The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: honeyend on March 13, 2018, 05:05:41 pm

Title: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: honeyend on March 13, 2018, 05:05:41 pm

Bought but not paid for yet as I am not getting them until April.
  I have been window shopping for months, reading as much as I could. My husband was not keen, but you only come this way once and to soften him up I have got some cow lodgers, Dexters in the shed, which are really cute and no a lot of trouble.
  I have ended up with in calf Kerry girls, from a family home. Not that much bigger than the Dexters, and certainly not as big as a Jersey. I am hoping they will cope with our solid clay and fen weather, when it blows it could strip paint, but they will be overwintered in sheds.
  So the project for this year is to renovate the old milking parlour, which was for 12 cows and split it into a parlour/dairy/shop area. If it works great, if not at least the building will be weather proof and tidy, at the moment there is more tin off the roof than on it. Its really sad seeing the empty milking bays.
 
 I have contacted BCM. I am window shopping for a calving gate. I like the look of these,http://www.bosteel.ie/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=5
 I think I could borrow a crush from my cow lodger if needed. So what bits of equipment are vital?

Title: Re: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 13, 2018, 07:10:09 pm

Congratulations on your purchase.  I always liked the sound of Kerries; I’ll be interested to hear how you get on with them. 

I’ve had a house cow or several for seven years. Love it.  Love the milk, love the relationship, love the bucolic routine. 

When and why would you use a calving gate?

Title: Re: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: shep53 on March 13, 2018, 07:40:13 pm

Had to go onto you tube to see what a calving gate was ? , can think of  a few times when it "might" have been usefull calving an aggressive suckler cow , but most dairy cows should be quiet and easy to handle

Title: Re: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: Backinwellies on March 13, 2018, 08:04:49 pm

We have a calving gate which we use instead of a crush for Tb testing etc.

Title: Re: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: honeyend on March 13, 2018, 08:31:18 pm

I thought a calving gate was just a more adaptable piece of kit than a crush, and the seller said the crush was restrictive but he had inherited with his small holding.
  I have a bit of a gate thing, I like being able to subdivide spaces, so for most of the time it will be used as a gate on a pen against a wall and used for the vet and testing.

Title: Re: I have bought my new cows.What are the must haves?
Post by: Rosemary on March 14, 2018, 09:11:05 am

Sugar beet. With a sugar beet addiction, you won't need any gates  :innocent:

Glad you've got Kerry cattle (Shetlands would have been better though IMHO  ;D ) - look forward to photos in due course.