Post by Jessika on Feb 19, 2008 8:18:27 GMT -5
Sunday I went with 2 of the kids to pick up our 3 new cows. All in milk. DH had to stay home with 2 kids because snow had drifted and 29 of our biggest troublemaker pigs were climbing out and wreaking havoc. The roads in Maine this time of year are horrible. They actually weren't slippery but so bumpy, it really slowed us down.
We got home at about 6:00pm, I tried to milk them at 8:00pm.
Quickly found out everyone was way too excitied for that and my milk machine wouldn't work! Then during the night a big blowing rain storm kicked in. In the morning I went out and the barn was soaked, the cows had broken down a gate and were mixing and fighting with the 6 cows we already had! They had trashed everything in the night but the grain, thank goodness! After I fed all pigs and gave hay to the cows I, I discovered that the 2 pregnant sows we had in the barn had both given birth in the night! So that was a flurry of activity too. Tried to milk the cows again and couldn't make the pulsator pulse. Gave up and hand milked them some to relieve pressure. Took the machine in to try to work on it, but first had to make a "quick" hay run which turned into a 2hour foray where our van slid backwards down their hill at a high rate before sliding into a ditch. The guy insisted on getting it out with his tractor even though I have AAA, and tore up his hay field in the process. I was afraid my kids were going to hear some not so pleasant language, as we could see from a distance his face turning brick red and rolling his eyes.
Finally got home it was lunch time and time for Ayla's insulin.
Went back out a 2, did I mention it was soaking blowing rain this whole time? Finally finagled the machine enough to milk out 2 cows well, but the 3rd has back teats that seem far back and I haven't figured out how to milk all 4 quarters at once with the Surge on her. Had to milk her again at 8:00 pm. Just the back quarters and also unload a round bale.
It is Sunny today, I pray the pulsator pulses, and all is calm.
I have to say the new cows Teeny Tiny, Chia, and Beretta are great sports. I really like them and not one offered to kick yesterday with all the trouble we had and being stuffed with milk
not to mention meeting pigs for the first time. Teeny Tiny is a first freshener too, just calved in December. Chia and Beretta kept peeking over a stall door at one of the new mamas with babies, eyes bugged out, then peeeking some more. I don't know what they were thinking! I'll try to get pics today.
Jessika
We got home at about 6:00pm, I tried to milk them at 8:00pm.
Quickly found out everyone was way too excitied for that and my milk machine wouldn't work! Then during the night a big blowing rain storm kicked in. In the morning I went out and the barn was soaked, the cows had broken down a gate and were mixing and fighting with the 6 cows we already had! They had trashed everything in the night but the grain, thank goodness! After I fed all pigs and gave hay to the cows I, I discovered that the 2 pregnant sows we had in the barn had both given birth in the night! So that was a flurry of activity too. Tried to milk the cows again and couldn't make the pulsator pulse. Gave up and hand milked them some to relieve pressure. Took the machine in to try to work on it, but first had to make a "quick" hay run which turned into a 2hour foray where our van slid backwards down their hill at a high rate before sliding into a ditch. The guy insisted on getting it out with his tractor even though I have AAA, and tore up his hay field in the process. I was afraid my kids were going to hear some not so pleasant language, as we could see from a distance his face turning brick red and rolling his eyes.
Finally got home it was lunch time and time for Ayla's insulin.
Went back out a 2, did I mention it was soaking blowing rain this whole time? Finally finagled the machine enough to milk out 2 cows well, but the 3rd has back teats that seem far back and I haven't figured out how to milk all 4 quarters at once with the Surge on her. Had to milk her again at 8:00 pm. Just the back quarters and also unload a round bale.
It is Sunny today, I pray the pulsator pulses, and all is calm.
I have to say the new cows Teeny Tiny, Chia, and Beretta are great sports. I really like them and not one offered to kick yesterday with all the trouble we had and being stuffed with milk
not to mention meeting pigs for the first time. Teeny Tiny is a first freshener too, just calved in December. Chia and Beretta kept peeking over a stall door at one of the new mamas with babies, eyes bugged out, then peeeking some more. I don't know what they were thinking! I'll try to get pics today.
Jessika