Inspecting a Dairy Cow
Dairy cows chosen for buying must be inspected to establish their identity. Identity is determined by the colour pattern (for Holsteins) and ear tattoos (for Jerseys).
Buying Dairy Cows on a Small Budget
Buying cows on a limited budget? Consider buying older lactating cows as their sale price may be lower because of less demand for older animals. ‘Slaughter value’ is usually less than their ‘genetic value’ for milk yield. However, such cows should be pregnant while also producing milk at levels higher than their daily feeding cost.
To ensure continuous milk production throughout the year, buy lactating cows in early lactation as well as pregnant late lactation cows. When buying dry cows, their expected calving date should be within two months of the purchasing date. When more funds are available, buy high genetic merit first to second lactation cows. They usually have less calving problems than heifers.
When buying pregnant heifers, information on the calving ease of the sires (bulls) should be known to prepare for possible dystocia problems at calving. Dystocia is when a calf gets stuck during the birthing process.