Post by Lannie on Apr 24, 2010 20:10:19 GMT -5
And just guess WHO was the most upset about it? No, not Bandit. His sister, Cricket! OMG, she bellowed and carried on something horrible!
I went out to milk this morning and Seven was grazing up on the hill but I didn't see Bandit yet, so I yelled at Seven and said, "Seven! Where's your mom?" He looked up and there was NO bling in his nose. Ugh. I found Bandit finally in the tree rows and she came gallumping to the barn for breakfast and milking, but I did notice her teats were WAY too floppy. Sure enough, three quarters were empty, and all I got was half a gallon from the right rear quarter, which for some reason Seven doesn't seem to ever notice is there.
The totally amazing thing is that even though Seven had just nursed, she still let down for me. I got all the milk from that rear quarter and a few squirts from the other three, then I put her in the pen until we could get Seven's nose bling back in and move him over to the horse pasture. We don't have the wire to run the electric yet, but I figured the barbed wire fence will keep him on his side, and the bling should keep him from nursing if he sticks his head through the fence.
Anyway, this afternoon we went out and got a lead rope on Seven, got his nose jewelry reinstalled and I took him through the gate to the horse pasture. This was BEFORE I milked Bandit. (Will I ever learn?) He was completely amazed by all this new pasture area and immediately took off. WITH the lead rope. I tried to get him unclipped, but I wasn't quick enough. So off he went in search of trouble. Cricket meanwhile stood at the fence and bawled her fool head off. Bandit was just standing in the pen, waiting patiently.
I shut the gate into the barn "foyer" to keep Cricket out, and let Bandit from the pen into the barn. She went right in the stanchion, and just as I was closing the headlock, Cricket let go another lungful, and Bandit backed out. Now SHE was concerned, but I think she was worried about Cricket. I had to go get another lead rope and clip to Bandit to bring her back in the stanchion. Then Rich said he'd go after Seven and get the lead rope off him, and I should just go ahead and start milking because it might take him awhile.
Well, next time I do something like this, I'll know better. I will NOT start milking until the situation has been settled. But this time, I was not so smart. I washed her up and got my pail ready, but she was standing alertly, with her butt toward me, so she could bend around and see out the barn door (Cricket was still yelling to wake the dead). And her tail was slightly out. I thought she was preparing to poop in protest, so instead of putting my head in her flank as I normally do, I kept it up, and kept glancing behind to check on that tail. Every time I did, WHACK! she hit me across the eyes with it. She must have whacked me twenty times before I finally lost it and whacked her back. THEN she pooped.
Meanwhile, over in the horse pasture, there's no sign of either Rich or Seven, but not for lack of Cricket CALLING them. I'm surprised she didn't lose her voice. I was about ready to lose my mind from all that noise.
I moved the poop and started to milk again, and the most amazing thing happened. SHE LET DOWN AGAIN. She has never done that this soon after a nursing episode. After weaning, I mean. I used Seven to stimulate letdown when I was calf-sharing, but since weaning, she's been a real butthead about letting down if she thinks "her baby" might want some. Oh, argh, he's almost 8 months old now, but he's still "her baby." So anyway, the milk was flowing, but she was still dancing around, and it was really hard to milk. Then I heard Rich come back, so I yelled at him not to step in the poop, which I had just scooped onto the dirt floor (this was his cue to please remove said poop from the barn altogether, which he did, so he's as well trained as I am ). I asked him if he got the lead rope and he said, "No." Hmm... well, that's OK, Mr. Seven can just drag it around until he settles down, no problem.
After I finished milking, and amazingly I got ALL the milk, I put my stuff away and let Bandit out of the stanchion, then noticed Seven was back. I had wondered what was different and then realized it was deafening silence. Cricket had stopped yelling. Hooray! Seven was standing just on the other side of the fence, cropping grass, so I slid through the wire and unclipped the lead rope.
Now, hopefully, I won't have any more problems with him taking the milk. We're still going to get a roll of wire when we go shopping this weekend, and we'll hook up the charger for extra insurance, but hopefully, this will keep him contained until then.
I'm so glad Cricket wasn't this much of a problem, and I certainly hope the next one isn't as hard to wean as Seven was.
~Lannie
I went out to milk this morning and Seven was grazing up on the hill but I didn't see Bandit yet, so I yelled at Seven and said, "Seven! Where's your mom?" He looked up and there was NO bling in his nose. Ugh. I found Bandit finally in the tree rows and she came gallumping to the barn for breakfast and milking, but I did notice her teats were WAY too floppy. Sure enough, three quarters were empty, and all I got was half a gallon from the right rear quarter, which for some reason Seven doesn't seem to ever notice is there.
The totally amazing thing is that even though Seven had just nursed, she still let down for me. I got all the milk from that rear quarter and a few squirts from the other three, then I put her in the pen until we could get Seven's nose bling back in and move him over to the horse pasture. We don't have the wire to run the electric yet, but I figured the barbed wire fence will keep him on his side, and the bling should keep him from nursing if he sticks his head through the fence.
Anyway, this afternoon we went out and got a lead rope on Seven, got his nose jewelry reinstalled and I took him through the gate to the horse pasture. This was BEFORE I milked Bandit. (Will I ever learn?) He was completely amazed by all this new pasture area and immediately took off. WITH the lead rope. I tried to get him unclipped, but I wasn't quick enough. So off he went in search of trouble. Cricket meanwhile stood at the fence and bawled her fool head off. Bandit was just standing in the pen, waiting patiently.
I shut the gate into the barn "foyer" to keep Cricket out, and let Bandit from the pen into the barn. She went right in the stanchion, and just as I was closing the headlock, Cricket let go another lungful, and Bandit backed out. Now SHE was concerned, but I think she was worried about Cricket. I had to go get another lead rope and clip to Bandit to bring her back in the stanchion. Then Rich said he'd go after Seven and get the lead rope off him, and I should just go ahead and start milking because it might take him awhile.
Well, next time I do something like this, I'll know better. I will NOT start milking until the situation has been settled. But this time, I was not so smart. I washed her up and got my pail ready, but she was standing alertly, with her butt toward me, so she could bend around and see out the barn door (Cricket was still yelling to wake the dead). And her tail was slightly out. I thought she was preparing to poop in protest, so instead of putting my head in her flank as I normally do, I kept it up, and kept glancing behind to check on that tail. Every time I did, WHACK! she hit me across the eyes with it. She must have whacked me twenty times before I finally lost it and whacked her back. THEN she pooped.
Meanwhile, over in the horse pasture, there's no sign of either Rich or Seven, but not for lack of Cricket CALLING them. I'm surprised she didn't lose her voice. I was about ready to lose my mind from all that noise.
I moved the poop and started to milk again, and the most amazing thing happened. SHE LET DOWN AGAIN. She has never done that this soon after a nursing episode. After weaning, I mean. I used Seven to stimulate letdown when I was calf-sharing, but since weaning, she's been a real butthead about letting down if she thinks "her baby" might want some. Oh, argh, he's almost 8 months old now, but he's still "her baby." So anyway, the milk was flowing, but she was still dancing around, and it was really hard to milk. Then I heard Rich come back, so I yelled at him not to step in the poop, which I had just scooped onto the dirt floor (this was his cue to please remove said poop from the barn altogether, which he did, so he's as well trained as I am ). I asked him if he got the lead rope and he said, "No." Hmm... well, that's OK, Mr. Seven can just drag it around until he settles down, no problem.
After I finished milking, and amazingly I got ALL the milk, I put my stuff away and let Bandit out of the stanchion, then noticed Seven was back. I had wondered what was different and then realized it was deafening silence. Cricket had stopped yelling. Hooray! Seven was standing just on the other side of the fence, cropping grass, so I slid through the wire and unclipped the lead rope.
Now, hopefully, I won't have any more problems with him taking the milk. We're still going to get a roll of wire when we go shopping this weekend, and we'll hook up the charger for extra insurance, but hopefully, this will keep him contained until then.
I'm so glad Cricket wasn't this much of a problem, and I certainly hope the next one isn't as hard to wean as Seven was.
~Lannie