I recently did a post called the Top 10 Reasons to Keep a Dairy Goat. While I stand behind all my reasons, I do actually have goats AND a Jersey cow, so I thought it was time Beulah Belle had equal treatment!
Top 10 Reasons to Keep a Jersey Cow
1. Personality.
They don’t know they are cows. Picture a giant milk giving dog who will lick you from fingertips to armpit if it thinks you have a treat.
2. Ease of Milking.
I milk goats and a cow. Amazingly, the cow is easier to milk than any of the goats.
3. The Milk is Amazing!
Just amazing. It is so sweet and delicious and unlike anything you will ever find in the grocery store.
4. Cream.
Jersey cows give amazing quantities of the good stuff. (Note: they don’t give as much as Holsteins, but their milk is much richer!)
5. Fertilizer for the Garden.
The other thing cows produce in quantity is manure. Luckily it enriches the garden and pasture!
6. Calves!
Baby animals are just so precious! Need I say more??
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| Bellatrix has her first taste of milk |
7. Save on chicken feed (part 1.)
Chickens love the milk and whey we give them. Feeding it to our feathered friends is certainly preferable to wasting it!
8. Save on chicken feed (part 2.)
This one may be a bit much for the non-homesteader to handle, but chickens are huge fans of cow manure. It sounds gross, but it keeps the pasture clean, because they spread out the cow-pies while searching for loose grains and fly larvae. This is part of nature’s plan for sanitation!
9. Butter!
Imagine the butter you can make when you get inches of cream in each jar! Spectacular!
10. Cheese!
Cheese making ranges from seriously simple to extremely complex. Either way, I’m all for a hobby I can eat! (Here is a link to my favorite cheesemaking book! *affiliate*)
So there you have it! Equal treatment for the dairy cow. She may be bigger than you, and that can be intimidating at first, but she’s a great asset to family farms and homesteads!
If you want to learn more about dairy cows, check out the “animals” section of our blog and be sure to pick up a copy of Keeping a Family Cow: The Complete Guide for Home-Scale, Holistic Dairy Producers
***This post contains affiliate links. A small portion of the purchase price of items bought through these links goes toward keeping this farm and this blog up and running, so thanks!***
Oh man, I wish I weren’t lactose intolerant!! lol
Really? Milking your Jersey is easier than milking your goats? So milking a Jersey is easier than milking a Dexter? Cuz I milked both a Dexter and a goat last October, both for the first time, and the goat was MUCH easier. Maybe it was because the cow had teeny tiny little orifices? But her teats were a lot tougher/fleshier than the goat’s, and smaller, too … I guess it depends on the cow and it depends on the goat, regardless of breed? Anyway, we anticipate milking our own cow in a few months and it’s encouraging to know that some ARE easier to get the milk out of!
I haven’t milked a Dexter (yet) so maybe it just depends on the cow and the goat. Several of my goats have smaller teats which are harder to hold on to. I have one goat who will try to kill anyone other than me who touches her when she is on the milk stand. (She has a real winning personality. *rolls eyes*) Beulah’s milk, though, comes out quickly in nice big streams. Maybe it is an age difference? Oh, and to be fair, I also have a post on the Top 10 Reasons to Keep a Dairy Goat. I’m equal opportunity. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by this morning!
Absolutely yes to all 10! We have four Jerseys and wouldn’t milk anything else.
I grew up on a dairy farm. I am never milking anything ever again. Getting in to milking animals is something that is not for the faint of heart. I think it is great to home stead. But cows is the hardest part about it.You had better be good friends with someone who has lots of experience. And plan on never taking a vacation ever again. Because the moment you leave you cows they will get sick. They don’t like when someone else milks them because that person dosen’t do it exactly the same as you.
It definitely something to enter into lightly! I’m lucky that my next door neighbor is in the cattle business and will come and help whenever I need him! Beulah isn’t too picky about who milks her, but the goats try to kill anyone other than me who touches their udders! It’s amazing how each animal has a completely different personality! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience!
Oh how I love jersey cows! I would love to be the proud owner of a jersey someday. The only problem is we don’t have much acreage (1.4 acres) & I don’t think we could swing having a cow on such a small plot of land. My hubby says we could get a mini jersey. How much space does a cow need to be happy?
Well, it all depends on the cow. 🙂 We are only on about 3 acres, but it isn’t all pasture and our cow is pretty happy. A mini Jersey or even a Dexter might be a good choice for you, but you’ll have to be willing to buy hay in the winter. You could totally do dairy goats on that acreage though, no question! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Great post……I do enjoy them, and always love to hear about Beulah!
I have a question. I have read and heard nothing but amazing things about having a Jersey as a family milk cow. However, we would like the option to raise the calfs for meat. I understand Jersey cows don’t produce very good meat. Is that true? Besides, I would find it much harder to slaughter that cute face, even of a jersey 2 year old bull.