Need Advise

Karen in Alabam · #1 08/22/10, 08:26 PM

We are getting a Jersey Cow and calf this week.

I wasn't expecting things to move this fast, but they are.

I have been reading "keeping a family cow" and somewhere I thought it gave me some sort of dimensions, but can't seem to find it anywhere.

I need to build some sort of shelter/milking station quickly.

We have a barn that my husband works out of that the back wall abuts the pasture. Our plan is to make some sort of shelter attached to that wall.

The purpose of this shelter is to have a place to milk her and keep the calf up overnight.

(there is another barn that they can go into if they need shelter from the elements--we share a pasture with the neighbor and it is his barn, and not that close to our house) We have angus on the property as well which she will mingle with.

We need to start building tomorrow. We didn't plan to enclose it, so it should go fairly quickly, I hope. (By enclose it, I mean solid walls)

So how big does it need to be? How should it be set up? (this is our first milk cow)

do you prefer milking stall or stanchion?

I probably shouldn't keep the calf up in the same stall as I will be milking, because it won't be clean when I let her in, right?

Thanks

willow_girl · #2 08/22/10, 09:19 PM

Quote:

I probably shouldn't keep the calf up in the same stall as I will be milking, because it won't be clean when I let her in, right?

Correct.

Has she been hand-milked before? Is she tame, friendly?

When I had Dawnna, my Jersey, I'd just take her feed bucket and my milk bucket out to the pasture, and milk her wherever she happened to be. She was real tame and would stand nicely for me, at least until she ran out of grain!

Later, when I milked the Holsteins with a surge bucket set-up, DH#3 put stanchions in the back of the barn, where there was a cement floor. If you have a fussy cow, it helps to be able to get her up against a wall (parallel to it) so she can't move around too much. I have heard of some people hanging a stock gate a couple feet from the wall and using it to pin the cow against the wall. If you need an economical set-up fast, that's one way to go! (Especially if there's nothing to attach a stanchion to.)

Make sure there's some light source; you will need it to clean the udder and check for mastitis. A lightbulb up in the ceiling of the barn really doesn't do the trick! A little dollar-store flashlight is your friend.

Karen in Alabam · #3 08/22/10, 10:38 PM

Thanks, Willow Girl, for the info.

This might sound stupid, but I haven't met the cow yet. The guy said he did milk her, but didn't have time. (another guy I talked to a month or so ago, said "people will tell you anything to sell you a cow." I came in from feeding the chickens and my husband said he bought me a cow. So I guess I just wait till Wednesday to see how she is.)

Thanks for the info on the flashlight. (no real power to the barn--just a long extension cord from the well house) Power is on the to do list.

is there any good place to get, stools, cream bowls--those big ones to let the cream rise, milk pails.

cathleenc · #4 08/22/10, 11:33 PM

a 3 to 5 gallon stainless steel pot will do fine for a milking pail - you can get a nesting set of cheapie ones from ebay for something like $35 plus shipping. I love my stainless steel pots!

We filter the milk and then chill/refrigerate in 1/2 gallon glass canning jars - the cream is thickest after it's sat in the fridge for at least 2 days. I bought the filter and filter papers from www.caprinesupply.com.

My dh built a stanchion for our cow from wood - she's short so the stanchion got her up so we don't have to stoop so much. We built it 4' wide I think... fit great at first but once she got a good grass/hay belly going (we cut her grain by half from the previous owner) and then pregnant + grass belly.... she's got to be pretty careful to get it all in the stanchion these days.

I really appreciated the pictures of setups on the family cow website...www.familycow.proboards.com I think.

Please post pictures when you get her! What breed? and congrats!

Slev · #5 08/23/10, 06:18 AM

I like to use one of those strap on your head type flash lights to shear my sheep and milk with. It just helps to put extra light right where you want it...

Good Luck...! add pictures of your cow when you can...

topside1 · #6 08/23/10, 07:01 AM

CrashTestRanch · #7 08/23/10, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topside1

topside1's cool stanchion/milk station image

Hey topside1, sweet setup. What are the floor dimensions? Did you build it from plans?

I've seen a few listed in AG publications, but have forgotten which publication lol

topside1 · #8 08/23/10, 12:30 PM

Thanks, I've built quite a few everyone loves them. This is a photo of the first one. Floor plan 7 feet by 46 inches. No plans, just measuring twice, cutting once...Topside

topside1 · #9 08/23/10, 12:31 PM

To the left is my head catch for calves...Topside

CrashTestRanch · #10 08/23/10, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topside1

To the left is my head catch for calves...Topside

Is that one also with a floor or is it interchangeable with the larger one?

topside1 · #11 08/23/10, 02:37 PM

The little one to the left of the metal gate is permenantly part of the pens wall...Just an idea poor folks like me think of...Topside

Callieslamb · #12 08/23/10, 02:51 PM

We build a nice little folding stanchion for our cow. She hated it. She was used to being milked standing free with her head in her manger so that's what we let her do. Hasn't been a problem. I don't tie her or anything. If she is used to a halter, you could probably do the same thing- hang a manger and let the tie keep her there. Mine fought the halter so I took it off. She's fine. You can use cattle panels in a hoop shape and put tarp over the top of that for a milking shelter. I wouldn't put the calf where you are going to milk.

Karen in Alabam · #13 08/23/10, 08:24 PM

I have drawn up some plans, and think I will start with a milking stall and see if she needs further restraint.

I asked the neighbor for some help (he used to have a milk cow years and years ago)

My husband thinks he is going to design it, but knows less than I do about cows.

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/a.../blueprint.jpg

Let me know what you think, what should be changed or whatnot

oh, the thing marked "the barn" is actually the back wall of an existing barn, which my husband works out of. has his office and the rest is inventory and shipping area.
thanks
karen