About one year into living in North Carolina, we purchased our first cow. Daisy. Daisy was a beautiful Jersey milk cow. There is a running joke, in cow world, between Jersey farmers and Holstein farmers. Jersey farmers joke that they keep a Holstein in the back in case the well runs dry. More than likely, this is one of those “you had to be there” jokes to really get it. You see, on average, the Jersey will naturally give about 4-5 gallons per day, whereas a Holstein will give closer to 8-10. Both have the same milkfat content overall, but the Holstein has several gallons extra of water. Jeresey’s are the way to go…the bible says so.
I would like to say that we had planned to purchase a milk cow, and that we shopped around until we found a good one, but that would be a lie. Basically, a buddy and I were building a shed for a local fellow, and he got a call from his cow dealer. The news came that two milkers were available for a great price, but a decision had to be made with in a few hours. My buddy only needed one, but the price was too good to pass up on the second, so I financed our first cow. Cory keeps telling me to stop reveiling how stupid I was, and if it were her that made the stupid choices, I would stop. She was just along for the ride. Wow, I financed a cow…that was stupid. Anyhow, she did turn out to be a great cow, and my older boys learned how to use their goat milking skills on a cow at a young age…priceless skill!
I can’t end until I tell you about the experience we had that evening when the cows were delivered. When my buddy and I pulled up his driveway, the cows were waiting in a little makeshift coral. These girls were nervous, and in desperate need of a milking. When we approaced them with our milk buckets, all hell broke loose, and no fence could hold them in. At one point during the chase, I remember following my cow through (literally…) a barbed wire fence and into the neighbors yard. I am sure they are still telling their friends about the might they went out on their front porch to see what all the noise was, and noticed a skinny guy chasing a freaked out cow in their front yard. “What the heck is going on!” was the question I was asked, and all could say was “Nothing, just chasing my cow. Everything is fine.”
After a few hours of chasing them, we did catch them, and get them milked. All was good…especially the milk!
Smelly Times 9...(+1) 