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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 4, 2008 14:00:46 GMT -5
I LOVE making cheese.... I had been buying milk from the Amish dairy and made mozzarella cheese quite often. My problem is that I cant make enough to use for a meal because the kids eat it all up while its still warm, plus it takes several gallons to get enough cheese for pizza!
trying to convince my dh to let me get goats too... ROFL Its a sickness I tell ya!
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Post by copperhead on Apr 4, 2008 15:45:46 GMT -5
Welcome to our madness, we all like it here, they know us, and best of all, they understand us.....heeeeheeeee P.J.
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Post by lazyj5 on Apr 4, 2008 18:06:29 GMT -5
Yes, it is a sickness... I have goats, too, Nubains and Nigerians. Just love milk, cow or goat, doesn't make any difference to me.
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Post by Seven Trees on Apr 6, 2008 1:12:24 GMT -5
Today Stella was apart from her calf just over 4 hours and I got a whole gallon!
We've started giving her a small flake of straight alfalfa to eat while I milk, so maybe that made the difference. Before she was getting grass/alfalfa mix. She gets straight orchardgrass hay & a couple hours on pasture otherwise.
We also put a little dairy mix on top of her milking hay, and she gets dried apple and pear slices as a reward.
We've been making butter & yogurt, and tonight I started a batch of sour cream. Tomorrow I'll try making cheese for the first time.
The other day Stella kicked some hay into the milk bucket, so the laying hens have been getting that. Their eggs are so much nicer looking now, we decided to give them milk every morning.
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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 6, 2008 8:30:14 GMT -5
Todays milking experience was much better! She tried to kick at first, several times and I almost gave up, but then didnt and kept on going. I think she's only three quartered and the third quarter is iffy... but I did get a full jar from her today. Not sure how big the jar is, maybe nearly a quart size jar.
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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 6, 2008 8:32:28 GMT -5
Oh and someone suggested that I put a scoop of calf manna on top of her food and that would cause her to produce more??
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Post by seventrees on Apr 6, 2008 16:44:59 GMT -5
The higher protein helps. We give a mix of dairy blend and alfalfa pellets on top of Stella's hay.
Do you tie her calf where she can see it? I've heard this can make a cow hold up, but Stella is happier when her baby is close. I also double-dip, after she starts holding back, I let the calf on her for a few seconds to jump start the let down. I just clean her up real quick, give her an apple treat, and milk another quart or so. She still holds back one quarter a little bit, but it's a harder one to milk so I don't mind.
Persistence pays off too. I think they are trying to train us not to milk them by being fussy when they can get away with it.
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Post by lazyj5 on Apr 7, 2008 10:57:20 GMT -5
Calf manna is wonderful stuff. I mix some in with 3 way sweet. They love it and do great on it. I keep my calf tied to the headcatch on the stanchion with just enough slack that it can butt the cow just behind the front leg. The calf can't get in my way or dirty up the milk and the butting, touching, sight and smell of the calf makes the cow let down.
Congrats on all the milk, Jennifer. I'm so glad you didn't quit. Cows will take advantage that quickly and put up more of a fight if they think they can make you quit.
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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 7, 2008 17:44:20 GMT -5
Im trying hard not to post too much at HT...I think some of those fellas over there are tired of hearing about my obsession! ROFL Here is two days worth in the gallon jar
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Post by copperhead on Apr 7, 2008 19:00:24 GMT -5
Jen, maybe you could let the calf suck the quarter that you think might be bad. A lot of times a calf can get the milk when you can't. It wouldn't hurt, just guide him to the quarter you want him on. I used to milk one side and let the calf suck the other, that way the cow don't hold up on you. Kinda messy, but you might try it for a couple of times to get the bad quarter going. Keep us posted..........P.J.
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Post by marion on Apr 7, 2008 20:27:29 GMT -5
Hey Jennifer, I've had my Dexters for almost 10 years, and I am still obsessed ;D You've come to the right place, we here know how it is ;D Congrats on your first and second jars of milk! ..marion
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Post by davendahlonega on Apr 7, 2008 21:01:47 GMT -5
Jennifer, are you separating them? Also, are you milking TAD or OAD?
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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 7, 2008 21:53:05 GMT -5
I put the calf up around 8pm every night, then I go out around 7:15 am and milk the mama... it takes me about 20 minutes or so... maybe a bit longer, to get the job done and then I let baby loose and they spend the day grazing around the pasture and laying under the cedar tree.
I thought some of separating the calf again in the afternoon, just for a couple/three hrs like from 1-4, and then milking her and turning them back out again for a little while longer, til bedtime.
Would that be bad?
Think Im going to get some calf manna tomorrow and put some in with the sweet feed... you just mix it in dry? stir it up? and the calf will do okay with sweet feed with calf manna too?
I know I could probably wean the baby now, but we dont really have the fencing in place yet to keep them apart, and I like that I dont have to go out and milk in the evenings... with 8 kids, we stay busy once the day gets rolling. None of my kids are up, normally, when I go out to milk, and when I come back in, they are just getting breakfast out.
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