Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2009 13:48:15 GMT -5
Oh boy! I am crazy...I know it.
We brought home our jersey cow last night. She's from a dairy- 4yrs old and pregnant-due in Feb.
I decided to buy a milking machine (used) while we were making the long trip - a 3 hour drive one way-
So! we get home last night with a new cow....a milking machine...it is dark and cold where we live and now it's totally flying by the seat of our pants.
We gave up on the machine this morning and ended up hand milking her (an hour long process!!) It was me and my husband crouched on each side of the cow trying to figure out/remember how to hand milk. My precious cow was so patient -even though she is still nervous and jumpy- and we got 1 1/2 gallons this morning!! even though my hand and my arm is throbbing and my husband is aggravated at the whole thing...suction cups falling off, trying to figure out where to put her for milking with no stanchion, poop flying all over him, her kicking when he was trying to wrestle the teat cups on.....it was a pitiful sight!
Oh well, I guess this is the way I do things....just have to jump in and figure it out. Do you all think hand milking gets faster? easier? I sound so dumb, but when it's all new and over whelming, I guess that's the way I feel right now....pretty dumb!
I'm glowing tho after looking at my half gallon glass jars in the fridge with that beautiful, creamy milk with cream already rising to the top of it.
So, I guess we'll be out there again this evening - hand milking- learning the hard way I suppose! I'm still going to trouble shoot my milking machine....I know that we are doing something wrong and there is an answer eventually. I actually don't mind hand milking if I can just get the hang of it and not be so slow and awkward. Do you all think her teats are long enough? they are only 1" - 1 1/2" long. My husband thought maybe they were too short....but, the dairy we got her from milked her just fine so I don't see that being an issue.
Do you think that since she ended up standing there so patiently with no stanchion, in a strange place, with complete dorky novices trying to hand milk her for an hour and never kicked her bucket or us .....we picked a good one? she's beautiful to me and I am really so happy in spite of all this that at times I feel like crying...my chest gets tight and my eyes water and I am just so thrilled~~
If you read any of this very long tedious post....thank you! and if you have any words of wisdom, or encouragement for me - I would appreciate it very much!
Thanks - Sue
p.s.
I think her name is "Charlotte"
We brought home our jersey cow last night. She's from a dairy- 4yrs old and pregnant-due in Feb.
I decided to buy a milking machine (used) while we were making the long trip - a 3 hour drive one way-
So! we get home last night with a new cow....a milking machine...it is dark and cold where we live and now it's totally flying by the seat of our pants.
We gave up on the machine this morning and ended up hand milking her (an hour long process!!) It was me and my husband crouched on each side of the cow trying to figure out/remember how to hand milk. My precious cow was so patient -even though she is still nervous and jumpy- and we got 1 1/2 gallons this morning!! even though my hand and my arm is throbbing and my husband is aggravated at the whole thing...suction cups falling off, trying to figure out where to put her for milking with no stanchion, poop flying all over him, her kicking when he was trying to wrestle the teat cups on.....it was a pitiful sight!
Oh well, I guess this is the way I do things....just have to jump in and figure it out. Do you all think hand milking gets faster? easier? I sound so dumb, but when it's all new and over whelming, I guess that's the way I feel right now....pretty dumb!
I'm glowing tho after looking at my half gallon glass jars in the fridge with that beautiful, creamy milk with cream already rising to the top of it.
So, I guess we'll be out there again this evening - hand milking- learning the hard way I suppose! I'm still going to trouble shoot my milking machine....I know that we are doing something wrong and there is an answer eventually. I actually don't mind hand milking if I can just get the hang of it and not be so slow and awkward. Do you all think her teats are long enough? they are only 1" - 1 1/2" long. My husband thought maybe they were too short....but, the dairy we got her from milked her just fine so I don't see that being an issue.
Do you think that since she ended up standing there so patiently with no stanchion, in a strange place, with complete dorky novices trying to hand milk her for an hour and never kicked her bucket or us .....we picked a good one? she's beautiful to me and I am really so happy in spite of all this that at times I feel like crying...my chest gets tight and my eyes water and I am just so thrilled~~
If you read any of this very long tedious post....thank you! and if you have any words of wisdom, or encouragement for me - I would appreciate it very much!
Thanks - Sue
p.s.
I think her name is "Charlotte"