Post by floweringtree on Oct 21, 2020 11:08:57 GMT -5
Hi, I'm Chris. I'm new here.
I've had goats (nigerian dwarf) for 10 years but just got our first Jersey cow and her heifer calf yesterday. It gets easier, right? She'll start letting her milk down for me so I don't feel like every drop is a challenge? She'll stop moving away from me while I milk? I'll actually get usable milk? Yesterday it had colostrum in it. Today it had blood. She's 6 days fresh.
She's a sweet cow with a sweet little girl. She just doesn't know me yet and I don't know her. I don't know cows, I know goats (and little ones at that).
I feel a little like I'm flailing around trying to figure it out. I remember taking 45 minutes to milk out 20 oz of goat milk at first, now it takes me less than a tenth of that time so I know this will get easier but to be honest, I thought it would start out a little easier. I don't know what to do when she doesn't let down her milk and her udder is tight and it's too much milk for her calf. I thought if I can milk a tiny little dwarf goat I can surely milk a cow. I had expressed milk from a cow before but I've never "milked" one. Is it ok (for her health) if I can't get all the milk, or even any milk from a quarter or two (it changed from the two times I milked her as to which teats she would let down any milk from). Yesterday I got a total of two gallons from her. This morning I got just over one. There's still plenty there but I just can't get it out before she's done letting me milk.
I'm sorry, I just need some reassurance and I thought this might be the place for it.
Thanks,
Chris