I am in need of info (book titles, web sites etc.) on learning to milk a cow. Will be moving to the homestead (at last) this fall and want to get a milk cow soon. Never milked before, just watched mom many years ago. Any help would be appreciated. I am leaning toward the Brown-Swiss...?? Thanks.

-- sandi (msjazt@aol.com), August 21, 2001

Answers

Response to Dairy cows

Sandi, When I was in need of information about the "family cow" I looked up a web site www.real-food.com and ordered a book called The Family Cow or Keeping The Family Cow. It is a very informative book, as a matter of fact I bought one for my dad too. It is written by a woman named Joann Grohman from Maine.

-- Emily in central Ky. (BellyAcresFarm@kyk.net), August 21, 2001.

Response to Dairy cows

Hi Sandi, Congratulations on your move this fall. I am sure all will go great and you will be very happy there!

You should get the book recommended above "The Family Cow". You can usually pick a used copy up on Ebay. That book was my first "cow" book. Like you, I had no idea either about how to milk.

The best thing to remember is that the udder is more like a "sponge" than anything else. The milk flows down to the teats but you have to "cut" it off from returning to the udder. You put your thumb and forefinger around the top of the teat where it joins the udder (be careful not to get it on the udder or you could damage your cow!)and hold it slightly tight while the rest of your fingers close around the teat. This forces out the milk that is in the teat. Let go and repeat. This allows the teat to refill and each time. When you see on TV it looks like they are just pulling down the milk, but that is not what happens or is going to work. You have to get the milk to the teat and out without it going back to the udder.

Best piece of advice is to have patience with your cow and yourself. Everyone is going to be ackward at first and you will swear you will NEVER be able to do it nor will the cow allow you to. She will be very figity, probably kicking or stepping into the bucket, etc. But I promise it will happen eventually and soon you won't believe you ever had any trouble!

Second best piece of advise I can give you -- one that no one ever tells you in the beginning---get you and the bucket the heck out of the way when the tail goes up!!! Means she is going to poop or pee! I swear that our first cow waited all day until she got milked!

Thirdly, watch that tail swinging! That little darling can give you a good whack while milking! I had a bruised face once from a good slap. Some cows are worst at this than others. For some, I think it is a game for them! We had a piece of twine above the milking area and over the cow's tail where we would tie up the tail so that she could still move it, but couldn't slap us with it. It was not too thick so that if, in an emergency and she had to make a quick get-a- way, she would not break her tail, but could break the twine instead.

Oh by the way, you might want to re-think the Brown Swiss. They are REALLY big cows. Although usually a nice disposition, they can be very hard to handle or down right dangerous since you can't move them if you need to. For a family cow, you can't beat a Jersey or Guernsey. They give more cream too for butter and ice cream, etc. They are easy to handle and beautiful animals and each one has thier own personality and are very affectionate. Also, a bit less milk. You are going to be amazed at how much milk you get daily -- especially after calving! Also, the less milk..the less time milking! It does take a while to get all that milk out -- especially in the beginning!!

Again, the very best of luck and be sure and let us know how you make out.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), August 21, 2001.

Response to Dairy cows

Sandi, I would second everything Karen said. Print that out. :^)

Also, get that book, "The Family Cow." I have checked it out of the library numerous times; ought to have my own copy.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 21, 2001.

Response to Dairy cows

Sandi, Amen to everything said so far. When you get close to actually purchasing a cow, you might think about getting an older cow that won't be so flighty. Also, you could visit a dairy farm near where you will be. They usually have some cows that were shown in 4H or open shows and are used to a lot of activity. Some of these girls are getting past their commercial prime, but could have many years left as a family cow. A friend of mine had one like this--the cow was 16 and still going strong. Also, if you get a retired show cow, you know you have a quality animal, and you can establish a mentor relationship with the dairy family--gain access to their bull, get milking lessons, etc.

-- Judy in IN (whileaway3@cs.com), August 21, 2001.

Response to Dairy cows

I am leaning toward a Jersey, myself. More butterfat, less milk, less feed. Our neighbor raises Jersey bull calves for meat and says the meat is tender and delicious. Some people use castrated Jersey bulls for oxen; I don't know how well that would work. From what I've read on this forum, I wouldn't want a Jersey bull around with children. Someone around this forum also said they got a 3/4 cow cheap. She had one quarter of her udder deformed, or something, but otherwise was a good cow from a good milking line. She would have gone for hamburger if the guy hadn't bought her! If milking a cow is anything like milking a goat, I should be okay. Milk as described above; I've never read the books mentioned. Just one more thing that you probably already know: KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN. Wash the udders before and after milking; use stainless steel, seamless buckets and utensils; sterilize everything after use. Wishing you the best, and can't wait till we get our own cow(s).

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), August 21, 2001.

Sandi, I have a polled Shorthorn. Excellent milk, lots of cream, gentle nature, affectionate and good for beef. They prefer the outdoors summer and winter. When I first got Blossom I made friends right away by currying her and talking to her as she ate a helping of grain. She likes her brisket and tail root brushed the most.One thing no one told me was the terrible pain in my arms and back from milking! I cried for a week and offered to sell her back to her previous owner. My back is the weakest thing on me so trying to reach the udder was a job.It has been a year now and I wouldn't give up my cow for anyone.She passed her plug yesterday so we'll have our first calf, a Murray Grey named August, any time now. By the way, a Murray Grey is a wonderful multipurpose breed also. Norma

-- norma russell (logger@ut1.com), August 21, 2001.

Everyone has given you great advice. I'd like to add to what Karen said about the tail swishing. It can be irritating to downright gross to have an old cow batting you in the face with a dirty tail, or worse after they calve to bat you with a tail covered with...what should I call it??? birth fluids..ugh!!!An older friend of ours told me to put kickers on the cow and wrap the tail around the chain on the far side of the kickers (hobbles)and tighten them up. Even if your cow stands really well, the kickers contain the tail. This is much safer than tying the tail to the wall or stanchion. I've heard of many people who get done milking and turn the cow out and forget about having the tail tied, the cow can actually rip off her tail. Hope this tip helps make your milking more pleasant!!! Good luck with your cow....I hope you enjoy her as much as we enjoy ours!!!

-- clare (qk65327@navix.net), August 21, 2001.

A useful tip is to leg-rope the cow in the bail (you are going to have a milking bail, aren't you?). Pass a rope from her far side around her backside to your side, tie it (one loose overhand knot that can pull loose if necessary - just wrapped right around) around her near leg so she can't move it too far, and kick you or get her leg in the bucket without warning and at least slowing her down. Include the tail in the tie - i.e. tie it to her leg. It will lift out of the loose tie if she lifts her tail straight up (as she does when she's about to make a mess), so that's OK - better than OK because since it's tied near you you notice it lifting. However, she won't be able to casually swish it sideways into your face. Make that leg-rope detachable and washable - it will get dirty.

As said, clean and sterilise all equipment after use. However, my father also used to scald the bucket before use, then carry that bucket with rapidly cooling water to the cow-shed to use for washing the udder - obviously after decanting into something else. Washing with warm water assists milk let-down - imagine how you'd react if someone used icy water on you.

Ken, keep trying with the small-scale milking machine. Milking is good exercise, and strengthens your hands and arms enormously. However, it's bloo...ming hard work.

Someone had a good point about the leaning down being hard on your back - it would be if, as I now do, you had one. It may be worth thinking in terms of a milking stand as used for goats. Lifting the cow just nine or twelve inches - maybe fifteen - could make a big difference. Remember to lean on the cow from time to time - they're big and warm and supportive and super-size cuddly and fun and nice - as well as having the most amazing belly-noises, and being big and strong and potentially damaging and sometimes having a bucolic (what else) sense of humour and containing gallons of waste matter they can let loose at the most inconvenient time.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 21, 2001.

Don, Okay, I give up....what is a milking bail? I am guessing you mean what we Americans call a stanchion? Kathie

-- Kathie in Western Washington (twinrosefarm@centurytel.net), August 21, 2001.

I tried milking by hand unitl this old farmer brought over a single vacume milking bucket that he hooked up to an international H tractors carborator intake. There is just enough suction to get the milker to work. The manifold has a bolt in it but you can replace it with a conical valve you can turn on and off. saved me a ton of time and no poop or flies in the milk. The cow has to get used to the running tractor but in only lasts ten minutes at best. There is nothing better then fresh milk. This might not be as enviromentaly clean as you want but it will work.

-- phillip (raines@rainesridgefarm.com), August 21, 2001.

Question: so you get the cow milked, then what do you have to do with the milk before you can drink it? Obviously I'm new to this whole idea.

-- Stacey Christiansen (stacey@lakesideinternet.com), August 22, 2001.

Well, you will probably want to strain it to get any hairs or specks of whatnot out then drink it or chill it and drink it. One can make yogurt and cheese and butter. In an older Countryside mag there was a person that said they used a sun tea jar to let the milk skim itself, I find it works great. Can anyone tell me how to get the hobbles on a spirited heifer without dying? It seems to me that the cows that really need them, won't tolerate having them put on. Is there some sort of trick I am unaware of? Tana

-- Tana Cothran (tana@getgoin.net), August 22, 2001.

Stacy, as soon as you finish milking and turn the cow out, you'll take the milk to the house and strain it through a filter disk in a galvanized milk strainer. Then place the clean milk in the fridge. Overnight, the cream will rise to the top. You can skim the cream off and save it to make butter with. At this point, you can drink the milk-- it is still richer than the vit D milk you get at the store, with flavor! I never Pasturized my milk--just made sure my cows came from a TB free herd, or were tested yearly. If you do decide to pasturize, be aware that it will cut down on the amount of cream you can harvest, and that it kills good stuff along with the bad.

-- Judy in IN (whileaway3@cs.com), August 23, 2001.

Sandi, it may be rather difficult in the first week of milking. But it wont be just you. My mom says a lot of it is also the cow. She needs to get used to you and your routine, so that she will let down the milk quickly in response to your touch. As she calms down and settles in, she will give her milk out much more easily. Also, the teat tissue will be firmer, and more resistant to hand-milking if she has been milked by machine, or if she has never been milked before. Suckling a calf does soften it up some, but hand milking regularly softens the teats the most. It took me an hour at first to milk each time, but now it takes me 20 minutes. Some of it was my own learning curve, some was her. Patience and kindness is the key to a good future of milking. NEVER shout in anger at her. She will only become more nervous and less responsive to your efforts, thus making harder for you.

I always wash the udder off with two wet cloths I cut from second- hand towels, and then milk into a plastic 2 gallon bucket.(Food- grade, we got it free from a deli.) Once in the house, I fold a bounty paper towel into fourths to form a square, open it into a pocket, and fit it into the opening of a gallon glass jar, then I fold the excess that sticks up, down around the jar, and it creates a filter-funnel. I hold it around the edge of the jar as I pour the milk through to strain it. It gets every speck out and leaves the milk very clean. We got our jars from places that use pickles to make sandwiches; they come in these wonderful glass gallon jars with good tight screw-on lids. Of course, the jars need some cleaning and airing before using. I washed them and set them out in the sun for a week with the lids beside them. (The jars are good for other food storage, too.)

Sandi, there are differing opinions (ususally strong ones) on how to handle milk once you have gotten it out of the cow. I personally have a strong (What else?) opinion about pasteurisation not being good for the milk. Once you heat the milk to the temp necesary to kill the germs, you have also killed off the very enzymes which are designed to help a living organism digest the milk. Lactase for instance. Know anyone who is lactose intolerant? It's because they have no lactase in their intestines to help digest milk. Lactase comes naturally in the milk, but smarty-pants scientists figured they knew better than nature, and developed a process which kills the lactase enzyme. People usually have a culture of lactase in their digestive systems, as they got started with it back when they were on milk as babies. But if you dont maintain the culture, it *can* die out. Lactose intolerance can usually be corrected by introducing RAW milk into the diet, a spoonful a day at first, and slowly increasing the amount.

You can read a lot more info on this subject, all medically documented, in Dr. William Douglass' book, "The Milk Book." I am sure you can get it from Amazon.com. Also, check out the website at www.realmilk.com

Sorry this is so long. Hope you find as sweet a bossy as I have in my pasture. She is spoiled rotten and as loving as our lapdog.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 23, 2001.

Tana, getting hobbles onto a spirited heifer... oh my! LOL

This reminds me of just a few months ago, when I was trying to get the cow to allow a strange calf to suckle her. I actually tied a bailer twine to her closest ankle and pulled back on it. Cows cant kick backward- only forward and out the side. The calf actually did get a little milk! But Pearl managed to land a wallop upside the poor things little head.. That taught me a lesson. I just allowed the calf to run in the meadow with her, but fed it from a bottle. I gave up the idea of Pearl adopting the thing. But she surprised me one evening when a quarter was empty. I never had to feed the calf again.

I would try throwing the feed down in front of her, and as soon as she is dipping her head into the feed, to slip that clasp around the ankle closest to you. Then do the far side. -And get back quick while she flails a little while. If she puts her feet closer together, be ready to tighten the chain very quickly. She should quiet down and become gentle if you dont raise your voice at her or hit her. You may be able to form a better bond of trust if you get an old hairbrush and brush her down every day.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 23, 2001.