Did you ever think of getting a pet cow? Well, while there are many households that pet a cow, at the same time, many report that petting a cow is a rather big deal. Some cows might be friendly, some others might be aggressive and some will never come near you. If you’re someone who is eager to get one, we’re here to help you with the ideas of having a cow as a pet and how to take proper care of it.
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THINGS TO DO BEFORE BUYING A COW
Deciding on the pros and cons of raising a cow
Though it is true that raising a cow can be an expensive ordeal yet there are some cows that are extremely friendly as pets. You also get the benefit of receiving free milk but that requires artificial or bull insemination. Taking care of a bull is even more expensive than just a cow as things can get dangerous with a bull. Artificial Insemination or AI is utilized to breed cows in North America and this is much cheaper thing to do on your cow rather than purchasing or renting a bull.
Artificial Insemination is nothing too easy as you need a skilled and professional technician who can judge and decide when and how a cow has to be inseminated artificially.
- Even though you may want a cow to milk, they will require more feed than a beef cow requires. You’ll also require enough space for building a barn or shed for actually milking the cow.
- Cows usually consume too much space and they need lots of feed. In case you plan to keep a cow for most of its life, you have to be ready to be welcomed by a messy yard or field. A cow will always require enough space to move around and graze on grass and so if you keep a cow within a small area, it will feel confined.
- They even make sufficient manure and can hence get quite noisy and dirty. Whenever they are kept in heat or they’re hungry, they become too noisy and irritating. Cows are superb escape artists and they are even vulnerable to several diseases and illnesses. Cows need to be taken care of. If you can’t commit to all this, it is not recommended to pet a cow.
Think why you may need or want a cow
What is the exact reason behind petting a cow? Would you like to pet a cow for milking or a lawn ornament or for your freezer? Don’t ever make a decision of buying a pet cow unless you’re sure about the reason why you need one.
Consider the sex and age of the cow that you’d want to pet
Considering the purpose of getting a cow, you have to decide on the age and the sex of the cow that you would want to get.
- If you wish to milk a cow, it is best to purchase a cow that has already been used at a dairy farm but still is being sold. This is because she is probably of no use to the dairy farmer.
- Try to steer clear from purchasing dairy calves. They usually require more care as compared to an older cow. Moreover, the death loss from bottle calves is greater than if you purchased a cow.
- If you wish to get a car for your freezer, buy a few steers from a local rancher or farmer. It doesn’t matter whether the cow is dairy or beef as long as you feed them properly. It is only when you feed them properly that you’ll get adequate meat while slaughtering them.
- In case you’re getting a cow for just making it an ornament for lawn, choose to get a breed that takes fewer inputs than what a regular cow would. You could select a cow that is disease-resistant and could do by munching on to grass.
Check if you have enough space to accommodate a cow
Before you choose to buy a cow as a pet, it is better to have a minimum of 5-10 acres of area to work the cow. Do you have adequate space for the cow to graze around? Do you have different areas for the cow to drink, sleep, eat and be milked? These are few of the things to check before buying a cow for your house.
CHOOSING AND BUYING A PET COW
Go to the breeder prepared
Whenever you visit the breeder or the dairy, make sure you’re prepared for buying a cow. Know exactly the right questions that you should ask the seller. Make sure you ask the seller everything from breed, sex, health, breeding and feeding before you choose to buy.
Buy the cow only when you’re confident
Make sure you purchase the cow only when you feel confident about whether or not this is the ideal one for you. Get one that matches all your requirements and that is available at an affordable price.
Don’t allow the new pet to graze outside
When you bring home your new pet, you have to confine it to a small space for few days so that it may get accustomed to the new environment. Soon after bringing it home, if you make the mistake of letting it out, it can escape and never come back home. If you don’t want that, you have to confine him for a while.
Ensure it has fresh pasture regularly
Make sure there is no wastage of feed as wastage will mean you’ll have to spend more. If the cow learns that she will get new feed even if she eats half of it, it will become tougher to make her clean herself. The pasture should not be overgrazed and it should also not go under-grazed. This is especially important if you wish to maintain proper pasture and animal health.
So, if you’ve been looking forward to buying a pet cow, take into account all the above mentioned factors. They can often get aggressive and hence you have to be careful about the way you treat your cow after you bring it home.