Counting my chickens(calves) before they hatch(calve)

[Jcran]

Ok, I am a bit overexcited since I've got almost a year to wait, but today my daughter's 4-H heifer went to the farm to meet her new hubbie. She's due back in heat in a week or so, and then will spend a couple months learning how to be a cow again (today she ran in fear from all those COWS...she thinks she's a goat). Anyhow, as of right now we are planning to freshen her as a homestead cow. I plan to hand milk her. Sharing with the calf, about how long does it take to milk out an average quarter/half. I have milked many a goat in my lifetime and ran a string of Jerseys as a summer job at Cal Poly, but milking machines aren't quite the same. I teach, so what kind of time period am I looking at in regards to morning chores for a cow...I already KNOW the routine for the goats.

[Shades of Gray]

Well this is just my experience so far but I am hand milking, and also sharing with the calf. My jersey's teats are pretty short, (makes milking my alpine doe a walk in the park) so it takes me quite a while, I'm averaging 15 minutes per quarter on just the backs. And I only milk one at a time.
I have always wanted to hand milk a cow, but by the time I save enough to buy a complete Surge milker setup, I believe I'm going to have it all out of my system. My forearms are complaining already!

[matt_man]

Once you get your arms conditioned to it, it shouldn't take more than 15 min.