Post by Shelley (whistlingtrain) on Jan 29, 2008 14:15:26 GMT -5
Things have been crazy around here. I've been reading, but not posting for a while.
Beauty had a flareup of mastitis. I'm milking OAD, because that's all I could commit to, and she's doing well. The test card was always negative, but there were little clumps and some days the milk filtered really slowly. Because we're only getting a bit over a gallon a day, which is perfect, I didn't want to do antibiotics. So, I slathered on the Uddermint, and started giving her vitamin C, a tablespoon twice a day with her grain. It cleared up in two days! Only an occasional little clump. Then I stopped the vitamin C and it came back. Still no flavor difference, and the card was negative. I started vitamin C again and it went away. I've now weaned her off the vitamin C, and stopped feeding her alfalfa hay. I have not had a problem. Hopefully it will continue to work. I've started TOD just to try and bump her back up to 5 quarts a day total. Hopefully it will work that way. She's letting down better since I started petting her every night too. She's so sweet, just lays her head down with a big sigh and wants me to rub her ears, from the back of her eye socket to to the tip of her ears, against her head. She even dozed off. :-)
Anyway, she's doing well. Skunky is due next week and she's as big as a house. Makes me remember those last groaning days of pregnancy, when there are legs and arms sticking into places they shouldn't be.
Which brings me to the difference in their milk, and cream. This time last year I made butter and cheese from Skunky's milk and it was good, although I thought it was strange that the butter was always soft and fluffy. I figured I was overdoing the food processor. The butter was good, but always soft.
I'm now making Beauty butter, and it's entirely different. I'm still using the food processor, but Beauty's butter is always firm, too firm to work with paddles. I have to wash and mix with my hands! And there is a lot more butter! I save up four gallons of milk a week, skim the cream (this week I took off a little over a gallon of cream) and I ended up with a pound and a half of beautiful yellow butter. Then I made a 3 pound cheese with the milk. Skunky's cream only gave me a pound of butter from a gallon of milk. Interesting.
In another week I'll be swimming in milk from both cows, and working on foster calf(ves). I'll keep milking Beauty though, because her milk is so rich and sweet, even though it takes more effort. :-)
Shelley
Beauty had a flareup of mastitis. I'm milking OAD, because that's all I could commit to, and she's doing well. The test card was always negative, but there were little clumps and some days the milk filtered really slowly. Because we're only getting a bit over a gallon a day, which is perfect, I didn't want to do antibiotics. So, I slathered on the Uddermint, and started giving her vitamin C, a tablespoon twice a day with her grain. It cleared up in two days! Only an occasional little clump. Then I stopped the vitamin C and it came back. Still no flavor difference, and the card was negative. I started vitamin C again and it went away. I've now weaned her off the vitamin C, and stopped feeding her alfalfa hay. I have not had a problem. Hopefully it will continue to work. I've started TOD just to try and bump her back up to 5 quarts a day total. Hopefully it will work that way. She's letting down better since I started petting her every night too. She's so sweet, just lays her head down with a big sigh and wants me to rub her ears, from the back of her eye socket to to the tip of her ears, against her head. She even dozed off. :-)
Anyway, she's doing well. Skunky is due next week and she's as big as a house. Makes me remember those last groaning days of pregnancy, when there are legs and arms sticking into places they shouldn't be.
Which brings me to the difference in their milk, and cream. This time last year I made butter and cheese from Skunky's milk and it was good, although I thought it was strange that the butter was always soft and fluffy. I figured I was overdoing the food processor. The butter was good, but always soft.
I'm now making Beauty butter, and it's entirely different. I'm still using the food processor, but Beauty's butter is always firm, too firm to work with paddles. I have to wash and mix with my hands! And there is a lot more butter! I save up four gallons of milk a week, skim the cream (this week I took off a little over a gallon of cream) and I ended up with a pound and a half of beautiful yellow butter. Then I made a 3 pound cheese with the milk. Skunky's cream only gave me a pound of butter from a gallon of milk. Interesting.
In another week I'll be swimming in milk from both cows, and working on foster calf(ves). I'll keep milking Beauty though, because her milk is so rich and sweet, even though it takes more effort. :-)
Shelley