She's here!

[mamalisa]

The most patient cow in SW Virginia.

I think I'm doing ok. Her hind teats are shorter, so I'm not really sure I've milked her dry? But I got the front quarters dry, I know.

There's a lot more cow to milk than goat! but I think we've got it.

Now a question? Can I train her to lead? How?

[pygmywombat]

You'll know she's empty when all four quarters are soft and floppy. Are you massaging after she stops letting down to encourage the last of the milk out?

familycow.proboards32.com, post in the family cow section about training to lead, one of the members in New Zealand has worked out a system based on Natural Horse-Manship for training older cows to lead.

Claire

[mamalisa]

Well, She is now milked out....My youngest daughter (15) has volunteered to take the evening milking and cow care as her afternoon chore. Somehow I think the nice warm cow has something to do with this!!! Everything else involves cold....rabbits, chickens, and sheep.....so....BUT it frees me up to cook dinner and get stuff done when I get home.

That first night, I could have cried. 45 minutes and she still wouldn't let her milk down, I got a whole cup of milk and she knocked the bucket over. WAH!!!! but things are going better now. I am massaging to get the last of the milk. We have milch goats, so we are used to milking at least a little bit.

I have her wear a turnout halter and tie her up to milk, we don't have a stanchion and there is both more room and light in the main barn. She is quite sweet, and I just hope her calf will have the same attitude.