Best Cow for Milk – The 7 Best Dairy Cow Breeds For Your Homestead
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Are you trying to find the best cow for milk – or the best dairy cow breed for your homestead? If so, then finding the perfect cow breed is trickier than it seems!
Here’s why.
Each milking cow breed has unique strengths and weaknesses that might play in your favor – or work against you, depending upon your homestead, your resources, your needs, and your land!
So, let us go over our top picks for the best dairy cows for your homestead’s milk supply.
The cow breeds that we have named as our top picks are perfect for homesteaders! Some require prior cow handling experience. Others do not – and are easy to handle.
We’ll also discuss the most critical cow breed nuances in further detail – so you choose the best dairy cow breed for your situation.
Sound good?
Let’s begin!
The 7 Best Dairy Cow Breeds
Let’s quickly run down the 7 best dairy cow breeds. Then, we’ll analyze the breeds in much further detail.
- Holstein Cow
- Jersey Cow
- Brown Swiss Cow
- Guernsey Cow
- Ayrshire Cow
- Milking Shorthorn
- Dexter Cow
Let’s spend a few minutes analyzing the pros and cons of each dairy cow – and we’ll also answer the following questions coming from a homesteader’s perspective.
What makes these cows perfect homestead cows? How much milk do these dairy cows produce? Which of our top picks produce the tastiest milk for cheese and butter? And which cow breeds are the best dual-purpose breeds?
Let us find out!
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What is the Best Cow for Milk Overall?
One of the top questions my fellow farming and homesteaders ask about cows – is which cows are best for milk!
With so many breeds of cows out there in the world today, it can be somewhat tricky to determine which milking cow breed is the best suited for you and your needs as a small farmer or homesteader.
Many homesteaders struggle to find the breed for them, but this list containing the best cow for milk can hopefully make the decision easier for you!
Let us go through the seven best cow breeds you can have on your homestead to ensure you have a good milk supply reliably – and consistently!
# 1 – Holstein Dairy Cow
Holstein dairy cows are the typical black and white cows that come to most people’s minds when they think of dairy cows.
Holstein dairy cows originated from Holland and made their way to America in the 1850s.
Holstein dairy cows now make up approximately 90% of the cows used for dairy in America’s milk production.
The reason why Holsteins are so popular in the American dairy industry is due to their high productivity. If these cows are cared for properly, they can produce nearly ten to twelve gallons of milk daily.
(Holstein’s can sometimes produce much more milk than twelve gallons per day. Later in this article, I’ll introduce you to Dezi – the legendary Holstein dairy cow. You won’t believe how much milk she makes daily!)
Holstein dairy cows are also generally easy to work with, and they are tremendously docile animals.
Holsteins do, however, need a large amount of feed and a large grazing area as they are on the bigger side in size.
# 2 – Jersey Cow
Jersey cows are a much smaller cow breed compared to the Holstein. Jersey cows are brown; they are also known for their large, beautiful eyes.
Jersey cows first originated from Britain and then made their way to America in the 1850s.
Jersey cows are friendly creatures, and they are easy to handle. Due to their small size, Jersey cows need less feed and grazing area to stay healthy compared to other dairy cows on this list.
These beautiful Jersey cows can produce around eight to ten gallons of milk per day.
Jersey cows produce high-quality milk that is ideal for farm-fresh cheese and butter! The milk from Jersey cows has a lovely creamy texture – resulting in thick, rich, delicious cheese that tastebuds will love.
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# 3 – Brown Swiss Cow
Brown Swiss cows have the reputation as one of the oldest breeds of cows in existence today.
Brown Swiss cows are originally from Switzerland and arrived in America in 1869.
Brown Swiss cows are also known to have big furry ears! They are also widely considered the second most productive dairy cows.
Their milk is perfect for making cheese as it has a close fat to protein ratio, making the cheese full and creamy. These cows are remarkably docile, and they are friendly and easy to handle.
The Brown Swiss cows are generally around the same size as the Holstein cows, which means that they require a large amount of feed and gazing space to remain healthy and at peak milk production.
# 4 – Guernsey Cow
Guernsey Cows are highly regarded and are known as The Royal Breed as their milk sports a delicious golden color.
Some of my curious homesteaders might ask – but why is the Guernsey cow’s milk golden? A great question!
The Guernsey cow provides golden color milk because the milk has a high amount of beta carotene! Beta carotene is a tremendous source of vitamin A – but it also seems to give the milk a golden color.
Guernsey cows hail from Britain, but many homesteaders and farmers believe that Guernsey cows originated from two French cow breeds. The Guernsey cow then made its way to the United States of America in the 1840s.
Guernsey cows are excellent for hand milking and are a favorite among small farms as they are friendly and docile.
Due to the Guernsey cow’s smaller size, they require less grazing space! They also need less feed to keep them healthy and producing a good amount of milk.
Read More – Can Cows Eat Apples? Even Fermented Apples?
# 5 – Ayrshire Cow
Ayrshire cows are orangey-brown cows in color and are known for being long-living and hardy cows. These cows used to be called Dunlops, but it is unknown why their name changed.
Ayrshire cows originated from Scotland and arrived in America in the 1820s.
Ayrshire cows do tend to be more dominant compared to other cow breeds. They can sometimes be tricky to handle, but if you have some experience with cows – you should not have much of a problem managing them.
These cows are one of the most massive dairy cow breeds, and their milk production ranges between that of a Jersey cow and a Holstein cow.
Due to their size, Ayrshire Cows require a large grazing area and a good supply of feed to keep their milk production up and keep them healthy. These cows can produce anywhere from 4 – 6 gallons of milk every day – or more.
# 6 – Milking Shorthorn Cow
Milking Shorthorn cows are known to be extremely easy to handle, which is why they were one of the first cow breeds to become world travelers early on.
Milking shorthorn cows first originated from England, and they were the first dairy cows brought to New Zealand, America, and Australia in the 1780s.
Milking Shorthorn cows are highly efficient grazers – and they require less feed compared to other cow breeds. However, they also need some feed to ensure they get enough nutrients to produce a good milk supply.
These cows are docile and friendly, making them perfect for a small farm or homestead. They can produce roughly 4.2 gallons of milk daily.
# 7 – Dexter Cow
Dexter cows rule – and if you want a tiny cow for your homestead, then a Dexter cow may be the best cow for milk!
The Dexter cow breed was originally Irish but then imported into America around 1910.
Dexter cows are highly popular with small farms and homesteads as they are much smaller cows, but they still provide a good amount of milk for their size.
Dexter cows will generally reach about 3.2 ft at the shoulder when they are fully grown.
The small size of Dexter cows has a few advantages! Dexter cows do not require much grazing space or extra feed to keep them healthy.
Dexter cows are also a lot lighter compared to other cow breeds! Their comparatively small impact can lessen damage to the soil and the pasture that they walk on.
These small cows can produce three gallons of milk in a day, which is perfect for supplying milk for a family. Dexters are also friendly and cute little creatures that the whole family will enjoy looking after!
Best Cow for Milk FAQs
If you’re trying to find the best dairy cow breed for your homestead – or if you’re trying to find the best cow for milk – then read our answers to common FAQs below.
I think any of the cows on this list make excellent dairy cows and can provide your homestead with an abundance of wholesome, rich, delicious milk.
I also think that many of the cows have their pros and cons! Consider your needs.
If you’re looking for the most reliable source of milk – then you can’t go wrong with the Holstein dairy cow or the Brown Swiss cow.
If you belong to a smaller family or homestead – or if you don’t have the resources to feed a large herd of cows? Then consider Jersey cows or Dexter cows!
Jersey cows and Dexter cows are smaller cow breeds – so they’re easier to feed and manage. They’re also magnificent creatures – and either cow can help contribute delicious milk!
Are you looking for a cow to help produce good quality butter and cheese? Then you need a cow that provides an abundant source of rich milk to get the best flavor possible!
From the cows listed above, both the Jersey cow breed and the Guernsey cow breed are the best cows to help produce these products.
Either cow breed helps produce the richest milk, with the best fat to protein ratio available. This good protein to fat ratio helps provide a rich, creamy, and full-tasting cheese or butter.
Some homesteaders require a dual-purpose cow breed; or a cow used for both milk production and meat.
From the cow breeds listed above, the breed best suited for this is the Dexter cow breed.
Dexter cows were used as dual-purpose cows for years in England as they produce a good amount of good quality milk and, even though they are smaller in size, they do offer a large amount of meat.
If you have a bit more space on your homestead, then the Holstein cow breed is also a great dual-purpose cow used for both milk and meat for many years.
That’s such a good question – and many of my homesteading
and farming friends have conflicting answers! However, I think Jersey cows have a serious run for the money regarding quality and delicious cream.
Why are Jersey cows best for cream? Well, Jersey cows have lots of fat and protein content in their milk!
When it comes to creating quality cream – natural fat content is a huge variable to consider. Whether you’re making soup, custard, stew, pudding, coffee, or ice cream, I think fattier, hardier milk makes for ideal cream.
Source: https://dairy.osu.edu/newsletter/buckeye-dairy-news/volume-5-issue-4/nutrition-jersey-cows-little-holstein-cows-or-breed
I think that Holstein cows are the clear victor when it comes to creating the most milk per day. To prove my case, I introduce you to Dezi – one of the most legendary Holstein cows around. For sure!
I learned about Dezi when reading an article about a Holstein cow that produced a whopping 24 gallons of milk per day! (I hope they have plenty of cookies!)
Obviously – I think Dezi is a rare case! However, Dezi also serves as an example of what Holstein cows can become if nurtured and raised well.
Source: https://cafnr.missouri.edu/2017/02/missouri-holstein-cow-produces-nearly-24-gallons-of-milk-per-day/
If you want to produce the most milk possible – then I think Holsteins win the gold!
Holstein cows deserve the top spot for dairy farming overall due to their overwhelmingly productive milk production.
However, I don’t want to discount any dairy cows on this list – they all have their merits as tremendously beneficial farm animals and deserve your consideration.
All cows on this list can help produce cheese, cream, and milk just like their Holstein cousins, so please don’t discount them – as they have unique quirks, charms, and benefits that may be otherwise easy to overlook.
Read More – 7 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes!
Please Share Your Best Milk for Cow Questions and Experience!
The cows in this list above are some of the best dairy cow breeds for homesteaders as they are generally easy to handle and manage.
They produce a good amount of milk, too!
Some of them are heavier breeds and will require more feed and grazing space, but most of them are small enough to have on a nice-sized piece of land without any issues.
Good luck choosing the best dairy cow for your homestead!
If you have any cow or dairy milk questions – or experiences raising cows that you can share – please comment below!
Thanks so much for reading!
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You have NO tastebuds and you have NO olifactory nerves or Holsteins would not ever make it above the bottom of a list of the top 25 milk cows. Having spent time as a child on the farm with Guernseys, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, and cross breeds, I can state with great confidence that even milk coming from cows that are half Guernsey and half white faced hereford beef cattle always still rank a far richer satisfying milk than any Holstein. (Same goes for the heifer calves that have a Jersey for a mother and a Hereford for a Father) The only people in the world who like what Holsteins give are people who hate cream and love diluting their milk with tapwater because they are afraid that the taste of cream will give them hardening of the arteries.
Sincerely
Ray Tilton
Hi Ray! Thanks for sharing your opinion. We chose Holsteins as the top pick since they produce more milk per day than most other cows. No accounting for taste!
Thanks again for your feedback, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Dear Aimee Aimee LaFon,
Thank you for your sweet note. You were in the right with your article and I was only trying to accentuate my prejudicial favorites. If a farmer’s interest in cattle is to have milk to sell, Holsteins do produce prodigious amounts of milk. My experience with the Breeds I listed only represents my Grandparents’ farm that raised milk cows for their own family and friends. Their homestead was in Eastern Montana and part of the first and second Homestead Acts. They held on to their farms through several very hard times though, when they first moved out there from Minnesota in the late 1880’s and early 1890’s , their farms had grasses that grew so tall they thought they had really found the promised land until the drought years came. Their children lived lives that generally went up to and past 100 years without the problems associated with osteoporosis. (The whole family had daily milk in their diets till they passed away.) So, the milk from cows was for our own consumption. My grandparents and uncles kept the herd of beef cattle for the sale of the beef and you probably guessed that they could not afford Bulls to get the milk cows pregnant so every year, it was up to the Beef Bulls to get the milk cows pregnant for next year’s milk. Kind Regards. Ray
Asl these cow’s milk is not good for human health. Though all these cows produce good amount of milk but their milk is not healthy for humans.
@Kapil,
This is a new wives tale. Check your facts and people will respect what you say.
Kindly
@Kapil,
Raw cow’s milk is one of the most nutrient dense foods a human can consume. Besides red meat. Go to YouTube and look up Dr. Ken Berry and learn about the proper human diet. We’ve all been lied to our entire lives. Healthy humans makes empty money coffers for Big Pharma and Big Medicine and the Food Giants in America. BTW, all major food giant companies in the US are owned by Big Tobacco. It’s a deep rabbit hole. Happy researching! But mostly, happy awakening <3