dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jan 14, 2014 0:17:17 GMT -5
Does anyone who milks their cows , just milk them for their milk needs and not every day?...I want to go milk one of my cows when I run out of milk ,but I don't want to do it everyday....Like I am low on milk (store bought) right now and I am just dying to go out to one of my cows and get like a quart or two of milk from her while they still have their babies on them...Would it hurt anything if I did this to one of my cows?...I think I have asked about this before but I don't know what was answered....Thanks to all who reply....Dexterlady/Donna J.
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Post by carragheendexters on Jan 14, 2014 7:05:18 GMT -5
Hi Donna J, of course you can milk every now and then when you feel like it, if your cows are amenable to it  . If the calves are older, they will be drinking all that the cow produces, so you will need to lock the calves away from the cows, perhaps overnight, so that there will be milk for you. That is the joy of having a calf on the cow, you don't have to milk everyday or twice a day (whatever your program is), the calf is your relief milker. The only thing you do need to do though, is once the cow has letdown, milk out the whole of a quarter (or however many you want to milk) or you won't get much cream. When milking, I usually milk out 2 quarters (most often the back ones, they're the ones I like to milk, though it depends on the cow) and then I let the calf have the other 2.
regards Louise
PS, I did something really disgusting the other day, it was really hot and I was moving the strip fence, and was sooooo thirsty. It was a bit of a walk back to the house for a drink and I really wanted to just finish chores and get inside out of the heat. The only water down in the paddock is bore water, OK for animals but I wasn't going to risk drinking it. I squatted next to one of my faves and milked her straight into my mouth. How gross and disgusting is that? I didn't even care about cleaning her udder or anything, pretty gross heh???  BTW, I got milk everywhere, it's really hard to aim it straight for your mouth. |
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jan 14, 2014 7:34:27 GMT -5
Louise, I know it's summer there, but that's another reason I don't mind our cold winters and cool summers... I NEVER get that thirsty |
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dexterlady
member
Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jan 14, 2014 8:06:48 GMT -5
Louise, now that sounds like something I would do! No disgust here...I'd rather drink the milk and know it was coming from a sterile place, than drink that old disgusting water!....I think I will give it a try on my cow...She is A2-A2 so I want to taste her milk...I will let you know how it goes...She may not even let me milk her..LOL...Donna J.
And Lakeportfarms, I sure wish I didn't get thirsty in the winter time...I am always thirst when I am out working no matter what time of the year it is....
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dexterlady
member
Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jan 14, 2014 8:09:26 GMT -5
Oh and thank you Louise for your reply....hehehe...I can't wait to go out and milk...It is almost daylight now...Been up all night ( couldn't sleep)
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jan 14, 2014 9:07:14 GMT -5
Dexterlady, I know you're in Texas, but despite the past three days of above freezing temps and rain I still have a foot of snow outside right now. All I have to do is find an area that is nice and WHITE and my thirst is quenched...lol!
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Post by Fran on Jan 14, 2014 12:12:20 GMT -5
Hey Louise, Years ago when my dad raised goats, my youngest daughter would milk the goats straight into the mouth of my neice. They thought it was the best thing ever.
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dexterlady
member
Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jan 15, 2014 23:46:57 GMT -5
Hey Lakeport, I remember doing that when I grew up in Maine!...I use to eat the new white snow all the time until, I saw a dog come and pee in it!LOL....That kinda detored me for awhile....But I went back to eating snow as long as there were no dogs around or the snow wasn't yellow!LOL....
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Post by carragheendexters on Jan 16, 2014 2:44:26 GMT -5
Ick!!! And I thought I was disgusting!
Hans and Donna J, I always wondered that, when an animal pees, does the urine freeze straight away or does it melt down into the snow into a yellow patch? What about the poop in winter, does it freeze solid too? Can it break down in winter or do you have to wait till the snow melts? I think I'll stick to my milk thanks, it would have been nicer if it was cold, would have been more thirst quenching.
Fran I bet the kids had fun with the milking, and how much went in their mouths or did they end up having a milk fight?
So Donna J, did you milk your cow?
regards Louise |
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Post by Fran on Jan 16, 2014 7:05:10 GMT -5
Louise, I have no idea. You know how you find out about some things way later.... My best guess would be a milk fight, although my niece did enjoy goat milk. |
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jan 16, 2014 8:12:17 GMT -5
Louise, it melts it a bit and creates a yellow patch. I never fell for the grade school trick of the older kids trying to get me to eat the "lemonade flavored snow". As far as the manure, steel toed boots are helpful during the winter months. There have been more than a few times walking at night where I've tripped and done a faceplant. Well, I've learned to roll a bit to the side just in case I'm falling onto another chunk. Manure is well preserved until spring, when my wife and I walk the pastures and kick the clods like a football(soccer) player would.
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zephyrhillsusan
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Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502 
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jan 16, 2014 16:46:00 GMT -5
Louise and Donna J., Just a little thought on that nice clean cow's udder . . .  Of course it dries invisible, but just FYI!  You really made me laugh with your story, Louise, but this image also popped into my mind! So for anyone who hasn't gotten down under and up close to see what actually goes on, now you have the necessary information to decide if you want your milk straight from the spigot! I know the question about milking once in a while has already been answered, but to keep this thread informative for future questioners, I thought I'd put in my experience. I started milking my cow in August (she freshened June 5), and I milked no more than two or three times a week at first. Depending on my schedule, some weeks it was only once a week. That was all I needed to do to keep milk in the fridge for the two of us. Then in late October I went to visit my sister in VA for 8 days. It was such a blessing to know that I had a good relief milker at home (see above!) Finally about mid-November I wanted more milk to make cheese, etc., so I decided to start milking OAD-once a day. I always take Sunday off, and occasionally I have a morning meeting or something that interferes, and even though her supply has increased to meet the increased demand, she does fine if I miss two days. My husband forgot to shut her up in the stall the other night when he went out to close up the chickens, and I was surprised at how let down (yes, pun intended!) I felt the next morning when he told me there'd be no milking that day. Siobhan is always happy to see me; I think she's come to love the attention--and soaked alfalfa cubes at the end. It's not for her grain, though; this morning she tossed her rubber bowl of grain out right away and went for the hay (the exact same hay she has out in the barnyard!) I really do think regular milking makes her feel special. I also think poor Ebony (head cow) feels left out and jealous of the attention Siobhan is getting. This morning she butted Siobhan really hard into the fence while she was tied up waiting for me to let her into the stanchion. So tomorrow Ebony is going INTO the stall as soon as Siobhan comes out! I keep telling Ebony her turn will come in April, but I don't think she wants to wait. |
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Post by carragheendexters on Jan 16, 2014 18:38:16 GMT -5
LOL, yes but that's only calf slob and milk, and they're healthy, so I can handle that, I get slobbed on enough normally. I didn't get down on my knees and put her teat in my mouth , just milked her and aimed for my mouth.(BTW got the milk everywhere, it's really hard aiming for your mouth) Better than the alternative, the bore water. ICK! it smells bad enough, hate to think what it tastes like. regards Louise |
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Post by farmermom on Jan 27, 2014 11:47:51 GMT -5
We jsut had a 'hand slap' conversation with the vet about sharing with the calf. She went on and on about how dangerous it was for us health wise. Diseases that could be transmitted to us from the calf thru the cow.
Our routine has been to lock the calf off at night and milk in the am letting the calf have the rest.
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Post by dexterfarm on Jan 27, 2014 14:12:39 GMT -5
I would find a new vet one who had a better understanding of dieses and transmition. Did they name any of these that you might catch so you can explain to them why that is not so. Of corse if they named something you were not familure with you would have to research before you could despute it.
Just like everything they claim you can get from drinking raw milk. Many are not even present in milk and are actually ground and water contaminets.
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. If the calves are older, they will be drinking all that the cow produces, so you will need to lock the calves away from the cows, perhaps overnight, so that there will be milk for you. That is the joy of having a calf on the cow, you don't have to milk everyday or twice a day (whatever your program is), the calf is your relief milker. The only thing you do need to do though, is once the cow has letdown, milk out the whole of a quarter (or however many you want to milk) or you won't get much cream. When milking, I usually milk out 2 quarters (most often the back ones, they're the ones I like to milk, though it depends on the cow) and then I let the calf have the other 2.
BTW, I got milk everywhere, it's really hard to aim it straight for your mouth.
You really made me laugh with your story, Louise, but this image also popped into my mind! So for anyone who hasn't gotten down under and up close to see what actually goes on, now you have the necessary information to decide if you want your milk straight from the spigot! 
