necessary ?

[Maizefarmer]

By all means - yes, in summer that can be a plus i.e. putting it under shelter with a net around to keep the bugs off - also gives the cow a single animal a sense of security.

If milk yield is not an issue, getting a "small brown" or "off-white with big floppy ears" is a distinct advantage (I'd go for the latter - personal opinion if in your position). Thye're a hardy bunch and as a rule, will require less care. Remember what I said - the more fancy the cow (i.e. the more purebred or closer to pure bred it is) the more care it's likely to need over time.

If adult - try and establish how old it is first - not sure, take a digital of the teeth (mouth open, nice big yawn close up) and send it you me, along with a full picture of the cow - I'll be able to tell you to within about 18 - 24months most.

Any cow more than 4 - 5 months pregent is obviously so (i.e. obviously pregent) - the abdomen will look like a barrell and quite out of proportion when looked at from the front or back. Not sure - take a pic ect ect ....

Good luck.

MF

[Pond Life]

Thanks for the offer MF,

Like I said could be a while,

A friend of mine has a small brown thats pregnant,

so I'll try to persuade him to experiment with a bit of milking,

better to learn from someone elses mistakes