Post by heartshape8 on Jun 22, 2008 18:11:04 GMT -5
Our cow is tandem milked, or milked by two people at once, one on each side. Why, just because its how she has been miked in the past and we thought it would be faster, being new to it and naturally being slow milkers, my husband and I, so we continued what has been done with past owners.
But he milked goats before, and is much better - faster, larger hands- than I. I just grew up watching my dad and grandparents milk, and getting lavish praise from grampa for being a good (lapmilker).
I am getting the distinct message from the cow that she hates my "technique"! I am trying not to, but I think I am ballooning her teat. I can't get down to the end before my rolled 'squeeze' is done. And I think I started out way too timid. Of course. Worried about hurting.
So I go in, read the 'do it this way' (THANK YOU! ;D for that!) section again in Joann's book, hunt for anything else about how to milk first time- and i didn't find too many actual instructions here, though I know they're hiding- (would be a good thing to hunt down the various bits and log them all into that thread in tree of knowlege- so I will keep my eyes open)
Anyway, so I put more pull into it. And try to put on more speed so my roughness won't last longer than the grain. But I am getting tons of tail whaps that my husband never gets, and she, still being milked without the hoped for stanchion, tries to 'get away' from me, too often!
So I am an awful milker, one week into it, still, and am repeating Joann's book comment about 'you don't have to have the strength to open jars, just persistence and....'
And what else?
What could help me 'get better' and in her good graces?
humble, humble heartshape8
But he milked goats before, and is much better - faster, larger hands- than I. I just grew up watching my dad and grandparents milk, and getting lavish praise from grampa for being a good (lapmilker).
I am getting the distinct message from the cow that she hates my "technique"! I am trying not to, but I think I am ballooning her teat. I can't get down to the end before my rolled 'squeeze' is done. And I think I started out way too timid. Of course. Worried about hurting.
So I go in, read the 'do it this way' (THANK YOU! ;D for that!) section again in Joann's book, hunt for anything else about how to milk first time- and i didn't find too many actual instructions here, though I know they're hiding- (would be a good thing to hunt down the various bits and log them all into that thread in tree of knowlege- so I will keep my eyes open)
Anyway, so I put more pull into it. And try to put on more speed so my roughness won't last longer than the grain. But I am getting tons of tail whaps that my husband never gets, and she, still being milked without the hoped for stanchion, tries to 'get away' from me, too often!
So I am an awful milker, one week into it, still, and am repeating Joann's book comment about 'you don't have to have the strength to open jars, just persistence and....'
And what else?
What could help me 'get better' and in her good graces?
humble, humble heartshape8