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Author Topic: interested in other people's views on house cows...  (Read 5488 times)

watercay

  • Joined Aug 2008
interested in other people's views on house cows...
« on: March 06, 2009, 08:34:05 pm »
Hi!
I noticed quite a few people are interested in having a house cow, something that i have been interested in myself (although i suspect it will be quite some time before this will materialize).
Having had some contact in the past with the lovely officers of the sspca and rspca in work related situations, we quite often chat about different things, and I have in the past discussed where house cows stand in relation to the Five freedoms.
A lot of the new welfare legislation is based around the "five freedoms" which protect an animals welfare and right to live a comfortable life. One of the five freedoms is listed as being kept in a situation which allows natural behaviour, and stipulates the correct facilities and company of their own kind (or lack of thereof, if you are talking about a non herd animal which would be distressed by company). Cows would fall into the category which stipulates company of their own kind.
I wondered about other peoples views on this subject, if it has affected you and if it has changed your plans or management?  I guess the problem with limited land space is sometimes legislation and guidelines change so quickly it is hard to catch up!

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2009, 01:40:37 pm »
If you want a year round supply of milk you will need to have two cows :) problem solved!
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2009, 01:59:47 pm »
I would love a house cow but don't have room or time at the moment. In my mental planning, I have two. And you woudl need two, as VSS says, for year round milk supply anyway.

Crofter

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Isle of Lewis
  • We'll get there!
    • Ravenstar
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2009, 06:13:41 pm »
We intend to keep our Shorthorn cross Heifer as a house cow.  We are going to keep her calves on to slaughter weight so she'll always have company.  We'll have milk from our two nanny goats to fill the milk gap.

Dave
Comfortable B&B on a working Croft on the Isle of Lewis. www.Ravenstar.co.uk

tirdu

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2009, 08:39:16 pm »
Well at curent all our suckling cows are loosed housed as they are near to calving. But all winter since november they've been in tie stalls and living quite comfortably as well. ;D

smiffy

  • Joined Jun 2008
    • http://www.northmoor-rarebreeds.com/
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2009, 09:30:56 pm »
When we decided to take the plung and buy a house cow..............

We went to look at the cattle and bought 2 Northern Dairy Shorthorns, I enjoy the cattle so much i bought 3 traditional herefords...... another NDS came up for sale, i bought it ;D, we now have 6 cows, 1 bull and 3 heifers.......

beware when buying cattle they become adictive ::)
« Last Edit: April 05, 2009, 09:57:17 pm by smiffy »

jg

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • gartmore
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2009, 12:02:53 am »
On the subject of a cow being kept alone we got a cow with a calf which works fine . the calf has become great pals with one of our ponies and even likes to look over the fence at the pigs our older cow seems to have no interest in anything but eating constantly and only shouts when junior goes out of range. when he goes II'm getting a 6mth dexter female to take over when oldcow past it but will keep her as company for the newgirl. trying to find some literature on cow psychology -anyone know ? Temple Grandin has written general animal behaviour books but wondered if there was anything more specific :cow:

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2009, 07:36:54 pm »
since november they've been in tie stalls and living quite comfortably

They do keep SO much cleaner in stalls, an important consideration when thinking about a milk cow.
We have just moved our creaky old dairy shorthorn out of her stall ready to calve in the next few days. She will stay there until the calf is four days old, and then she wil go back to her stall, and the calf will be bucket reared.

I KNOW she will be filthy by then. It is just impossible to keep a cow clean in a strawed pen.
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

shetlandpaul

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: interested in other people's views on house cows...
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2009, 03:54:30 pm »
they are traditional up here. mum and calf. But most seem to be going away from the shetland cow.

 

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