"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
I know this is OT but I thought I might get some help here and I don't
quite know where else to ask.

We have acquired a cow. Technically I think she is a heifer but I am not
100% sure. She is Jersey about 6 years old,

That's quite old for a heifer. I assume you'll be using AI to impregnate
her? Make sure when you get her in calf to check out the EBVs of the bull
whose semen is supplied. The EBVs are exciting figures that tell you facts
like 200 day milk, scrotal circumference etc. but the thing you really want
to know is birth weight so look for a birthweight figure that is a minus
figure because what that means is that the calves from that bull should be
lighter in weight at birth. You don't want a plus figure for a heifer - you
are looking to have a small calf first up.


a buxom blond with fake tan on
the face and too much eye makeup. Her name is Mootilda. She is tame
enough to come and eat out of a bucket but we want her to become a house
cow.

Where do I find out about doing the best thing for her?

You could try the library or online ask in the misc.rural newsgroup but be
cautious there. If Pete Heubner from NZ answers you, he's reliable as are a
few of the Americans but excercise caution as some of the Yanks are quite
clueless.

She will have
plenty of good grass and clean water and eleven horses for company. A herd
of cattle to be her mates is out of the question right now, she will just
have to commune over the fence with the neighbour's beef cattle. As long
as she doesn't get too friendly with that Bubba the bull. He is already
blowing her kisses through the fence and I am sure that he only wants her
for her body but she won't believe me.

Bloody Bubba will be in your paddock given any probs with your fencing - if
you haven't already, string an electric line along the fence he's hanging
over.

It's the same with daughters, they never listen to me either.

Ha! Daughters (or sons) never listen to their parents until they hit their
mid 20s.

For those who
think this conversation is getting a little lurid I will have no choice
but to become quite involved with her (Mootilda's) sex life if she is
going to start turning grass into milk. Thank God that part isn't the
same with the daughters, although I think it entirely possible that they
have several stomaches each, their mother does all that and I just get to
hear what is good for me. Sometimes I have to run around with my fingers
in my ears yelling "la la la" loudly.

Are there any good books or web sites that I can study?

David and Gerda Foster wrote a book about slow food and there is a lot of
discussion in there about their Jerseys because they have a number of them
that they use for milk and for making cheese - it's been some time since I
read it but I do remember that they seemed to know what they were on about
with their Jerseys (solange was the name of one - lovely name for a cow) but
it wasn't a specific 'dairy cow' book. It's a great read anyway for someone
of your interests.

I also suspect that there wouldn't be a huge amount of info on the Net about
managing a home dairy cow as having one is rather uncommon these days. If I
was looking on the net, I'd be looking at homesteading, self sufficiency,
self reliance or even voluntary simplicity, simple living type sites.

One pice of advice I would give is to make sure you have your milking bail
and calf lock up built and ready for action long before the cow is due to
calve and get her used to going there regularly.