Post by Mitra on Dec 4, 2012 12:33:45 GMT -5
Nellie's calf Winnie is almost 6 months old. She started taking all the milk at about three months old which is when I began the routine of separating her from Nellie at the afternoon/evening chores. I put her in a stall overnight and I release her at Noon the next day. Nellie currently gives 4 gallons/day on OAD milking. I take all the milk at each milking leaving Nellie several hours to produce more for Winnie before I release her. When I do let her out of the stall, she charges out to Nellie and nurses ferociously. She has 4-5 hours to hang out with Nellie, nurse, eat hay at the big hay feeder, graze, and run giant laps, thundering about with her tail in the shape of a question mark.
Then at evening chores, Winnie just trots into her stall like a good little heifer. She gets two flakes of very nice hay and as a treat a single handful of COB and alfalfa pellets.
A month ago, I had Winnie's horns burned. I decided that when she came out from under the anesthesia that I should just let her stay with her Mom overnight. That way she could nurse and be comforted by her doting mother. I let them be together 24/7 for almost three days while Winnie recovered from the holes burned into her head. I faithfully went out to milk every morning but there was nothing as in zero, zilch, nada. As soon as I returned them both to our regular routine, all my milk was there again.
Tomorrow I have another occasion to let Winnie milk for me so I'm going to leave her with Nellie overnight tonight and into the day tomorrow. My DD(a senior deep in the throes of college applications) and I are driving from central Maine down to Boston, MA for her to visit/tour two colleges. We'll be leaving at 5:30 a.m and returning about 7:30 p.m. I'm thrilled that I can check Nellie and Winnie off my list of worries. My other DD will take care of all the animals (cows, chickens, ducks, pigs, cats, and dogs) when she gets home from school which is another huge sigh of relief.
Anyway, all that to say that when share-milking works it increases options and opportunities
Then at evening chores, Winnie just trots into her stall like a good little heifer. She gets two flakes of very nice hay and as a treat a single handful of COB and alfalfa pellets.
A month ago, I had Winnie's horns burned. I decided that when she came out from under the anesthesia that I should just let her stay with her Mom overnight. That way she could nurse and be comforted by her doting mother. I let them be together 24/7 for almost three days while Winnie recovered from the holes burned into her head. I faithfully went out to milk every morning but there was nothing as in zero, zilch, nada. As soon as I returned them both to our regular routine, all my milk was there again.
Tomorrow I have another occasion to let Winnie milk for me so I'm going to leave her with Nellie overnight tonight and into the day tomorrow. My DD(a senior deep in the throes of college applications) and I are driving from central Maine down to Boston, MA for her to visit/tour two colleges. We'll be leaving at 5:30 a.m and returning about 7:30 p.m. I'm thrilled that I can check Nellie and Winnie off my list of worries. My other DD will take care of all the animals (cows, chickens, ducks, pigs, cats, and dogs) when she gets home from school which is another huge sigh of relief.
Anyway, all that to say that when share-milking works it increases options and opportunities