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Barnyard Buddies:  stopped milking buttercup  |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 10 2009 : 09:18:38 AM
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| well this morning buttercup did everything right. out of pen in barn. brushed her talked to her, she had baby cocoa with her. she was shaking in the back end and so was baby. i just cannot force her to milk. my heart aches, she hates it. she is a mini jersey cow with barely any udder hanging. she has calved before, i think she has never been milked. the calf cocoa is a month on monday. am i wrong to stop now? it was my thought that by now since all else is well it would smooth out. she holds her milk i know since we used oxytocin and got 3 quarts. i love this gentle girl. she trusts me fully. the exp. for her seems aweful. do some cows go through this and them let down at some point and relax? thanks for any input. you all have been so helpful. isabella is going to pasture mondat to be with a jersey in milk at my friends place. i can wait for her milk in late spring. sherrye |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2009 : 11:16:47 AM
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Sherry, I am a goat milker. My only advice would be to just not give up. Are you putting the calf up at night? At one month she should be ok to start that. Then you milk in the morning and then put them back together. But if it is so hard on both of you maybe you should back off awhile and then try to wean baby then try again. But you should not stop your milking routine. Keep doing that, like only feed her in the stanchion and keep grooming her in the stanchion. You should do this every day at the same time and she will be so used to this that milking her will then be just a natural part of it.
I would not let her be the winner. That's what several people told me when I was learning to milk goats. Don't give up. Hang on. Let them know who's boss. As soon as you let go they know they won that round. Keep trying but don't let her know you are discouraged. Cows can sense your moods.
I hope this helps a little. I know how you feel. I hope it gets better and easier for you both soon.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2009 : 4:30:11 PM
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| yes first cow. i am a seasoned goat milker.back in my hippie days i was a single mom with 4 kids. i milked goats and fed the milk to cull calves which i sold cheap to people like my self. buttercup seems unhappy stressed. ni will try again in am. yes the calf goes in a shed with heat lamp. buttercup moos one time and then thats that. the calf is one month and eatind calf starter and a little hay. i milked in am with calf on one teat and i get 3.they both shake.buttercup goes in happily eats her grain happily. i brush her and warm her bag while calf is sucking. then i put the teat claw on 3. she does not let down. due to disabilities of my own this is trying. i love this cow and i know she loves me. she bathes and grooms me so does she see jme as head cow not sure. thanks so much guys.i have a 5 gallon milk can and get maybe a quart so funny. thank you thank you so much for the help. i shall not give up. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4269 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4269 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2009 : 04:29:35 AM
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I hope things get better for you. I guess the only thing I can think of, is there someone around you that milks that could give advice? It sounds like you are using a milker. Is the vacuum pump working at the right pressure? Is the milking working correctly? Have you put some pressure on the teat cup while milking? Do you have the right size teat cups and inflations? I use a narrow bore on my Jersey. Hold it down a bit, and massage the quarter you are working on? I have never worked with or even seen a mini Jersey, just heard of them. I took my calf off my cow after one week. He was getting all the milk, leaveing me a quart. I feed him with a bottle, and I am going to start him on a bucket tonight. Not looking forward to that, as bull calves are really extra stupid, in my opinion. :)
I hope you don't give up, but it is hard sometimes. As Kris said, cows do like a routine.
Good Luck
Michele |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2009 : 06:24:45 AM
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| yes i have checked the pressure and the claw and cups. maybe i need to pull the calf.i spoke with a friend who has a raw milk share herd dairy, she is going to come by and check things out also. i think she is holding the milk for the calf. i am going to try to let the calf nurse longer before i put the machine on her this morning and see how this works. i am a green horn when it comes to cows. my husband is from a dairy family. thanks for all the help sherrye |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2009 : 07:41:49 AM
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| thanks for the support. i think i will try and wait a little longer as you say to milk her. i never thought of that. we tried not bringing the calf in first, she seems calmer when the calf is tied by her and can suck. i will do other chores first and milk ginger then her.alee you have been on the forum a long time. i am grateful for your knowledge and the other farm girls. i do not feel so alone with you all out there.many thought i should not be doing so much since i am so limited physically. i LOVE farming and my animals. being home bound they are my buddies. i use a golf cart and a kubota to get around. i am very determined so am going to continue on. i am reading raising a family cow as suggested by a member here. is it that it can take this long for a cow to figure out i want the milk and be trained its been a month thanks sherrye |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2009 : 07:56:07 AM
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Sometimes, rare as it might be, a cow is not a good milker. She may have plenty of milk of good/high quality, but milking her is next to impossible. If you continue to have this much trouble milking her, even with experienced help/teacher, you might want to use her for a brood, instead of a milker. Good luck and keep us informed on how its going.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 10:26:28 AM
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| hi girls, we had let down this morning. thanks so much. the answer seems to be waiting till she is begging to be milked. today i actually saw a bag with veins. her back quarters were tight and so i milked by hand. no calf in barn. she ate and papa helped. she started to squirt milk allover the milk floor. i was so excited. i think also the claw rubbers are needing to be replaced. she lifted her leg a few times when we milked the back.we got a half gallon. thats my snack cereal at night and my am coffee. then we gave her the calf cocoa. who is a chubby mini girl.oh happy days. thanks to all who hwlped me not give up. so i take the calf at 5:30 -6:00 at night and then it takes till 9:30 for her to moo and want the baby in am. i am thinking this is ok time wise. what do you think? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 11:22:52 AM
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It should be fine as long as you are listening to her cues. As you are now milking more and the calf will be hungry, she might start producing more and asking to be milked earlier. I know when I was nursing Nora, when she was hungry on an "off" time and I didn't have much for her it wasn't the most pleasant experience for me so I am assuming that is what your cow was going through. She didn't have much milk at the time you were asking it of her. I would give her another week or two to fall into a good pattern, but I bet things get a bit easier for you now :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 11:37:34 AM
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That's good news, Sherry! A 1/2 gallon is good for a mini. Keep it up. You will both be used to it soon.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 1:47:20 PM
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| its so exciting that i feel like goldie hawn in overboard when she jumps in the ocean for arturo . so excited for tomorrow so i can go and do it again. i will milk by hand. i will take my claw to billie johnson. she has a herd share raw milk dairy in prineville,oregon and milks 20 to 25 cows. she has 6 milk stalls.awesome operation. she can help me figure out the machine better. without all of you though i would have given up. i will listen for her moos. i start chores a 8 in am and milked her today at 9:30. thank you from the bottom of my heart to you all. |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 08:45:59 AM
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You are an good lady to keep going. Congratulations on your success. Homemade milk is so rewarding.
Gratefully living on the "fat of the land". |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4269 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4269 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 11:59:54 AM
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Glad to hear things are looking up. Keep up the good work.
Michele |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 9:23:39 PM
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How much milk did you get today, Sherry??
Bernadine, I just love that, homemade milk! Too cute. There sure isn't anything like it.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 08:55:19 AM
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| goodmorning farmgirls, i am averaging a half gallon. i check her at night and seems to be milked out by the calf. i have not milked tday. its going on 9 now so at 9:15 i will go milk her. i do not need more than that for now. this way the baby gets what she needs. when i make butter i buy milk from my friend. her place is where isabhella will go when it stops raining.we have had a weird fall. snow storm to chase belteds and butcher. now rain like we never get. usually its cold here now.no moisture.usually. go figure. global warming i guess. i will loet you know how it goes. i milk alone today.papa is gone. sherrye |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 06:56:05 AM
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| with all your help and support buttercup is doing great now. i even leave calf in hutch till milking done. i am getting half a gallon still. very lean little cream. it was suggested to me to buy excellent hay and see if i get more cream. i will do that.so far in eve she is milked out by the calf cocoa. do you think i should put the machine on her in eve too even though she is empty? will she increase for me and the calf with the one milking? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 07:04:39 AM
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I don't know if you should put the machine on her when she is empty- that was making her upset before so it would probably upset her in the evening.
If you buy good hay she may increase her milk productiont that way too. Do you bottle feed the calf or do you put the calf on her after milking? I think you said you were reserving one of her quarters for the calf? If that is still so you could try milking out a little bit of that quarter each day, then the calf with nurse on the cow longer through out the day because it wants more. The more the calf nurses the more she will be stimulated to make milk. Now I wouldn't take much from the calf- especially at first- maybe a cup or so each day during the first week and see if by doing that you are increasing her production at all. If it isn't helping then perhaps she is at maximum capacity for her udder.
Another thing you could consider is milking her in the evening and bottle feeding the calf from the milking. It just depends on how high maintainence you want the milking routine to be and how much milk you want or need.
How old is the calf? When it gets weaned I you will be able to go to twice a day milkings for sure and then you will get all that nice milk for you and your family! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 11:33:34 AM
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| thanks alee, the calf will be 5 weeks on monday. i put the calf in the hutch at six at night. buttercup seems empty. so in the am i milk when she wants her calf. that seems to be after her hay at 9 or so.i get half gallon enuff for us for now. then i turn her and her calf out together for the day till 6 pm. when the calf cocoa is in her hutch she has free calf starter and water. she is chewing on hay now also. both mom and calf look healthy and shiny. i think buttercup must be a bad cross she really has no bag to speak of. or she has never had a calf. they topld us this would be calf #3. who knows i sure do love her. now from keeping a cow i see hay for milk. the grain she eats builds her up. i like some of you dislike my grain choices. thanks sherrye |
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Barnyard Buddies: stopped milking buttercup |
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stopped milking buttercup
