Post by tessweaver on Feb 9, 2021 20:23:36 GMT -5
Hello Cow People,
I’m very glad to have found this forum! I recently acquired a two year old Jersey, just a day after birthing a stillborn calf. It was her first time, which then meant it was both of our first time milking. I had, thankfully, read KFC over the past year (maybe trying to hope and wish my own cow into existence!), so I was able to troubleshoot my way through the first few milking sessions. It has now been about ten days of milking morning and evening, and I’m getting about a gallon and a half each session. I do feel I’m starting to actually have more issues now than even in our first few days..I’d love any advice!
1. Her teats are so short! I can only get my thumb and pointer finger on them. Talk about hand cramps..I know there’s not much to be done about that, and it can get better over time, but any experienced Jersey milkers out there with advice?
2. I tried a milking machine today and failed miserably. This could be related to question no. 1.—such short teats. I enjoy hand milking but would love the option to be done quicker/to have someone else come milk now and then and be able to walk them through using the machine. I will attach a photo of the milker. I didn’t purchase it, the previous owner sent it with her. I’m confident I’m setting it up correctly, and I have felt the suction and vacuum pulse on my thumbs. It did seem to partially milk out one teat, but I couldn’t get a drop out of any others.
3. She was so very calm for the first few days, and now she is FRISKY. As soon as I walk out of the door, she is bucking and leaping along the fence. Once I get her haltered to lead to the stanchion (and some grain), she is constantly almost knocking my down with her frisky bucks and leaps. It all seems quite joyful, but it’s at the point that I have anxiety when I go to lead her. She can be a bit stubborn now when I try to lead her a direction she may not want to go. Again, this wasn’t happening much the first few days/week.
Thank you in advance for any replies! I’ve already learned a ton from a lot of searches in here.
Thanks,
Tess Weaver
I’m very glad to have found this forum! I recently acquired a two year old Jersey, just a day after birthing a stillborn calf. It was her first time, which then meant it was both of our first time milking. I had, thankfully, read KFC over the past year (maybe trying to hope and wish my own cow into existence!), so I was able to troubleshoot my way through the first few milking sessions. It has now been about ten days of milking morning and evening, and I’m getting about a gallon and a half each session. I do feel I’m starting to actually have more issues now than even in our first few days..I’d love any advice!
1. Her teats are so short! I can only get my thumb and pointer finger on them. Talk about hand cramps..I know there’s not much to be done about that, and it can get better over time, but any experienced Jersey milkers out there with advice?
2. I tried a milking machine today and failed miserably. This could be related to question no. 1.—such short teats. I enjoy hand milking but would love the option to be done quicker/to have someone else come milk now and then and be able to walk them through using the machine. I will attach a photo of the milker. I didn’t purchase it, the previous owner sent it with her. I’m confident I’m setting it up correctly, and I have felt the suction and vacuum pulse on my thumbs. It did seem to partially milk out one teat, but I couldn’t get a drop out of any others.
3. She was so very calm for the first few days, and now she is FRISKY. As soon as I walk out of the door, she is bucking and leaping along the fence. Once I get her haltered to lead to the stanchion (and some grain), she is constantly almost knocking my down with her frisky bucks and leaps. It all seems quite joyful, but it’s at the point that I have anxiety when I go to lead her. She can be a bit stubborn now when I try to lead her a direction she may not want to go. Again, this wasn’t happening much the first few days/week.
Thank you in advance for any replies! I’ve already learned a ton from a lot of searches in here.
Thanks,
Tess Weaver