08/18/2026
Okay these may not be “offensive” per se but these are some cold hard tips that I honestly think anyone who wants a dairy cow needs to know.
1: Learn Basic Dairy Cow Nutrition.
This is a no brainer but it needs to be said. Dairy cows have a different nutritional need from beef cows. In order for them to make milk, they need protein, fiber, fat, minerals, and hydration. And a lot of times, a majority of that comes from grain and hay/grass. Understanding your cow’s needs is crucial. You cannot expect a cow that came from a dairy getting fed grain to thrive on only grass and hay. It’s just not possible. Understand her needs and feed her properly.
2: Establish A Vet Or Learn Cow Health.
This one can be a bit tricky because cow vets are getting harder and harder to come by. I would make sure to do everything you can to find a vet, even if you only find one that will do bloodwork and prescribe certain medications. I don’t care what anyone says about holistic methods: having access to medicine is a MUST. I will fight this to the end if I have to.
3: Calf Sharing Isn’t Always The Correct Option.
For the last couple hundred years, commercial dairies have bred out the motherly instinct in dairy cows. It’s sad but true. Thankfully there are a lot of small farmers that have worked hard to bring back that motherly instinct in cows, but there are still a large bunch who could literally care less that they have a calf. It happens. Prepare to bottle feed no matter what your original plan is. Prepare for twice a day milking and feeding a calf 2-3x a day. Be ready for anything.
4: Find A Mentor, And Then Find 2 More.
I feel like I have personally succeeded far greater by having 5+ people I can turn to when I need answers or help. I had an experience with 1 person who got insanely mad at me because I asked other people cow questions rather than them. They ended up blocking me on everything because I wanted help from more than 1 person. That’s not the right behavior. Sometimes Old Joe in another state has better help for an issue than Sally May in your state.
5: You Cannot Milk Whenever You Want.
This isn’t the grocery store. If you don’t want to deal with milk once or twice a day, then don’t get a cow. The reality is you have to milk every single day no matter what. Cows don’t care about your plans, if you’re sick, if you started your cycle and are crampy, if you want to go to the beach, they HAVE to be milked every single day. Cows thrive on routine and structure and if you treat them like a grocery store, the reality is she’ll suffer. So if you’re not ready for that commitment, don’t get a cow.
If you have any questions, need help, comments, wanna yell at me for owning dairy cows and supposedly exploiting them for profit, go ahead and leave me a comment!
