Post by tabitha on Oct 9, 2007 9:49:00 GMT -5
Niña is 5 years old. she calved in early June. her calf has been on since birth and is HUGE! she was bred back in september to an angus bull.
so, she is in milk. i took the calf off last night and milked this morning. getting her into the stanchion was TERRIBLE. but once in she stool still to be milked. it seems to me she was trained to stand without grain. she prefers handmilking. her teats are AWESOME for that, they have a little healing to do since the calf has been on.
getting her to stand against the stanchion wall was nearly impossible. i had to cinch her with a rope. once she stood, though, she did not kick or try to kick. she also didnt hit me once with her tail, which wasnt tied. i got a gallon and a quart this morning, all dirty of course, but pretty good for a cow that hasnt been milked this year, just had her calf removed, and didnt eat or drink all night. she also didnt let down the hindmilk. i hope she will and i pray for no mastitis!
i used bleach in the washwater and tried to be scrupulously clean. hard with her wallowing and mudding around. (i am grateful for the rain, i really am... but please, dry out!)
i go out again this evening.
i didnt put her halter back on... just coaxed her in with grain, which she didnt and will not eat.as long as i can get her in, i may not feed her while i milk. who knows if she will ever go near the stanchion again. it wasnt traumatic, but it also wasnt very rewarding for her.
sigh.
oh, and to clarify, Niña isnt ours. she belongs to a nice local couple who had the Jersey Bull Nimue was with. and she is no my first cow, but she is bigger than Nimue and intimidating. the couple just bought her out of the field and have no time to learn to milk her yet. we will share the milk with them if and when we get good clean milk from Niña.
the calf is still here, but they are coming to remove her today now that i think this will work out. ideas, questions, comments welcome! i am physically exhausted form this morning. i had my 1-yr-old son on my back while i did all this and being on guard/ adrenaline filled the whole time wore me out.
here is a link to pictures.
picasaweb.google.com/omelay/NimNina
so, she is in milk. i took the calf off last night and milked this morning. getting her into the stanchion was TERRIBLE. but once in she stool still to be milked. it seems to me she was trained to stand without grain. she prefers handmilking. her teats are AWESOME for that, they have a little healing to do since the calf has been on.
getting her to stand against the stanchion wall was nearly impossible. i had to cinch her with a rope. once she stood, though, she did not kick or try to kick. she also didnt hit me once with her tail, which wasnt tied. i got a gallon and a quart this morning, all dirty of course, but pretty good for a cow that hasnt been milked this year, just had her calf removed, and didnt eat or drink all night. she also didnt let down the hindmilk. i hope she will and i pray for no mastitis!
i used bleach in the washwater and tried to be scrupulously clean. hard with her wallowing and mudding around. (i am grateful for the rain, i really am... but please, dry out!)
i go out again this evening.
i didnt put her halter back on... just coaxed her in with grain, which she didnt and will not eat.as long as i can get her in, i may not feed her while i milk. who knows if she will ever go near the stanchion again. it wasnt traumatic, but it also wasnt very rewarding for her.
sigh.
oh, and to clarify, Niña isnt ours. she belongs to a nice local couple who had the Jersey Bull Nimue was with. and she is no my first cow, but she is bigger than Nimue and intimidating. the couple just bought her out of the field and have no time to learn to milk her yet. we will share the milk with them if and when we get good clean milk from Niña.
the calf is still here, but they are coming to remove her today now that i think this will work out. ideas, questions, comments welcome! i am physically exhausted form this morning. i had my 1-yr-old son on my back while i did all this and being on guard/ adrenaline filled the whole time wore me out.
here is a link to pictures.
picasaweb.google.com/omelay/NimNina