A beginner's guide to the family cow.

I absolutely had to respond to Eric Wilson's article regarding the family cow. I found the article sad because I really feel that he missed out on the great blessing that the family cow can be. Admittedly, I'm a cow lover. They are gentle animals that can be headstrong, but you can have a nice family cow if you know what to look for.

While the idea of raising a calf for your milk cow sounds like a good idea, I wouldn't advise it if you've never had a cow before. Get an experienced milk cow and find one that likes humans. A friendly cow won't run the other way at your first meeting. Pass her by if she does. You want this to be a successful endeavor.

Make sure the cow has a nicely shaped udder. A misshapen udder hanging low to the ground isn't desirable. A Jersey is my choice for homestead cows because they are the smallest of milk breeds. Despite that, they give plenty of milk.

Jerseys will make six gallons of milk a day maximum, while Holsteins will give up to 12 gallons. I know that a person can make use of a lot of milk, but you have to have a way to get all that milk out! Hands can only do so much without much bitter and painful protest. Jerseys also have an excellent record for birthing.

Buy a pregnant cow. Knowing the signs and times to impregnate can be hard. Most sellers will be sure to have the cow pregnant for that very reason. My experience is that it isn't a good idea to feed your cow much grain before she calves. She will make too much milk and become engorged. That will lead to mastiffs. Grain should be withheld until about two days after she calves. Begin slowly when resuming grain.

When your cow has her calf, don't be concerned if she doesn't immediately let her calf nurse. Sometimes, the cow isn't finished with the birthing process. The afterbirth will have to be passed, and the fact that she is having contractions will keep her preoccupied. She may just be nervous. This will pass.

Just because you never see the calf drink doesn't mean that it's not getting milk. I once went four days without seeing my calf eat, and I was quite concerned. They can be very sneaky about eating. Also, their appetite isn't very big at first, especially when it comes to female calves. They may only take sips here and there. If the cow is attending the calf by licking and caring for it, she will allow the calf to eat.

The issue of milking and the bondage it can bring can be rectified quite easily. Leave the calf with the mom. I never quite understood why the average homesteader would separate the cow and calf and then have to milk enough for both family and calf. In the beginning, there is no need at all to separate the cow and calf.

A young cow can't drink all the milk the mother is making, so I just leave them together. There is still plenty left for my household needs. I milk twice a day until the calf is emptying the mother's udder during the day. Then I separate the cow from her calf after the evening feeding and milk her in the morning. I generally save a quarter of the milk for the calf until it is about eight weeks old. Then I turn the calf out with Mom for breakfast and all day.

You can schedule vacations around the time the calf is at least 1 1/2 months old. Just leave the two together. There's no need to have anyone run over and milk. I never milk on Sundays once the calf is big enough. It really simplifies things.

The issue of milking at exactly the same time every day can be insignificant. Dairy farmers would pale at that comment, but there is a big difference between a commercial cow and the family cow.

A commercial cow is pushed to her milk-producing limits by feeding large amounts of grain and concentrates. Their udders will be the fullest they can be and consequently sore at milking time. In that situation, milking on a strict schedule is important. I do milk the same hour every day. However, I don't get up early just to milk my cow. Since she isn't bulging at the seams, that is okay with her.

There are a few things you can do for problem milkers. My first cow was a wretched animal. She kicked and wiggled, my hands were sore, and I would come back to the house with one quart of milk. I bought a Can't Kick bar and hooked that contraption on her. It made all the difference in the world. She was forced to stand as long as it took me to milk.

I really took off once I could concentrate on milking and not worry about a poopy hoof plopping into my milk pail.

You would be amazed at how many hand muscles you never use until you milk. It takes time. I also use a milking stanchion. It's nice to have a place to restrain your cow for the vet or the inseminator.

Off-smelling milk usually comes from what they eat. I protect the milk by keeping the cow away from wild onions. Most milk odors will be gone by morning if you take the cow off the pasture at night. She will be fresh in the morning. I actually send my children out for onion hunts and ask them to pick as many as they can find.

A dirty barn is the only other reason for smelly milk. I have heard that milk will take on odors from the barn if there is too much manure around, but you would have to have a pretty dirty barn to make your milk taste bad.

My milk cow is the most enjoyable animal on our farm. You have to love an animal that will feed you and most of your homestead. Remember, extra milk can feed calves, chickens and pigs. We get milk, cheese, cream cheese, butter, half-and-half, ice cream, yogurt and (someday) milk soaps from our cow. A bull calf gives us meat for a year.

Females are too valuable to butcher and are usually sold quite easily. Any cow can raise more than one calf. If you're lucky, she will take to it like her own. If not, the stanchion comes in handy. Just get her in and let the calf at her.

My cow has two calves on her -- her own and a bull calf we bought at the local Jersey dairy. I'll be weaning her six-month-old heifer calf soon. The bull calf I put on her will be our beef. Since milk has more sugar than corn, leaving the calf on the cow for as long as possible makes baby beef-tasting meat at any butchering age. Tooth marks on her teats will tell you when to take the older calves off. Dairy breeds have the best-tasting meat.

Since a calf only needs milk for eight to 12 weeks, you could raise many calves on one cow. A hungry young calf helps keep the burden to milk off of me and helps make money by selling beef to others.

LINDA PASKIEWICZ Milk & Honey Homestead 310 Troutman Rd. Rockwell, North Carolina 28138