tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post1903419985939770548..comments2024-03-07T16:42:34.013-04:00Comments on For the Love of the Soil: Milking tips welcome!Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-12323685740828046062010-12-10T06:07:29.830-04:002010-12-10T06:07:29.830-04:00Hi, Sally,
Late comments!
Milk-sharing: We did ...Hi, Sally,<br /><br />Late comments!<br /><br />Milk-sharing: We did what Melanie suggests: We take away the calf at night -- despite what we thought, it didn't seem to be a stress at all for either -- and milk well in the morning, and then let the calf be there all day. We usually started this about 2-3 weeks after the calf was born (until then milking twice daily due to her dairy-cow production), and with the heifer calf we were keeping, kept this up for months. It made for a happy cow and calf (OK, not for the first few minutes when reunited with little milk in the udder) and still lots of milk for us. The only trouble of course it that the heifer may want to to continue nursing after you have determined she should be weaned, but there are ways around this.<br /><br />Too much milk!: When we weaned or sold a calf, we would go to twice daily milking. There are fairly easy mozzarella cheese recipes that make a half pound of cheese out of a gallon of milk in about half and hour, so that's a good way to deal with extra milk. If you have a pig or chickens they can still get the whey! There are cottage cheese and hard cheese recipes that require a bit more time and materials, but it's great to make the extra milk into other dairy products for you and your family.<br /><br />Bucket-wise: we put the steel bucket in a white bucket that we put a chunk of wood in to hold it up. That way the steel bucket never touches the stall floor and it's elevated to whatever height you need to hit the bucket more often. We can shift the plastic bucket with our feet to accommodate her shifting, and yank the steel bucket out quickly if she really moves or kicks or starts to pee or plop. It keeps the milk bucket cleaner! The plastic bucket lives outside the stall with the milking stool (a sawed-down kitchen stool from Canadian Tire).<br /><br />Best wishes!Chris O.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-47607990258834585182010-11-24T08:09:29.382-04:002010-11-24T08:09:29.382-04:00Hi guys, daisy had her heifer calf 3 days ago and ...Hi guys, daisy had her heifer calf 3 days ago and they are doing well. The calf has the same milk chocolate colour as yours, really friggin cute. I have left the calf on her mother and will be weaning later this week with the plan of milking as melanie suggested. i also have a portable milking unit so that my fore arms dont get too big, lol. this way i can fill buckets and feed pigs while the ol' cow is milking. talk soon, roy.Roy Vandermaarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06876759171453929981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-78413423850862712092010-11-22T14:14:18.831-04:002010-11-22T14:14:18.831-04:00Melanie said exactly what I was thinking. We had r...Melanie said exactly what I was thinking. We had read just that in more than a few places. We are planning to add a milk cow to our farm someday and were planning to only milk "part-time". Shouldn't be a problem from what I've read. Good luck! <br /><br />ps...Ms. Poppy is very cute indeed.goldforestfarms.blogspot.cahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000577922412768699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-30271744724776183002010-11-22T10:39:41.273-04:002010-11-22T10:39:41.273-04:00What we used to do, was keep the calf and the cow ...What we used to do, was keep the calf and the cow separated from early evening and over night and milk the cow in the early morning before letting them both out for the day. Prior to milking we would wash the udder with warm water and soap. The calf would take all the cow's milk during the day. That way we only milked the cow once per day and the milk supply was manageable for one family. We shared ours with neighbours...we would get enough milk for 4 people.<br /><br />Pleased you asked and hope that helps.Gardeningbrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-25783781723121942702010-11-22T08:47:06.977-04:002010-11-22T08:47:06.977-04:00Hey Sally
Since you're asking for milking tips...Hey Sally<br />Since you're asking for milking tips...<br />I know a lot of families who just milk once a day if they leave the calf with the cow. They usually leave them together throughout the day, separate at night, and milk in the morning. And even then, have way too much milk! Maybe now you need a pig to drink that extra milk? No?<br />Are you going to venture into butter making, and learn the art of other dairy treats?? If you are, I'd love to hear about it!<br />~MelanieMelaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08321634357908771759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-24281801311780883902010-11-21T23:00:14.244-04:002010-11-21T23:00:14.244-04:00Okay Sal:
Fess up....UNLESS Mark is a much younger...Okay Sal:<br />Fess up....UNLESS Mark is a much younger man than I thought: how can that supposed picture of him as a pre-schooler from a few blogs ago...be sporting the exact same shirt that Wilson is wearing in the photo in this blog? <br />Or did I misread the earlier blog?? <br />It really makes no difference...because Wilson certainly looks like the Bernard men. <br /><br />Oh yes....I spotted the Natural fries on the poster too... maybe it was alluding to leaving the skin on as well....that would make them...ultra natural??Aprilnoreply@blogger.com