A Cow for the Whole Family

Bridget Da'Cow is truly a family cow for us.

Bridget Da'Cow with Thing #3 (left), Thing #1 (middle), and Thing #2 (right).
I tethered her near the family while we worked on reinforcing the paddock fences.

She is extremely docile, has already mastered halter leading, and even stays perfectly still when the kids are nearby petting her. I think they petted her like this^ for a good 30 minutes. Bridget didn't budge.

Now, my personal experience is a tad different. I've nick-named her "Fidget" for her tendency to not stay still for milking. I ended up using a rope cinch last time, and it worked well. I'll post about my re-vamped milk station later on.

Thing #2 LOVES Bridget. Brisket, too.

Thing #2 visiting his cows.

He's been asking me when he can start milking. Fidget Bridget needs to be still for me consistently before I introduce new milkers.

Wife has also benefited tremendously. She's able to drink Bridget's milk raw with NO adverse effects. She has always been lactose intolerant to a degree. Since Bridget is a pure-bred Jersey, we're guessing that she is also of the A2 genetic line. (Of course, we need to test that to be positive.) And for Wife, that means no intolerance, and some awesome health benefits from the raw milk as a result.

We're all enjoying the gentle "moo!" of the cows as we go about our day. As much as Samson the Donkey was a good friend (and as much as his welcoming brays amused us), Bridget is more.

She's part of the family already. She is a true family cow.