How to properly care for a cow at home, tips for beginners

For centuries, the cow was the breadwinner for the whole family of the peasant, and then the farmer. She provided milk, meat, skin, sour cream, cream, butter, and numerous varieties of cheeses. Without this pet, many families simply would not have survived, and those who had it were considered, if not rich, then wealthy. Therefore, everyone knew perfectly well how to care for a cow.

Conditions for keeping cows for beginners

Nowadays, the situation has changed somewhat, but many rural residents, especially farmers, prefer to keep cows on their farms. Some have a “walking dairy factory” as a source of profit, others keep it for the needs of their own family. In order to understand how to keep such a large animal, it is necessary to find out in what conditions it should live, what to feed, and how to care for it. You should start with a place where a cow or several animals will live.

The following are used types of cattle keeping:

1. Stall. This method involves keeping cows without grazing; it is used in those places where farmers and rural residents have to do without pasture due to the specifics of the topography and because all available land is plowed and occupied.
2. Pasture. This method is suitable for raising young animals and fattening animals for meat. Cows are milked directly on the pasture, in equipped buildings.
3. Mixed stall-pasture. Due to the nature of their feeding, cattle are kept indoors at night and turned out to pasture during the day. Keeping dairy cows this way is especially profitable, since they eat free pasture and, thanks to fresh grass, produce high-quality milk.
4. Cows can also be kept on a leash, especially if there is not enough space for a large barn, and the animal has a rather tough, restless disposition. With this method, special requirements and conditions must be observed so as not to harm the cow.

To keep an animal, it is important to properly arrange the stall. It should be 190 centimeters long, 140 centimeters wide, and 150 centimeters high on the side. The feeder is made in the form of half an oval, containing a daily portion of hay.The leash for the animal should not interfere with movement or lying down to rest, and it should be easy to detach.

Indoor temperature should not fall below 10-15 degrees below zero in winter. You also need to monitor the indicators in the heat - the barn needs to be ventilated in the absence of the herd, since drafts can cause serious harm to the health of the cows. They are susceptible to colds, and high humidity and dirt on the floor can cause a variety of sores and rot on the hooves.

Rules for caring for cattle

Regardless of whether the cow lives on a private property or on a farm, it is necessary to follow a clearly planned daily routine, since the cow gets used to this and behaves calmly and does not interfere with the person caring for it. According to a strict schedule, you need to not only feed and milk the cow, but also clean it, clean the stall and barn, and take it out to pasture.

Domestic cows should be fed two or three times a day, with the daily portion of hay and other food divided into portions. This is due to the fact that the cow will touch the allotted daily portion of hay or grass with her tongue when she has eaten, causing her to get wet due to the saliva released. And a cow may refuse to eat wet hay due to a change in smell, which will lead to excess consumption of the product, while the cow may remain hungry, which will inevitably affect the volume and quality of milk.

It is believed that roughage is given at each feeding, and grain and juicy foods are added in the morning and evening. First, concentrates and mixed feed are fed, then juicy and, lastly, roughage. If there is food left in the feeders, it must be removed immediately before it spoils and leads to cattle poisoning.Cows are not fed immediately before milking because some types of food can impart an unpleasant odor or taste to the milk.

What should I feed?

Cow diet varies depending on the time of year. In summer, her diet includes more fresh green food, which in cold weather is replaced with hay, preferably from nutritious grasses, such as alfalfa and other legumes.

In summer

In the hot summer, cows and other cattle mainly feed on pasture, that is, grass that grows in abundance in pastures and pastures. For nutritional value, add a small amount of succulent food.

in winter

For a cow with an average weight of 500 kilograms, the ideal daily set of products is considered to be the following:

1. High-quality hay – 7-8 kilograms.
2. Juicy feed – 3 kilograms.
3. Concentrated products, bran – 3 kilograms.

Animals in the village are most often fed from their own garden, so the cow receives hay cut on the property and in the surrounding area, as well as alfalfa, specially sown for maintaining the herd.

Animals also eat carrots, fodder, sugar and table beets, potatoes, turnips, corn silage, and green waste, which must be clean and not wet.

After giving succulent feed, the cows are given plenty of water to drink, with clean water at a temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius.Cold or contaminated water is dangerous to the health of the cow, as is being in the rain, snow, or in a damp, dirty room.

Breeding Features

In order to properly raise a dairy herd, it is necessary to follow certain rules:

1. The future milk cow is left with her mother for no longer than a day, since otherwise she will begin to suck milk from other females or even from herself.
2. The heifer is kept in a separate room and milk is given to her through a special nipple. She is given whole milk until she is 3 months old, then skimmed milk or another substitute is given.
3. At first, the heifer is given water 3-4 times a day, 2-3 liters each. If milk remains, its quantity is reduced. In the first two months, the volume of milk fed is gradually increased to 12 liters per day, then they begin to decrease, and after six months they stop altogether. By this time, calves in the household are already accustomed to drinking water on their own.
4. From 10 days after birth, the heifer is offered some feed and hay.
5. The heifer is ready for mating at one and a half years old. She is first trained to wash and massage the udder, and milking.
6. At home and on the farm, the future cow is carefully prepared for calving using special rules. For example, dry housing is used for cows that have already given birth.
7. Childbirth in a first-calf heifer is more difficult and longer than in a more experienced female. If the owner is not experienced enough and does not have the skills to handle a calving cow and newborn offspring, it is best to invite a veterinarian in advance. Then it will be possible to save both the mother and the calf, avoiding unnecessary suffering and problems. There are usually no problems with childbirth in the future.

With the right approach to breeding, it is possible to obtain a strong and healthy calf, as well as a well-milked heifer that produces several buckets of high-quality, fatty milk with excellent taste.

Health and prevention

In order for dairy animals to produce high-quality and safe milk, they must be healthy. Many diseases to which cattle are susceptible can be dangerous to humans, for example, tuberculosis and brucellosis transmitted through milk. Infection can be transmitted through direct contact or the environment, so cows must be vaccinated against the following diseases:

1. Pasteurellosis.
2. Brucellosis.
3. Foot and mouth disease.
4. Anthrax.
5. Rabies.

If your cow shows signs of illness, for example, lethargy, refusal of food and/or water, discharge from the eyes and nose, a sloppy appearance, or indigestion, you should immediately call a veterinarian.

Prevention of cattle diseases, in addition to regular vaccinations, will include maintaining hygiene of the premises and the animals themselves, cleanliness and proper selection of feed, excellent living conditions, as well as the love of the owners for the wet nurse.

Is it profitable to keep a cow?

On a homestead farm, you can have one or more cows for personal needs, and donate any excess milk. But for farmers, it is most profitable to maintain a large dairy herd, and not sell the milk in its pure form, but process it into a product that is in great demand, for example, feta cheese or other types of cheese, butter, sour cream.

A few recommendations from an experienced veterinarian

The following tips are offered to new farmers who want to keep a dairy cow:

1. Be attentive to the condition, appearance and behavior of your nurse, notice the slightest deviations and immediately take action.
2. Maintain the cleanliness of the premises and the animal itself.
3. The quality of milk directly depends on the feed. Animals must be well-fed, but not overfed - this will affect milk yield.
4. The cow must have enough clean drinking water.
5. Animals must live in a clean, dry and warm room, protected from dampness and drafts.
6. Vaccinations and veterinary examinations must be carried out regularly, in accordance with the requirements of the veterinary system.

These simple tips will help those who want to keep a cow not to make mistakes and get stable milk yield throughout the life of the dairy animal. The cow has always been a human nurse; it retains this property even today.