We have since built an open-face shed for the bovines-out of metal and landscape timbers we already had. My cow calved in the garage (yes you read that right-a cooooold January day) and I milked in there as well. I tarped the stock trailer, that was their shelter until we got a shed made. When we first moved back to NE from TX, that winter I had no cow shed. This includes my dwelling, yard, garden (fruit trees as well) and pasture. And maybe I will have to break down and go spend the $8.00 a gallon that the local raw dairy charges and buy a few for him to try. Thanks for all the replies, I will start looking around and see what I can come up with. Anyway, she said she would pay for the cow if I had somewhere to keep her. She loves to tell how her family never even noticed a squeeze when it came to eating. She was raised during the depression and they had a cow and chickens, a huge vegetable garden and an orchard. My grandma (who must love me dearly as I do her) is on my side in the cow discussion. The cost of BUYING the cow isn't an issue. We don't need a lot of milk, right now we only go through about 2 gallons a week, although I'm sure we'll use more when we get a cow (plus another baby on the way) So her area will be quite small, and not much at all for grazing, so the less hay we have to buy the better. And city zoning says she has to be kept 40' from the home. We only have 1/2 acre total, that includes our home, and front yard. The reason for the mini jersey is the smaller cost of KEEPING the cow. Not that they're not worth the money!!!! But if you are short on cash, get a standard Jersey and put the rest of the money towards a little barn. Oh, and you're gonna pay dearly for a mini Jersey, at least inour neck of the woods. index.cgi?board=cow&action=display&thread=39518 There's a lot more really neat ideas in that thread too! I posted a picture of my milking setup in this thread. When you know that a cold front is on the way make sure they both have lots of deep bedding and full bellies and they should be fine with just basic protection. She calved in the snow in April and they both did just fine. For the first two winters my cow had a three-sided shelter and a big birch tree. This is the first year that we've had a barn in fact. So long as the wind isn't blowing my cows sleep in the snow rather than in the barn. Protection from wind is what you need to worry about the most. I used one for 2 years as my hay barn but the snow and wind killed it this year. If you don't live in an area with heavy snow or really high wind then you can use those car ports that are vinyl over round steel poles to store the hay. The cow part of my barn is 12'X20' and that includes my milking area.
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