Milk Cows

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When I just worked a couple days a week having Betsey, I started out milking by hand every morning and then evening. When Hunny had to do the morning milking on the days I worked, he looked into getting a milking machine. In all honesty, I am glad he did. I now have wrist issues, mainly due to work and have to wear wrist bands on each hand and even then it can wake me up sometimes.
 
When we had our dairy farm, I had my favorite. She was very loving and would give me rides around the pasture. Sometimes I would get up early to help my dad milk the cows and by mid-morning I would be pooped out. I would go out to the pasture and get on my favorite cow and go to sleep. I was probably around 10 or 12 years old at the time. I think her name was Betsy, not for sure anymore. It was a long time ago.
 
Danil54grl said:
No worries at all about the phone issues, been there and done that one. . very frustrating at times. What kind of cow is she? My first thoughts looking at her being so filled out was a beef breed? I have been known to milk some of our beef cows but only because momma was not feeding their babies. With her giving around 2 gallons a day is great for a family cow. Are you getting the cream and able to make butter? Even if you don't have a churn, you can do it in a jar. After Claire I may need to rethink my milk options since I work full time now and cheese making take hours.

With my last Jersey, Betsey was giving about 5 1/2 gallons a day and I was making cheese like crazy everyday. I am expecting the same with Claire when she does birth, but she is apparently still young, she will be 2 on July 28th, and out run the 2 bulls we have. . .
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It's amazing how much milk you can get out of a cow.
I drink a lot of milk usually around a gallon every two days but there's no way I could come close to keeping up. Besides making butter and cheese what do you do with whats left? Sell it to the locals?
I sure miss when we lived in the boonies as a kid and our place backed up to a dairy farm. The Farmer would bring you milk,cream and butter and leave it on the doorstep in a cooler. Man how I miss that milk!! It came in the glass bottle with the paper cap.
The Wife and I have talked about getting a Dairy cow once we get out of Houston.
 
TexPrep said:
It's amazing how much milk you can get out of a cow.
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I don't know much about cows but I've been having the same realization about gardening recently. I'm shocked how little it takes to make a huge difference.

TexPrep said:
Besides making butter and cheese what do you do with whats left? Sell it to the locals?
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Sell or barter. Imagine everyone had a surplus of *something* they produce. Bye-bye food shortages. Hello to strong communities.
 
campandtravel said:
I don't know much about cows but I've been having the same realization about gardening recently. I'm shocked how little it takes to make a huge difference.


Sell or barter. Imagine everyone had a surplus of *something* they produce. Bye-bye food shortages. Hello to strong communities.
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If things got really bad that cow would have to be protected day and night.
I jokingly told the Wife we'd have to keep the thing in the living room.
Any animal that produced food would become a target.
 
TexPrep said:
It's amazing how much milk you can get out of a cow.
I drink a lot of milk usually around a gallon every two days but there's no way I could come close to keeping up. Besides making butter and cheese what do you do with whats left? Sell it to the locals?
I sure miss when we lived in the boonies as a kid and our place backed up to a dairy farm. The Farmer would bring you milk,cream and butter and leave it on the doorstep in a cooler. Man how I miss that milk!! It came in the glass bottle with the paper cap.
The Wife and I have talked about getting a Dairy cow once we get out of Houston.
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When I was milking Betsey Lou and getting a little over 5 gallons a day, we were drinking the milk, skimming the cream, making butter and making all kinds of cheeses to use. . . from fresh cheese all the way up to a cheddar. I didn't go into the harder cheeses like Romano or Parm. The excess could be used as a barter in hard times. It's just not legal to do so in my state without a license. But it can be very beneficial to use out in the garden.
 
campandtravel said:
So would a running car, an arsenal, a garden, a pantry, a cache of silver coins, not to mention an attractive wife or daughter.

What's your point?
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A running car can be made to look like a broken down piece of ****.
Dont know about you but I dont leave my "arsenal" in the front yard.
Same with my pantry or my silver coins.
Dont have a daughter but the Wife can take care of Herself,give Her a try if you want your nuts blown off.
So we're left with the garden. I'd recommend you grow it in a place thats out of sight from the road and have some guinea fowl running around,they put up a huge racket if anyone steps on your property.

Anything else ya jerkoff?
 
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I thought the point was made. . . a cow, since this IS a cow thread, would become a target along with most all other farm animals. Most do not realize you have some that are considered milk verses beef and will just go after all not realizing the benefits of a milk producer, but then maybe they would not even care.
 
TexPrep said:
A running car can be made to look like a broken down piece of ****.
Dont know about you but I dont leave my "arsenal" in the front yard.
Same with my pantry or my silver coins.
Dont have a daughter but the Wife can take care of Herself,give Her a try if you want your nuts blown off.
So we're left with the garden. I'd recommend you grow it in a place thats out of sight from the road and have some guinea fowl running around,they put up a huge racket if anyone steps on your property.

Anything else *******?
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I am changing my vote from like to LOVE. . . To heck with being polite to others feelings tonight. I have pulled my sciatic nerve so in pain most of the day. I chuckled at your post and good for you. Sorry guys, I am at the point I don't give a crap about any bodies "feelings" right now.
 
Danil54grl said:
I am changing my vote from like to LOVE. . . To heck with being polite to others feelings tonight. I have pulled my sciatic nerve so in pain most of the day. I chuckled at your post and good for you. Sorry guys, I am at the point I don't give a crap about any bodies "feelings" right now.
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Thanks from a fellow Texan.
 
TexPrep said:
A running car can be made to look like a broken down piece of ****.
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Use that magical technology on your cow.

Or, you know, get a barn.

You are - intentionally it's clear - missing the point. That point being that your comment about the cow needing to be protected was not useful. Anything valuable will need protecting if "things got really bad." If you have a suggestion for how to protect it, great. Otherwise you're basically saying that a person should not do the thing, or you are pretending that that's not what you're saying which means you're being wishy-washy. Now that I see how thin-skinned you are, I'm guessing that last one is the right guess.
 
He said he currently lives in a big city area which means he could not possibly keep oa cow safe unless, jokingly tells his wife they would have to bring her into the living room! It’s a funny, remark, but probably so true in their current living situation. Think his questions and replies were because maybe his family would like a milk cow one day. @TexPrep maybe a milk goat would suit your family’s needs better? A Saanen can produce only a couple gallons a day. You would need a goat milk separator since goats milk is naturally homogenized.

As for your last post @campandtravel. I am not following your logic.
 
I put that guy on my ignore list a long time ago.
We still want to get a milk cow some day. We'd like to make our own cheese and butter too, any excess milk could go to the pigs. Or we could take what we want and let the calf have the rest. Its not uncommon to find an orphan calf too that could use some of the excess milk. I'd have to get an electric milker because I think I'd have problems with my hands trying to manually milk a cow.
 
Arcticdude said:
I put that guy on my ignore list a long time ago.
We still want to get a milk cow some day. We'd like to make our own cheese and butter too, any excess milk could go to the pigs. Or we could take what we want and let the calf have the rest. Its not uncommon to find an orphan calf too that could use some of the excess milk. I'd have to get an electric milker because I think I'd have problems with my hands trying to manually milk a cow.
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The thought of going without milk makes me nauseous.
It's right up there with going without beer and vodka.
 
campandtravel said:
Well thank you - you've just compared me to my favorite thing in the whole world!

And you, sir, are a typical blustering, thin-skinned Texan.
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Feel free to put me on ignore.
I have no use for idiots who dont seem to understand the difference between a cow and a car.
Cars dont moo,they dont **** everywhere either,both being indicators that you have valuable livestock on the property.
If you're so dense to not have to have this spelled out for you you wont last long if the **** does hit the fan.....good luck.
 
campandtravel said:
Oh man, thank you. I have no idea what you think you're talking about but I needed something funny today. Why would I put you on ignore when you never cease to amuse?
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Hey it's a free country,for now anyway,do what you want to do.
Personally I find it amusing that you think people wont know you have a cow when it shits all over and moos all the damn time.
 
You Boys need to stop your bickering. . . At least bring your disagreements into another thread that is not about milk cows. Hunny had to take hay out to the cows tonight. Claire was waiting by the gate for her walk which did not happen tonight. Sorry my baby girl, but this momma was too busy today and tired. I was supposed to help. . . Claire darted out once the gate was opened. Once free, she didn't want to get haltered so I ran down to the barn in the golf cart with her running beside. I got a little sweet feed in a bucket. She followed me back in the pasture with no problems. At this point I am wondering if one of the boys did actually catch up to my runner? Her bag is looking bigger.
 
The subject of smaller milk cows came up else where, for those that don't need that much milk.so I did a little search for them, and this is what I came up with.
Raise Small-breed Milk Cows
Small-breed milk cows eat only a third to half of what a standard-size cow eats, and they produce a more manageable amount of milk. Plus, they’re easier to handle because of their small size.
By Interview With Troy Griepentrog

www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/small-breed-milk-cows/

Then the idea of needing milk bottles came to mind.this is what I came across


http://redirect.viglink.com/?key=71...ars%20&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m
 
I will admit I have slacked off on walking Claire this week. . . been just too busy, but I did take her tonight and Hunny took little Jake. Claire and I did our normal walk down the pipeline and I let her start eating after we started our way back. I kind of give her a little bit of a free range. Hunny lets Jake start eating as soon as we go on the pipeline. Anyway, when we get back into the pasture Claire wants to lick all over me and basically licks my whole arm into her mouth. Of coarse I scratch all over her and tell her what a good girl she is. Then I went to pet up on Jake. I got a few scratches in before I got nudged on the backside. At first, I honestly thought it could have been my Hunny. But no. . . Claire got jealous! Nudged me away from Jake and then she nudged Jake off to the side!! 🤣 🤣 Yeah, I think my girl loves her momma. It's mutual.
 
jimLE said:
The subject of smaller milk cows came up else where, for those that don't need that much milk.so I did a little search for them, and this is what I came up with.
Raise Small-breed Milk Cows
Small-breed milk cows eat only a third to half of what a standard-size cow eats, and they produce a more manageable amount of milk. Plus, they’re easier to handle because of their small size.
By Interview With Troy Griepentrog

www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/small-breed-milk-cows/

Then the idea of needing milk bottles came to mind.this is what I came across


http://redirect.viglink.com/?key=71...ars%20&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m
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I have four glass gallon wine jars given to me from a friend. . .ok maybe it was only 3 and I emptied the fourth. 🤣 These actually work very well to hold milk, after I have put in a shallow pan and the next day skim off the cream.
 
DrHenley said:
She's a real cutie! LOL
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I think so too. . LOL I have spent many hours training my baby girl so that once I do get to start milking her, life for both of us is just easier. I know she will be ok with hand milking and loading up into the milking parlor. I am wondering if she would be ok once she hears the milking machine and how she is going to react to the suctions? That I do not know yet. I am going to have to break out the machine once she is loaded up. Also need to keep her in longer in the staunch than what I normally do. I need to do some quick training after work because I can see a calf in the future. My baby girls bag is getting bigger so maybe one of my Hunny boys caught up to her is still in question?? Just hoping it was the smaller bull.
 
Danil54grl said:
You Boys need to stop your bickering. . . At least bring your disagreements into another thread that is not about milk cows. Hunny had to take hay out to the cows tonight. Claire was waiting by the gate for her walk which did not happen tonight. Sorry my baby girl, but this momma was too busy today and tired. I was supposed to help. . . Claire darted out once the gate was opened. Once free, she didn't want to get haltered so I ran down to the barn in the golf cart with her running beside. I got a little sweet feed in a bucket. She followed me back in the pasture with no problems. At this point I am wondering if one of the boys did actually catch up to my runner? Her bag is looking bigger.
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I ignore him until he addresses me.
If he'd shut his pie hole I obviously wouldnt be responding to him.
 
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