A year with a house cow

In short

• One calf every 12–13 months, a lactation of roughly 305 days, a dry period of 60 days.
• A dual-purpose cow on a smallholding gives roughly 4,000 L of milk, a calf and 8–12 t of manure a year.
• Spring calving (February–April) uses the least feed; autumn calving gives the most milk in winter.
• A bull calf is reared for beef (steers at 16–24 months) or sold at 2–6 months; decide before calving.
• Who milks when you're away must be arranged and practised before you need it.
• The figures are rough: the cow isn't in the 4freelife personal holding plan.

What's inside

Chapters

1. What a cow gives in a year
2. Spring or autumn calving
3. The year month by month
4. Milk through the year and processing
5. The calf: keep, sell or rear for beef
6. Beef and slaughter
7. Manure and the holding cycle
8. Which cows stay and which go
9. Work and cover
10. Money and paperwork through the year
11. Common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• The cow's yearly plan
• Milk and processing plan
• Calf and beef plan
• Production record
• Costs and value
• The yearly calendar with a cow