Cow milking questions

[TennesseeMama23]

I am a goat milker, this whole cow thing is new to me and want some ideas bout how some of you guys do this.

I have a jersey cow now that my mil has broken her neck. Now the month old calf is in a 4 sided pen made out of cattle panels. The cow is in with my goats. She is used to being milked while her calf sucks, but he is getting to be aggravating. I want to milk her before letting him have his.

She is tame enough to milk without being restrained as long as she is eating, she'll even stand still after she runs out of feed. As of now we don't have a head gate thing.

I WANT to try a halter on her, I don't know if she will lead or not. Does a horse halter fit cows also? How in the world would I even get it on her? She won't let you touch her head. Do most of you have a head gate? The calf is crazy wild, and I don't know much about what I am doing

I know this is rambling and there isn't much you can tell me, I don't even know what questions to ask.

[jerzeygurl]

I have never put a halter on the cows, they follow me and go where I want them to with out them. I do however use a head gate. Give her treaties ( horse type or range cubes) out of your hands, and gradually start using the other hand to mess with her head, and after that start holding halter while giving treats or feed, store it in the treat bag to mask the smell.( this is how we halter trained filly)

[gone-a-milkin]

Have you tried just milking her out w/o the calf on her too? Are you planning to raise the calf or get rid of it? In a "pinch" you can use one of those cheap rope horse halters on a cow. Cow halters are better though...

Sounds like it is time to build a stanchion, maybe.

[tyusclan]

A horse halter that is close to the right size will work, but it doesn't really fit. The cattle halter is made a little differently.

If the cow is used to being milked with the calf nursing, it's probably going to be hard to get her to let down the milk without the calf sucking.

You're going to have to either get a halter on the calf, and get him where you can control him, let him nurse for a minute till the cow lets the milk down, then pull him off and tie him till you finish milking. Or, go ahead and wean the calf, halter break the cow and just milk the cow. If you do that it's gonna take a little time to get her to let the milk down, as I said.

If the cow doesn't like her having her head touched, it'll take a little effort to get her to let you get a halter on her. Try rubbing her on the neck somewhere she doesn't mind you touching her. SLOWLY, begin to move closer to her head. Pay attention to her head, and try to move your hand away BEFORE she moves her head. You'll eventually get your hand on her head. Take a little time just rubbing her head, then do the same thing with the halter until you can the halter on.

Either way you go it's gonna take a little time and effort to get them under better control. Be patient, and don't give up.

[Jennifer L.]

Put a loop of baling twine around her neck and see if she will lead that way. Sounds to me like your MIL has her trained pretty good if she will stand for milking like that. She will most likely resist you but will come around, as she has a proven excellent temperament. If she leads that way you may not need a halter. Cow halters are about the same as horse ones, but the dimensions can be a little different. You probably don't need a real collar, anyway. Many cow halters are just a loop around the nose and a nother loop that goes around back of the ears, with an attached lead rope, all from one piece of rope.

I'd get that calf tied up whenever he isn't with mom. No sense the little so and so getting used to thinking he runs everything and he will (sounds like he already does). Get him used to minimal handling now and save yourself a lot of grief later on. Then, when he's tamed down you can let him loose in the pen again, or even out with mom if you don't want to continue doing so much milking. But he needs to learn that you can control him.

Here's an official cow halter
http://www.americanlivestock.com/p-1...ut-halter.aspx

Jennifer

[TennesseeMama23]

Originally Posted by jerzeygurl

I have never put a halter on the cows, they follow me and go where I want them to with out them. I do however use a head gate. Give her treaties ( horse type or range cubes) out of your hands, and gradually start using the other hand to mess with her head, and after that start holding halter while giving treats or feed, store it in the treat bag to mask the smell.( this is how we halter trained filly)

I haven't thought about treats. I'll try that--I'm sure it would take no time to get her to follow me around like that. I have milked her off and on since she calved, but that was at mil's and she had her routine and had it set up like she liked.

She is now here at my place and I don't know what I am doing. She really is a wonderful cow, I am amazed that she is as friendly as she is. Fil bought her at an auction about 7 months ago and she was just out in the field with the rest of the cattle until she calved. I didn't even know if she would let you get near her. When we caught her and put her in a stall in the barn, I got a bucket and squatted down beside her and she let me milk her.

She is very young, this is either her first or second calving.

[TennesseeMama23]

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

Have you tried just milking her out w/o the calf on her too? Are you planning to raise the calf or get rid of it? In a "pinch" you can use one of those cheap rope horse halters on a cow. Cow halters are better though...

Sounds like it is time to build a stanchion, maybe.

I haven't ever tried milking her without her calf on her. I really don't like doing it that way. He is such a bully and he doesn't want to share. We brought her over here sat night and I have just left them together until this morning. I milked what little there was out this morning. This evening will be fun.

We will build a stanchion as soon as we can get to it. I have been wanting another stand for my goats and have a good idea about how I want it built so I could use it for the cow also. (I am wanting one side to be a stand for goats and the other for the cow using the same head gate-if we can figure it out)

[TennesseeMama23]

Originally Posted by tyusclan

A horse halter that is close to the right size will work, but it doesn't really fit. The cattle halter is made a little differently.

If the cow is used to being milked with the calf nursing, it's probably going to be hard to get her to let down the milk without the calf sucking.

You're going to have to either get a halter on the calf, and get him where you can control him, let him nurse for a minute till the cow lets the milk down, then pull him off and tie him till you finish milking. Or, go ahead and wean the calf, halter break the cow and just milk the cow. If you do that it's gonna take a little time to get her to let the milk down, as I said.

If the cow doesn't like her having her head touched, it'll take a little effort to get her to let you get a halter on her. Try rubbing her on the neck somewhere she doesn't mind you touching her. SLOWLY, begin to move closer to her head. Pay attention to her head, and try to move your hand away BEFORE she moves her head. You'll eventually get your hand on her head. Take a little time just rubbing her head, then do the same thing with the halter until you can the halter on.

Either way you go it's gonna take a little time and effort to get them under better control. Be patient, and don't give up.

I haven't thought about her not letting her milk down just for me. Ugh, I hope she does good with that.

Originally Posted by Jennifer L.

Put a loop of baling twine around her neck and see if she will lead that way. Sounds to me like your MIL has her trained pretty good if she will stand for milking like that. She will most likely resist you but will come around, as she has a proven excellent temperament. If she leads that way you may not need a halter. Cow halters are about the same as horse ones, but the dimensions can be a little different. You probably don't need a real collar, anyway. Many cow halters are just a loop around the nose and a nother loop that goes around back of the ears, with an attached lead rope, all from one piece of rope.

I'd get that calf tied up whenever he isn't with mom. No sense the little so and so getting used to thinking he runs everything and he will (sounds like he already does). Get him used to minimal handling now and save yourself a lot of grief later on. Then, when he's tamed down you can let him loose in the pen again, or even out with mom if you don't want to continue doing so much milking. But he needs to learn that you can control him.

Here's an official cow halter
http://www.americanlivestock.com/p-1...ut-halter.aspx

Jennifer

Thanks for the link--It would help a lot to have the calf tied.

[francismilker]

Sometimes a cow that is used to share milking won't let down for you if you take the calf out of the picture. If she don't, you might be further ahead by halter breaking the calf and letting him take a few tugs to get her to let down, then tie him back so you can have all you need.

[TennesseeMama23]

Update.

Last night we put a collar on the calf and drug him down to the shed (that was a sight ). She followed along just fine. We tied him and fed and milked her beside him. She let her milk down fine for me. We left him in a stall in the shed last night and just opened the gate for her to come in this morning. She did great! I left the calf in a little half stall while I milked, she could reach in a lick him if she wanted. I liked how it worked this morning, that's how I think I am going to keep doing it.

We turned the calf out with her this morning, we are going to see how that goes today. We are wanting to see if it will work putting him up at night and just milking her in the morning. She doesn't make a lot of milk. I usually milk out a little more than a gallon in the morning out of 2 teats. A little less than a gallon at night. Calfy gets the other half. (is that about right? or should she be making more?)

I think the reason she was so cheap (fil paid $700 for her- bred) is that her back two teats are tiny, smaller than my thumb. She came from a mennonite family and she was sold in with a group of steers. I really don't want to have to milk those two teats, the calf does a good job emptying those.

I don't even know what I am going to do with all this cow milk. Our family prefers goat milk 100x's over cow milk. I am keeping mil's family in milk anyway.

[gone-a-milkin]

I am glad you have it settled. My family is the exact opposite though, they prefer cows milk by far.

Do you make cheese?

[TennesseeMama23]

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

I am glad you have it settled. My family is the exact opposite though, they prefer cows milk by far.

Do you make cheese?

Not much, I make the 30 minute mozz. I may be starting to do it a lot more if I can't get rid of this milk.

[milkinpigs]

Get some pigs...

[jerzeygurl]

cottage cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, are all easy to make...with out any more equipment than a pot, some cloth and some jars, and your culture of course.

[francismilker]

One of you chefs want to share the 30 minute mozarella and the easy to make recipes with me. My kids are dying to try this stuff.

[gone-a-milkin]

francismilker, you oughta get "Home Cheesemaking" by Ricki Carroll for those kids. There are other books too, but this is the best beginner book. www.cheesemaking.com

[francismilker]

Just got it ordered gone-a-milkin. The kids will be proud. I'm not sure the city-slicker wife will be too proud of what we do to her kitchen though!

[gone-a-milkin]

Yeah, you can get some whey splatters onto the kitchen windows when you make cheese.