milking my Dexter

[Slev]

Well I must say, I have been waiting for a long, long time to get to milk my own cow. She is standing really nice while she eats some grain from a bucket while my wife holds her rope, (no stantion) Yesterday we milked her in the back yard while she ate the tall grass, but she kept moving to greener spots, understandingly so. Some things I've noticed, not all of her quarters fills up the same, or the same color. Her back teats seem a little bit shorter than her front. I was going to say her front seemed to give more, but tonight I got just about as many squirts from all four. But can someone on here tell me why is it after milking her for several squirts, and I have my rythem down, that from out of the blue I send a shot squirting back up onto me??? I'll get a picture up in the next few days, seems like everyone has their own directions we are all heading, 4-H, work, working late, on-call, gotta mow before it rains, etc. oh, and almost forgot, got to milk the cow....

[darbyfamily]

My dexters teats are shorter in the back too, not sure if thats because the front ones are easier for the calf to reach and so she's used those more, thus they hang a bit longer? I was very worried at first that I'd not be able to get much milk out of the back ones, and the back right one I do have to milk only with my right hand, as I cant seem to use my left and NOT get it all down my arm.

Funny thing is, I cannot EVER milk our Nigerian dwarf goat without getting my shoe! every single time I milk her I always get my shoe at least once. Glad I wear those 'croc' style shoes that wash easily when I milk her.

I've never squirted myself with the cow, but now and again I'll hit the ground instead of the pail even after many successful shots. No idea why that is?

How much are you getting from her so far?

oh and I do seem to get quite a bit more from the left side than the right side too...

[Slev]

Tonight we got exactly 9 cups strained, although we milked later than normal. AND, I still sent some shots out of bounds. I hate that, it's like a waisted squirt...! I guess the first thing we're gonna do with her cream is make some garlic butter and honey butter.

So a question to all of those experianced milkers out there: Is it better to rapid fire shorter squirts, or go a little slower and more controled with longer squirts...?