If you are thinking about purchasing your first dairy cow, there are a couple of things that you should know. You want a healthy cow start with and need to be equipped with information that can help you keep the cow healthy. When looking at dairy cows for sale, find out if the cow has been tested for tuberculosis within the last four or five weeks. You want to be sure that you have proof of this. If you do not have this proof, the cow could be contagious. This means that other animals on your property could be exposed to tuberculosis and get sick. It takes about eight weeks for tuberculosis to die when it is in the soil. These problems can be avoided by simply asking about a tuberculosis test. There are other tests that you want to find out about before purchasing a specific dairy cow. Find out if she is free from Johne’s disease and Staph A. When looking at dairy cows for sale, make sure that any cow you are interested in purchasing has had a brucellosis vaccine. While it is unlikely, brucellosis can be spread to humans if they consume raw milk. The milk from the cow should also be tested. It is important to be sure that the cow’s milk is not carrying E. coli or Salmonella. It is common for animals that have been poorly fed and stressed to get salmonella. Be sure the animal has been well cared for before you purchase it.
