Dairy Farming

[DollDoctor]

If you are interested in dairy farming for a living (or just keeping a cow for your family) here is a very interesting blog post from The Contrary Farmer:

https://thecontraryfarmer.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/milk-is-going-the-wine-route/

 

[Mini Horses]

VA same as TN. But, while I always wanted a cow, I like the goats! Milk can taste different between breeds. My Saanen gives me over a gal a day of wonderful milk. It won't separate the cream as easily as a cow, for butter. I really like them & it may be something you could consider rather than a cow. Less acreage needed, way less milk to use up (makes good cheese) and the cost to buy is waaaaay less. Not to mention that I find the pellets much nicer than cow patties.

 

[SustainableAg]

Mini Horses - I absolutely agree with you. I have been around goats and find them devilishly amusing. However, I have tasted goat milk with mixed reviews. I have made my own butter and cheese with cows milk. I have never attempted that with goat milk. Need to learn a different set of skills. What is the level of difficulty associated with the latter? Would much prefer the goats!

 

[Mini Horses]

You can buy a milk separator, $100-500.... I've seen good reviews on some from Slavic Beauty for about $150. Now, I HAVE made goat butter. Let it sit about 6 days, skim, shake in jar. It's white. You can use a mixer to make the butter. A separator is less costly than a cow , I keep telling me!

I milk into 1/2 gal canning jars. Lid & put in freezer about 45min for a fast chill, then frig. The lids for a little seal and when opened after 2 weeks was fresh and yummy. Yes, some cream had risen, not a lot, maybe an inch but in top of jar wasn't much. Anyway. was good butter & will buy separator this Spring when I have 4 Saanens milking. Generally I make soft cheese. Tasty and makes great sub for ricotta in lasagna. If you let it sit in the brine longer, drain it longer. you will get a dryer cheese that will slice when chiled. Won't melt if heated.

My Nubian gives more butterfat and tastes different than the Saanens do. The mini Nubs (part Nigerian) also give higher butterfat. My Saanen is fav to drink, you do get a little more cheese with the higher butter fat on a gal but, not a great difference. My does all pasture together, buck does not run with them (....& he hates that)

YEAH, GOAT MILK!

 

[NH Homesteader]

My goats milk tastes like cow milk pretty much. No goaty taste at all. So sad I'm not milking right now. So long until spring!

 

[NH Homesteader]

They can... 10 months is a good period of time. I dried my little Nigerian up so she could have a month off before I put her in with my buck to (hopefully) be bred. So she was only in milk for 6 or 7 months this year.

 

[SustainableAg]

I was always interested in having heritage breeds on my mini-farm. I would love to have a heritage dual-purpose cow. Dexters fit that bill...but so do Red Polls. Neither of them are exceptionally common..or cheap. But options abound, so who knows.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We have heritage everything except goats! I would be interested in having some of those too but, like you said, tthey're pricey and harder to find. I like Dexters a lot.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Love talking breeds! We have GOS cross pigs. We are going to breed them to a Berkshire boar. We have Dominique chickens and are hoping to get Dorkings for the spring. Also Black Spanish turkeys. We are going to get a Bourbon Red tom for the hens, also probably in the spring.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's interesting!