What You Need to Know About Keeping a Family Milk Cow

A single cow provides gallons of rich, nutritious milk—and plenty of benefits beyond the kitchen. Here’s how to get started.

Smaller dairy cow breeds, such as Jersey or Dexter cows, are easier for beginners to handle. trambler58/Shutterstock

Here’s a beautiful sight: a cow meandering through the rippling grass of an open pasture, head sunk amid the waving blades of green, tail flicking. It’s doing just what cows are meant to do: turning grass into creamy, frothy milk.

For those blessed with a few acres of good grazing ground, keeping a milk cow can be a delightful (and delicious) hobby. In addition to the joy of bovine company and the taste of fresh milk, keeping a cow affords children the opportunity to practice responsible stewardship of an animal, developing habits of discipline in tending to the milk cow daily. Finally, the ability to provide for one’s own needs brings with it a deep satisfaction. I’ve kept a milk cow—a Jersey/Fleckvieh mix—on my own small homestead for the past four years, and my family and I have definitely seen these benefits in action.