Post by Lannie on Nov 11, 2008 13:21:54 GMT -5
I finally got to learn firsthand about the law of supply and demand, in regards to milk. Because I had been keeping Bandit and Cricket together in the barn for a few days during and after the blizzard, I didn't milk at all, just let Cricket take care of it. And boy, was she taking care of it! LOL! The first day I separated them (day before yesterday), I let Bandit out about 7:00 in the morning and left Cricket in the barn. Rich was out doing something (probably more shoveling - LOL!) about 3:30 or 4:00 that afternoon, and when he came in he told me that Bandit was out in the corral bellowing at him the whole time.
We went out at 4:30 to milk and she was HUGE! Her poor udder looked like it was about to 'splode! All that bellowing was apparently her way of saying, "HEY YOU! My udder's gonna bus' open if you don't milk me soon!" I was trying to wash her, and milk was just pouring out! She wore me out that night. I got 1.5 gallons (normally I get just about a gallon at evening milking), and that was leaving at least 1/4 of it for Cricket. I'd bet she had almost 2 gallons in there if I'd taken it all.
I kept them separated that night again, and prepared for another big milking the next morning, but it was only about 1.25 gallons (not counting Cricket's portion), then the next evening, back down to just over a gallon. This morning, I got 1 gallon and a cup.
Makes me wonder if I shouldn't be going out to milk 3 times a day. I could probably get a lot more that way! LOL! Well, 2.5 gallons a day is more than enough, and it is nice to know that if I get too much in the fridge or need to be gone or just plain don't feel like milking one day, I can let Princess Cricket take over.
I was just astonished at the increase in the amount of milk after just a couple of days of letting Cricket keep her empty all the time. You know these things theoretically, but when you actually SEE it, it somehow drives it home more, you know?
~Lannie
We went out at 4:30 to milk and she was HUGE! Her poor udder looked like it was about to 'splode! All that bellowing was apparently her way of saying, "HEY YOU! My udder's gonna bus' open if you don't milk me soon!" I was trying to wash her, and milk was just pouring out! She wore me out that night. I got 1.5 gallons (normally I get just about a gallon at evening milking), and that was leaving at least 1/4 of it for Cricket. I'd bet she had almost 2 gallons in there if I'd taken it all.
I kept them separated that night again, and prepared for another big milking the next morning, but it was only about 1.25 gallons (not counting Cricket's portion), then the next evening, back down to just over a gallon. This morning, I got 1 gallon and a cup.
Makes me wonder if I shouldn't be going out to milk 3 times a day. I could probably get a lot more that way! LOL! Well, 2.5 gallons a day is more than enough, and it is nice to know that if I get too much in the fridge or need to be gone or just plain don't feel like milking one day, I can let Princess Cricket take over.
I was just astonished at the increase in the amount of milk after just a couple of days of letting Cricket keep her empty all the time. You know these things theoretically, but when you actually SEE it, it somehow drives it home more, you know?
~Lannie