Interactive lesson

House cow, step by step

Interactive lesson: do you need a cow, one or two, which breed, how to buy a healthy cow, ear tags, passport, TB and brucellosis, safety and the first-year plan.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the module A house cow on a smallholding: breed and planning. Already bought? Unlock

This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.

The whole lesson as text

1. Do you need a cow

Before you look at adverts or go to a sale, answer five questions honestly.

Meadow and hay — Allow roughly 1–1.2 ha (2.5–3 acres) of grazing and meadow per cow. For the winter you need 2.2–2.5 t of hay, plus 10–15 % reserve.
Someone at home — Is someone in the household there morning and evening, every day? Milking can't be skipped: the cow suffers and gets mastitis.
Shed, water, muck heap — A cow produces 30–50 kg of dung and urine a day. You also need a vet who does farm visits and an AI technician.
Cow or goats — For drinking milk and a little cheese, two goats are easier. A cow makes sense for cream, cheese and butter all year, a calf and manure.

Why: A cow is the biggest commitment on a small holding: two milkings every day, over two tonnes of hay for the winter, a shed, water, a vet and paperwork. If even one answer is “no”, start with goats and come back to the cow in a year or two.

Before you buy, spend three days with a neighbour who keeps a house cow and hand-milk a cow at least once.
The figures in this module are rough: check them with a cattle adviser for your area.

2. One or two

A smallholding doesn't need a herd, but a cow needs company.

A cow hates being alone — Alone in a shed she bellows, eats less and is harder to settle. Best is one milking animal, but with company.
Cow and calf — The usual choice: a cow and her calf up to 6–10 months. The calf is then reared for beef or sold.
Heifer or goats — A heifer is the replacement and is served at 15–18 months. Goats or sheep in the same shed, penned apart, give company without a second cow.
How much time — Roughly 1–1.5 hours a day per milking cow with hand milking. In summer haymaking comes too.

Why: Cattle are herd animals. Alone in a shed a cow bellows, eats less, is restless when bulling and is harder to settle. Still, the rule for starting is one milking animal: in the first year you learn milking, calving and winter.

Two cows calving 5–6 months apart give milk all year without a break.
On a hill holding with poor grazing, 2–3 Dexters or Kerries are a good choice.