| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Love-in-a-Mist |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 5:58:31 PM
Our neighbor offered me one and I was wondering how much work it really is? My in-laws acted like it was alot of trouble and work.I was going to go over to the neighbors house and see how things work, but I want to know the truth. How much of a pain is it really?
http://diaryofafarmerswife.blogspot.com/ |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| windypines |
Posted - Aug 27 2007 : 05:56:56 AM
Shannon, you could always just tie your cow up to milk her with a halter or neckstrap. As long as she is calm enough. And yes you can hand milk her. Your hands and arms will be sore at first, but you would toughen up!! :) If there are any small dairy farms around, maybe someone would have a vacumn pump you could get really cheap, or free. Same with a milker. My husband put ours on a cart, and rigged up some galvanized pipe parts and a petcot to hook up to the milker. You would also need a regulator and a vacumn gauge on the pump. If you were interested I could send a picture of mine. Hand milking would not require that much equipment, and alot less time spent cleaning up. But your time spent milking would a least triple. I think you really have to "want" to do this. It is a commitment, but I totally agree with Jenny, it is so worth the end product. Other families also get milk from me. I take a "donation", and it usually pays for the grain that I buy each week. So our dairy products cost me time and work, besides the initial investment. But I figure I have already broke even by not having to buy dairy products. We kept track one year, and we spent over a thousand dollars on milk alone. Michele |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Aug 26 2007 : 7:26:45 PM
You don't have to have a milker. I milked by hand for a few months before we got one..but you get alot of milk from a cow...Mona is still giving me at least 7 gallons a day..That is alot of milking for me. But totally possible. As for a stanchion...I would always want one, but not everyone has one. Mine is wood..husband built it into my little barn.
It is so fun to have enough milk and cream to do any experimenting with cheese, yogurt and ice cream making that you want..and then some. PIgs would be a great idea for the excess. I have raised pigs before and it wasn't hard...as long as you have the right fencing! I wish I had room and could have pigs here now..I would for sure!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Love-in-a-Mist |
Posted - Aug 26 2007 : 6:09:20 PM
I've been gone all weekend so just now reading your replies. We have a barn with some stalls. I was picturing sitting on a stool and milking by hand squirting it into a bucket, like in the movies. lol. Do you have to have a milker and stanchion?
I'm still a little nervous. We have dairy steers(for eating) and all kinds of other animals so I am in the barn anyway morning and night in the winter, but just mornings in the summer. I also stay at home and we're homeschooling. I would really like to learn to make dairy products with the kids. We also have toyed with the idea of raising a pig or two. And it would be nice to not have to run to town just for milk.lol
I will check out that site Jenny. Thanks, girls.
http://diaryofafarmerswife.blogspot.com/ |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Aug 25 2007 : 6:05:15 PM
My milk barn has a wood floor too, and I have long rubbery mats made for the garage under where she stands and under the other side so it helps things not get wet. I am picky about scraping/sweeping after every milking to protect that floor.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| windypines |
Posted - Aug 25 2007 : 3:11:59 PM
Jenny pretty much said it all. I have a cow too, grew up on a dairy farm, so I knew what I was geting into. We should of gotten our family cow a whole lot sooner, cause for me it is soooo worth the work. My cow milks out very fast, so most of my time is spent cleaning up the milker. I use a grooming chute, for Summer's milking stall. My boys made it in shop class, for their beef. It has a stanchion, and a plywood floor. I sweep scrape and use lime to keep it from being slippery. My husband rigged up my dad's vacumn pump onto a cart to use with my milker. Works great. Haviing your own dairy products is so nice. But that too is alot of work. Not hard just time consuming. I want to get some pigs to raise, to use up some of the whey, and buttermilk. Summer is dry right now, so I and her are on vacation. I milk on a pretty good 12 hour schedule. Though sometimes I do milk sooner in the evening to make it too high school games. My husband, or my dad can milk her if I can't. Hope any of this helps you make up your mind. Michele |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 9:47:00 PM
I have had Mona for almost two years..she is in her second lactation. It IS alot of work..but worth it to me.It is the kind of work I enjoy. I think, like Alee said..the main thing is you MUST milk her twice a day every day..if you like to travel it would be a really hard thing unless it were during her dry time. I mean even just one night overnight..it can't happen unless you have reliable back up milkers. I don't have that. My husband can milk (he dosn't enjoy it but will do it for me if neccessary) but I don't have any other backup. I should have, but I just don't have anyone that I totally trust. If the cow isn't milked out all the way she can develop mastitis and if things are done perfectly clean and all then the milk isn't good. Cows like a real routine..dosn't have to be 6am and 6pm milkings (mine certainly arn't!!) but within 10 to 12 hours apart for sure and cows love routine..big time!! Any upset in the routine really throws them for a loop. I am like that too (like routine I mean) so it works for me. People who are really really spontaneous or like to just take off for a weekend trip alot shouldn't probably have a milk cow.
That being said..I LOVE it!! I spend about an hour in the morning doing chores (I have two sheep an angora goat and a few dozen chickens and two rabbits, 3 dogs and 3 cats as well) and milking...about 15 minutes of that time is spent washing milking equipment. I spend another hour at night doing the same. My 4 kids at home help with the garden, hauling water and stuff and feeding critters when they are home, but I still end up spending about an hour morning and night. You do need to be set up...cows need higher and sturdier fences than say, sheep..and eat about a small bale (60 lb) of hay a day plus grain and stuff. You will need a stanchion (mine is in my little 10X12 milk barn ..a wooden shed that is barn shaped..my oldest son built it for me...and metal or heavy plastic cans to store the grain and stuff..a dry place to store hay, and bucket, strainer, storage jars and all that goes with the milking too. I had some of that equipment already since I started with dairy goats years ago..but cows are different..bigger and stronger. I am not a tiny person by any stretch..5'8" and very sturdy (read BIG) and I still wouldn't be able to control a cow that wasn't sweet like MOna..they are big strong animals. I still usually have at least one bruise ..more likely 3 or 4 at any time from her bumping me with her horn while trying to lick me, or me bumping myself up against a fence..or getting my foot in the way of her big old hooves...but I wouldn't change a thing. I really recomend you check out the book "Keeping a Family Cow" by Joann Grohman..just the best I have seen..I love it. There is a website too... www.keepingafamilycow.com with a forum that is tons of help. I hope I answered your questions. Be sure to visit cows and work with some more than once before deciding...but I can say that they are wonderful and I love it! And the milk and cream are heavenly!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 7:23:20 PM
Aunt Jenny has one. One thing you have to remember is that you _have_ to milk on a schedule and if you want to go away for even an evening, you need to have someone near by to do the chores for you.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 6:49:54 PM
Ooooo! I don't have one, but what an opportunity!! Wouldn't pass that one up, if you have the time for the added chores! Good luck!
"There is a Happy Dale far, far away. . ." -Arsenic and Old Lace |
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