Post by jet on Jun 9, 2005 16:09:20 GMT -5
Hi All,
I stumbled across this great site and have about a million questions for all of you experienced milkiers!
We took delivery of our first house cow yesterday (Tilda) and her calf (Josh)
She is a real sweetie but this mornings milking was an utter (udder) disaster. I'm not to upset though I think I know where we went wrong but would love some advice.
The woman who owned Tilda had not hand milkied her in a while, but when she did would just go out and get to her before the calf. This didn't seem to work for me. I got Til's this morning lead her up to the milking shed, tied her up and she stood eating while I fumbled around for about twenty minutes. I got about five squirts!! (I've never milked before so this could have been more to do with me!! But anyway given she had travelled seven hours yesterday, new home, being hand milked for the first time in a while I'm really pleased with her nature, she didn't move or kick which for a newbie is a big relief. After about twenty minutes or so of My shocking attempt at milking and her calf going nuts she started to move off, I untied her and let her go, I was getting no where and I didn't want her to stress to much. I am going to lock the calf off her tonight and hubby is home tomorrow and he has milking experience, but how do I stop her wanting to go back to the calf, mind you she only wanted to go back once she'd eaten so do I just feed her a little more untill I learn what I'm doing?
The calf is three months old, what age should I wean him, I think I am having a bit of a love\hate thing with him at the moment, because I haven't learnt to milk yet he is there to help me out but he is a pain in the backside while I'm trying to milk. Can't help but think Til's would be happy to stay put in the milking shed if he wasn't bellowing for her.
Anyway sorry for the long post but It's all so new and a bit daunting at the moment!!
Thanks,
Jane
I stumbled across this great site and have about a million questions for all of you experienced milkiers!
We took delivery of our first house cow yesterday (Tilda) and her calf (Josh)
She is a real sweetie but this mornings milking was an utter (udder) disaster. I'm not to upset though I think I know where we went wrong but would love some advice.
The woman who owned Tilda had not hand milkied her in a while, but when she did would just go out and get to her before the calf. This didn't seem to work for me. I got Til's this morning lead her up to the milking shed, tied her up and she stood eating while I fumbled around for about twenty minutes. I got about five squirts!! (I've never milked before so this could have been more to do with me!! But anyway given she had travelled seven hours yesterday, new home, being hand milked for the first time in a while I'm really pleased with her nature, she didn't move or kick which for a newbie is a big relief. After about twenty minutes or so of My shocking attempt at milking and her calf going nuts she started to move off, I untied her and let her go, I was getting no where and I didn't want her to stress to much. I am going to lock the calf off her tonight and hubby is home tomorrow and he has milking experience, but how do I stop her wanting to go back to the calf, mind you she only wanted to go back once she'd eaten so do I just feed her a little more untill I learn what I'm doing?
The calf is three months old, what age should I wean him, I think I am having a bit of a love\hate thing with him at the moment, because I haven't learnt to milk yet he is there to help me out but he is a pain in the backside while I'm trying to milk. Can't help but think Til's would be happy to stay put in the milking shed if he wasn't bellowing for her.
Anyway sorry for the long post but It's all so new and a bit daunting at the moment!!
Thanks,
Jane