Those who have been following this blog know that Lucy had a mishap. One of her teats was stepped on by another cow (I didn't see it, but according to Mat, our vet, it is fairly common and my description of the injury was a pretty sure indication that this was what had happened). The gory details are in a previous post, and I will not repeat them here. So those of faint heart can keep reading.
The vet said in order to save that teat - and that whole quarter - Lucy must be milked out on that quarter at least twice a day. I started milking her two days after the incident. It was a trial. She has always been a bit testy when being milked, quick to kick. I have the bruises on both wrists as evidence that this whole ordeal brought out her kicking skills to the max!
Twice a day, someone had to hold her tail over her back, which makes it harder albeit not impossible for her to kick, while I reached under her and milked her as best I could, being careful not to touch the exposed and very raw skin on the lower portion of the teat. There were good days and bad days. Twice I tried to use the machine, and it only led to more kicking and irritation to the injury. I told Kathy to make sure that I didn't milk her for at least a week, because I know myself, and I knew I would want to try to milk her just as soon as she would let me.
Two nights ago, I said, "Kathy, I'm going to give it a try with the milker."
"No, you're not." she countered. Yup I would have tried, yup she stopped me, and yup it was a good thing she did.
Lucy is obviously feeling much less pain. I can see the value in letting the teat heal with as little touching as possible. I had to touch it to milk it, to get the flow going each morning and night which was necessary to keep the milk duct open so that we wouldn't lose that quarter forever. Sometimes it was really tough, quite a few tugs before milk appeared, which was just more pain for her and more chance of being kicked for me. Someone had to drive over here every morning to hold her tail over her back just long enough for me to get the milk going.
A miracle happened last night. I went out to milk Lucy, timing my entry to the milking parlor so that Kathy would be about done with the others and would be milking out Lucy's three good quarters. As I entered the parlor, Kathy put her finger to her lips and said, "Shhhhhhhhh!" There was a steady stream of milk flowing from the injured teat! Kathy said it didn't start until she put the milker on the other three. Plenty of milk flowed, so much that when I tried to milk her out a bit by hand after Kathy had pulled off the machine, she was done.
This is big news! And good news!! The milk duct stayed open without any manual milking. That quarter emptied out. And she didn't leak until the milker was on the other three quarters. Why is that important? One of the things we feared was that the injury would affect the sphincter valve in that teat and she would leak all the time. That means milk coming out and bacteria going in pretty much continuously, and all of our work would have been for naught.
I didn't have to do anything tonight, no hand milking. We just let it flow, nice, clear, clean milk. Lucy is doing it all by herself. Perhaps this is her way of saying, "You can keep your hands off me, Susan! I am tired of being jerked around!! Now go away."
And I did. :)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Why raw milk?
Many people are under the misconception that raw milk is dangerous. It is not. So why do we pasteurize our milk? A little history here.
At one time, milk did spread disease, in particular from city dairies that housed cows that were not pastured and were kept in dirty circumstances. How did that happen? As populations grew in cities, the need for dairies close to the consumers rose, and city dairies became common. The cows were inside - no room for pastures - and they were fed offal from the greengrocers and breweries, to name two of the mainstays of their diets. There was a great deal of filth in these dairies, and it was a prime breeding ground for diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis. Cows infected with brucellosis pass it on, as undulant fever, to humans.
When the Pasteurs came up with a method for heating milk to kill pathogens, it presented a way to prevent the spread of disease without cleaning up the dairies. Let me repeat that - without cleaning up the dairies. They had a choice, clean up the dairies or pasteurize dirty milk. The latter was much cheaper, and so it was chosen. And that is the reason we must pasteurize our commercial milk today - dirty milk. The number of pathogens allowed in commercial milk is extremely high because they are going to be destroyed anyway. No matter that precious vitamins and minerals are destroyed or greatly minimized at the same time. No matter that the good bacteria, which comprise the far greater percentage of the bacteria in milk, are also destroyed. And now, with ultra-pasteurization, even the enzymes are killed. You cannot make cheese with ultra pasteurized milk. It is dead milk, the very life of it destroyed with a blast of heat.
You might be thinking it is worth it to get rid of those bad bacteria. Here is what you are giving up - enzymes that make milk more digestible. Mother Nature, in all her wisdom, provided an animal that can convert cellulose (which we cannot digest) into milk (which we can). I have heard the argument ad nauseum that we are the only animal that drinks milk from another animal, and that is just so silly! Cats, dogs and chickens will drink milk from any animal. Has anybody milked a chicken lately? They love milk and their species doesn't even produce it! Mother Nature also made sure we could digest it by adding valuable enzymes to the milk. Many people who think they are lactose intolerant have no problem with raw milk, in which all of the natural aids to digestibility remain. And you are giving up the good bacteria. It boggles the mind that people buy Activa, made with a patented bacterium, to get those "probiotics" to make their gut healthier when they could have gotten them with raw milk.
Ah, but what about the bad bacteria that go along with the good bacteria? Listeria is a very nasty bacterium, and it has been responsible for the majority of deaths from dairy products. All of those deaths have been from pasteurized milk. That bears repeating - all of those deaths have been from pasteurized milk. The good bacteria that naturally occur in raw milk eat listeria, and therefore control it. Mark McAfee, who owns a large raw milk dairy in California (where it is legal to retail raw milk), proved it to a board that was trying to stop the sale of raw milk. He deliberately injected listeria into raw milk, and then tested for it the bacterium again 48 hours later. It was gone. However, if by any chance listeria infects pasteurized milk, there is nothing to stop it. It has no natural predators, and it can proliferate to the point of being dangerous to people with compromised immune systems. About 2% of pasteurized milk contains minute but measurable quantities of listeria, by the way. One of the reasons that pasteurized milk rots rather than gently souring as it ages.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still quick to warn consumers about the dangers inherent in unpasteurized milk, citing the fact that more than 800 people in the U.S. have gotten sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk since 1998. Not deaths, but illnesses. In eleven years, no deaths from raw milk. Over a thirty year period, 620 people died from consuming pasteurized milk products. And yet raw milk producers are often hounded by government agencies as if they were pushing drugs or had meth labs in their barns. Five people died from an outbreak of e. coli in spinach. Several people died from eating radish sprouts. If one looks at the total number of food related illnesses, produce comprises nearly 40% of them!
When you buy milk from the store, it is heavily subsidized, and you are actually paying less for it than the cost to produce it. Our raw milk more accurately reflects the true cost of milk. We get no subsidies. In fact, the government - and agribusiness - would like nothing more than for us to just go quietly away! I'm not sure why. It just seems to me that the demand for raw milk is so low that they shouldn't be worrying that we are depriving them of their profits. But maybe they worry it is the first chink in the armor. Puzzling. I will continue to drink raw milk. I believe in the health benefits, and it sure does taste better!
Tonight there are fifteen chickens roosting happily in the Moop, three calves, three heifers (they broke out of the paddock twice today, but they are where they belong now), six milkers (Lucy continues to improve), one bull, three dogs and a cat. All is well on the farm.
At one time, milk did spread disease, in particular from city dairies that housed cows that were not pastured and were kept in dirty circumstances. How did that happen? As populations grew in cities, the need for dairies close to the consumers rose, and city dairies became common. The cows were inside - no room for pastures - and they were fed offal from the greengrocers and breweries, to name two of the mainstays of their diets. There was a great deal of filth in these dairies, and it was a prime breeding ground for diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis. Cows infected with brucellosis pass it on, as undulant fever, to humans.
When the Pasteurs came up with a method for heating milk to kill pathogens, it presented a way to prevent the spread of disease without cleaning up the dairies. Let me repeat that - without cleaning up the dairies. They had a choice, clean up the dairies or pasteurize dirty milk. The latter was much cheaper, and so it was chosen. And that is the reason we must pasteurize our commercial milk today - dirty milk. The number of pathogens allowed in commercial milk is extremely high because they are going to be destroyed anyway. No matter that precious vitamins and minerals are destroyed or greatly minimized at the same time. No matter that the good bacteria, which comprise the far greater percentage of the bacteria in milk, are also destroyed. And now, with ultra-pasteurization, even the enzymes are killed. You cannot make cheese with ultra pasteurized milk. It is dead milk, the very life of it destroyed with a blast of heat.
You might be thinking it is worth it to get rid of those bad bacteria. Here is what you are giving up - enzymes that make milk more digestible. Mother Nature, in all her wisdom, provided an animal that can convert cellulose (which we cannot digest) into milk (which we can). I have heard the argument ad nauseum that we are the only animal that drinks milk from another animal, and that is just so silly! Cats, dogs and chickens will drink milk from any animal. Has anybody milked a chicken lately? They love milk and their species doesn't even produce it! Mother Nature also made sure we could digest it by adding valuable enzymes to the milk. Many people who think they are lactose intolerant have no problem with raw milk, in which all of the natural aids to digestibility remain. And you are giving up the good bacteria. It boggles the mind that people buy Activa, made with a patented bacterium, to get those "probiotics" to make their gut healthier when they could have gotten them with raw milk.
Ah, but what about the bad bacteria that go along with the good bacteria? Listeria is a very nasty bacterium, and it has been responsible for the majority of deaths from dairy products. All of those deaths have been from pasteurized milk. That bears repeating - all of those deaths have been from pasteurized milk. The good bacteria that naturally occur in raw milk eat listeria, and therefore control it. Mark McAfee, who owns a large raw milk dairy in California (where it is legal to retail raw milk), proved it to a board that was trying to stop the sale of raw milk. He deliberately injected listeria into raw milk, and then tested for it the bacterium again 48 hours later. It was gone. However, if by any chance listeria infects pasteurized milk, there is nothing to stop it. It has no natural predators, and it can proliferate to the point of being dangerous to people with compromised immune systems. About 2% of pasteurized milk contains minute but measurable quantities of listeria, by the way. One of the reasons that pasteurized milk rots rather than gently souring as it ages.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still quick to warn consumers about the dangers inherent in unpasteurized milk, citing the fact that more than 800 people in the U.S. have gotten sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk since 1998. Not deaths, but illnesses. In eleven years, no deaths from raw milk. Over a thirty year period, 620 people died from consuming pasteurized milk products. And yet raw milk producers are often hounded by government agencies as if they were pushing drugs or had meth labs in their barns. Five people died from an outbreak of e. coli in spinach. Several people died from eating radish sprouts. If one looks at the total number of food related illnesses, produce comprises nearly 40% of them!
When you buy milk from the store, it is heavily subsidized, and you are actually paying less for it than the cost to produce it. Our raw milk more accurately reflects the true cost of milk. We get no subsidies. In fact, the government - and agribusiness - would like nothing more than for us to just go quietly away! I'm not sure why. It just seems to me that the demand for raw milk is so low that they shouldn't be worrying that we are depriving them of their profits. But maybe they worry it is the first chink in the armor. Puzzling. I will continue to drink raw milk. I believe in the health benefits, and it sure does taste better!
Tonight there are fifteen chickens roosting happily in the Moop, three calves, three heifers (they broke out of the paddock twice today, but they are where they belong now), six milkers (Lucy continues to improve), one bull, three dogs and a cat. All is well on the farm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Drying up the cows
The first year we milked, we had meetings at my house each month. Steve, the farmer whose pastures and milking equipment we rented, came to the meetings and helped us learn about milking as a grass farmer. He dries up his whole herd in November. We didn't want to do that, because we didn't want to have to revert to store bought milk or get raw milk from a farmer who fed grain and who wasn't organic. Steve explained that we had to dry up the cows at some point to give them a rest before they freshen (that means have a calf) in the spring. We asked how we should do that, would we milk every other day, then every third day, to gradually dry them off? He said, "No, you just quit milking them."
In concert, every woman in the room threw her arms across her breasts and moaned! Then we looked at one another and burst out laughing. Steve, a bachelor farmer, didn't get it. But I'm sure every woman reading this does!! When we explained to him why that sounded like a painful proposition, he said it doesn't give them pain - they just start directing the calories that they eat toward making that calf instead of making milk.
So in February we schedule that rest for the girls, and for the people on the milking crew. Our cows are bred to freshen in April, May and June. They cannot continue to give milk unless they have a calf every year. Cows are pregnant for nine months, just like humans. The schedule looks like this: The cows freshen in the spring. They are all dried up between February 1 and February 15, no matter when they freshened.
Quattro freshens every year on time. She is not a great milker, but she is a great breeder! That is important, because she is giving milk right from the start. Compare that with Rosie, who is a fantastic milker but who is slipping a little each year. She is older and not as fertile as she was. She didn't freshen until July. Since we dry up the whole herd in February, then that is just lost milk - nothing from Rosie in April, May and June, while Quattro was giving her milk every day. So that makes up for her low quantity of milk. Over the full period of lactation, Quattro probably gives nearly as much milk as Rosie. Also, she is having calves in the spring, when we can add them to our herd. We only keep calves for ourselves that are born in April.
The calves that are born later are put up for sale. We have a waiting list for them, too. We have already earned a reputation for having healthy animals. The bull calves go to people who will raise them as breeding stock or who will raise them for meat. We can be picky about who we sell to, and we avoid selling to people who are going to raise them to sell to feed lots. I am an omnivore, but I care about how an animal is raised. Feed lots are not the way to raise beeves. They should roam free, grass fed, until their day comes. I'm climbing on my soap box again now, but just remember that when you buy commercial meat, you are buying feedlot factory farm meat. Go for that grass fed beef. Pay a little more. It is better for you, and it is better for the animal. I do believe that the animal's state of mind affects the meat.
Anyway, back to drying up the cows. Our girls are definitely in their downturn now. They are putting more of their energy and the calories they consume to making calves and less into making milk. We are getting less than half the amount of milk we were getting in early July, right after Rosie freshened. But that is natural, it is how things happen in the real world. Our shareholders understand that they are not getting their milk from a supermarket, but are getting what their own cows provide. That means a lot of milk in spring and summer, and less and less as the cold weather sets in. Then in February, it is NO milk. This is why we encourage our shareholders to freeze some milk while production is high, or to learn to make cheeses that freeze well, or to make and freeze butter.
This is our third year, and our shareholders are getting the hang of it. Some of the new shareholders complain about the drop in milk production, forgetting about all those weeks when they were getting way over the average, even after it is thoroughly explained when they join. And some of them drop out. But there is always someone else waiting to get on board, and so we continue to increase the number of dedicated shareholders who understand that at some level, they become farmers when they become shareholders in our association, that they become dependent on the largess of their own cows. I enjoy seeing the change in attitude many have towards food and farming once they become part of this group. They are the ones who are delighted when we have a good milking day and they are blessed with an extra half quart of milk. They are the ones who hold that winter milk jar up to the light and notice that as the milk declines, the cream increases, and they may have a jar that is nearly one third cream!
My mission on this farm initially was to provide myself with wholesome organic food. Now I am helping to provide it to many other people, through the milk - for which I provide the building, equipment and pastures - and through my organic greenhouse plants and the good food from my garden. It is a satisfying life. I do not remember being happier than I am now. Maybe becoming a full time farmer was an accident, but it was a GOOD accident, a very good accident indeed.
In concert, every woman in the room threw her arms across her breasts and moaned! Then we looked at one another and burst out laughing. Steve, a bachelor farmer, didn't get it. But I'm sure every woman reading this does!! When we explained to him why that sounded like a painful proposition, he said it doesn't give them pain - they just start directing the calories that they eat toward making that calf instead of making milk.
So in February we schedule that rest for the girls, and for the people on the milking crew. Our cows are bred to freshen in April, May and June. They cannot continue to give milk unless they have a calf every year. Cows are pregnant for nine months, just like humans. The schedule looks like this: The cows freshen in the spring. They are all dried up between February 1 and February 15, no matter when they freshened.
Quattro freshens every year on time. She is not a great milker, but she is a great breeder! That is important, because she is giving milk right from the start. Compare that with Rosie, who is a fantastic milker but who is slipping a little each year. She is older and not as fertile as she was. She didn't freshen until July. Since we dry up the whole herd in February, then that is just lost milk - nothing from Rosie in April, May and June, while Quattro was giving her milk every day. So that makes up for her low quantity of milk. Over the full period of lactation, Quattro probably gives nearly as much milk as Rosie. Also, she is having calves in the spring, when we can add them to our herd. We only keep calves for ourselves that are born in April.
The calves that are born later are put up for sale. We have a waiting list for them, too. We have already earned a reputation for having healthy animals. The bull calves go to people who will raise them as breeding stock or who will raise them for meat. We can be picky about who we sell to, and we avoid selling to people who are going to raise them to sell to feed lots. I am an omnivore, but I care about how an animal is raised. Feed lots are not the way to raise beeves. They should roam free, grass fed, until their day comes. I'm climbing on my soap box again now, but just remember that when you buy commercial meat, you are buying feedlot factory farm meat. Go for that grass fed beef. Pay a little more. It is better for you, and it is better for the animal. I do believe that the animal's state of mind affects the meat.
Anyway, back to drying up the cows. Our girls are definitely in their downturn now. They are putting more of their energy and the calories they consume to making calves and less into making milk. We are getting less than half the amount of milk we were getting in early July, right after Rosie freshened. But that is natural, it is how things happen in the real world. Our shareholders understand that they are not getting their milk from a supermarket, but are getting what their own cows provide. That means a lot of milk in spring and summer, and less and less as the cold weather sets in. Then in February, it is NO milk. This is why we encourage our shareholders to freeze some milk while production is high, or to learn to make cheeses that freeze well, or to make and freeze butter.
This is our third year, and our shareholders are getting the hang of it. Some of the new shareholders complain about the drop in milk production, forgetting about all those weeks when they were getting way over the average, even after it is thoroughly explained when they join. And some of them drop out. But there is always someone else waiting to get on board, and so we continue to increase the number of dedicated shareholders who understand that at some level, they become farmers when they become shareholders in our association, that they become dependent on the largess of their own cows. I enjoy seeing the change in attitude many have towards food and farming once they become part of this group. They are the ones who are delighted when we have a good milking day and they are blessed with an extra half quart of milk. They are the ones who hold that winter milk jar up to the light and notice that as the milk declines, the cream increases, and they may have a jar that is nearly one third cream!
My mission on this farm initially was to provide myself with wholesome organic food. Now I am helping to provide it to many other people, through the milk - for which I provide the building, equipment and pastures - and through my organic greenhouse plants and the good food from my garden. It is a satisfying life. I do not remember being happier than I am now. Maybe becoming a full time farmer was an accident, but it was a GOOD accident, a very good accident indeed.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Paperwork and soap making
I hate paperwork! I would much rather walk fences or feed calves or make soap. That might have something to do with why I took early retirement from the corporate world. No way to get around it there.
So why did I think that there would be no paperwork here? Hah! Not only do I have my own, but I am treasurer and scheduler for our milk association. It has been my objective over the past week to get to the bottom of it. First I balanced 12 months of bank statements for two bank accounts, and three months' worth for a third. Then I did two months of posting for credit card charges. Yesterday I tackled filing, for the milk association, for my farming business, including the organic certification papers, and for my soap business.
The dining room table is clean. The kitchen counter is clean. I can see my desk top. My computer desk is clear. So now I can get on with making soap.
Soap is made with lye. People ask me if my soap has lye - they don't want lye. Well, ALL soap has lye. The chemical formula for making soap includes lye. If there is no lye, then technically it is NOT soap! So I have to gently explain to them that the lye disappears after it does its job, which is to act as the catalyst to bind the liquid and the oils. Just as copper and zinc are combined to form an alloy called brass, from which neither copper nor zinc can be derived, soap is an "alloy" of fat, liquid and lye, which cannot be broken down into its components. So the lye really and truly is no longer there. But the lye makes a very alkaline product, which is why cold process soap - which is what I make - has to sit on a curing rack for several weeks. During that time, the pH gradually lowers until it is at the proper level.
I have people specifically ask for "lye soap." I am catching on to that one. What they mean is that they want the old fashioned soap that was nothing but some lard or tallow, water, and lye. I make it for myself, grate it and use it in my washing machine. It is the most fabulous laundry soap! It leaves the clothes soft and scent-free. No need for fabric softeners. The little chunks of bar left after I'm done grating go into a cup in the laundry room and are used to rub on tough spots. No need to buy stain removers. I make my own soap from tallow I get for free from the butcher. I buy lye in bulk from an internet wholesaler. My machine is a front load type, which uses less soap. It costs me about three cents per load to do my laundry.
As for grating it, that Cuisinart food processor is good for more than slicing cabbages for sauerkraut! The grating wheel makes short work of grating three bars, enough to fit in the Tupperware cereal container and more than enough to do my laundry for three or four week.
Well, I'm off to the soap room right now. Gotta get one batch done before Misty gets here to help milk out Lucy. Vet says maybe another few days of morning milking just to be sure she is clear, but she is doing just great!
Still 15 chickens, three calves, three heifers in their proper paddock, six milkers, one bull (will have to write about Samuel one of these days), one large black old dog, one large black young dog, one yappy middle aged small dog, and one small white curious cat.
So why did I think that there would be no paperwork here? Hah! Not only do I have my own, but I am treasurer and scheduler for our milk association. It has been my objective over the past week to get to the bottom of it. First I balanced 12 months of bank statements for two bank accounts, and three months' worth for a third. Then I did two months of posting for credit card charges. Yesterday I tackled filing, for the milk association, for my farming business, including the organic certification papers, and for my soap business.
The dining room table is clean. The kitchen counter is clean. I can see my desk top. My computer desk is clear. So now I can get on with making soap.
Soap is made with lye. People ask me if my soap has lye - they don't want lye. Well, ALL soap has lye. The chemical formula for making soap includes lye. If there is no lye, then technically it is NOT soap! So I have to gently explain to them that the lye disappears after it does its job, which is to act as the catalyst to bind the liquid and the oils. Just as copper and zinc are combined to form an alloy called brass, from which neither copper nor zinc can be derived, soap is an "alloy" of fat, liquid and lye, which cannot be broken down into its components. So the lye really and truly is no longer there. But the lye makes a very alkaline product, which is why cold process soap - which is what I make - has to sit on a curing rack for several weeks. During that time, the pH gradually lowers until it is at the proper level.
I have people specifically ask for "lye soap." I am catching on to that one. What they mean is that they want the old fashioned soap that was nothing but some lard or tallow, water, and lye. I make it for myself, grate it and use it in my washing machine. It is the most fabulous laundry soap! It leaves the clothes soft and scent-free. No need for fabric softeners. The little chunks of bar left after I'm done grating go into a cup in the laundry room and are used to rub on tough spots. No need to buy stain removers. I make my own soap from tallow I get for free from the butcher. I buy lye in bulk from an internet wholesaler. My machine is a front load type, which uses less soap. It costs me about three cents per load to do my laundry.
As for grating it, that Cuisinart food processor is good for more than slicing cabbages for sauerkraut! The grating wheel makes short work of grating three bars, enough to fit in the Tupperware cereal container and more than enough to do my laundry for three or four week.
Well, I'm off to the soap room right now. Gotta get one batch done before Misty gets here to help milk out Lucy. Vet says maybe another few days of morning milking just to be sure she is clear, but she is doing just great!
Still 15 chickens, three calves, three heifers in their proper paddock, six milkers, one bull (will have to write about Samuel one of these days), one large black old dog, one large black young dog, one yappy middle aged small dog, and one small white curious cat.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Blessed be!
Lucy did well this morning. Milk flowed on the first tug. She didn't defecate once during the whole time in barn. These are both signs of continued and rapid healing.
Regarding our new supply of hay, the cows' production was up 25% last night, after just 36 hours on the new balage. That is good stuff! Also, we have plenty of it. This morning, for the first time in weeks, I was not greeted with much bellowing from hungry cows. Even Blackie and the three little calves were silent. They are well fed at last!
That didn't keep me from giving them two big flakes of balage this morning. Let's hope production rises again tonight. The shareholders will be delighted.
In spite of the clouds, this is a great day. Now if the Bears can just pull off a win against Bengals this afternoon, then my day will be complete!
Regarding our new supply of hay, the cows' production was up 25% last night, after just 36 hours on the new balage. That is good stuff! Also, we have plenty of it. This morning, for the first time in weeks, I was not greeted with much bellowing from hungry cows. Even Blackie and the three little calves were silent. They are well fed at last!
That didn't keep me from giving them two big flakes of balage this morning. Let's hope production rises again tonight. The shareholders will be delighted.
In spite of the clouds, this is a great day. Now if the Bears can just pull off a win against Bengals this afternoon, then my day will be complete!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The ongoing saga of Lucy
Lucy did so well Friday morning! I had high hopes that we could milk all four quarters with the machine on Friday night. I tried. I failed. She went pretty nuts. Is it possible to get bruises on top of bruises? If so, I am going to have a very colorful left wrist!
I have some idea how Lucy feels. The first time she didn't know what I was going to do, so it came as a surprise and I had some small advantage when I put the milker on. But now she knows, she knows in advance that it is going to hurt.
And I know in advance that those flailing hooves are going to get me, and they are going to hurt me. I start hurting before I even put my hands up to milk her (purely psychological, I know), and I can understand perfectly why she is beginning to hate the sight of me.
It is mutual. I DON'T love Lucy at this moment in time. We will both get over it once the healing is done, once my wrists are no longer tender, once we both forget about all of this.
Today's fiasco is my own fault. I didn't really do my job last night, due to the skittishness on the part of both Lucy and me. This morning Leifschon and her husband Jason both came over to help me. Leifschon knew how crazy Lucy had been the night before and thought having three of us there might be a good idea. It was a very good idea indeed.
The reason that we milk Lucy twice a day is to keep the milk duct open. If it heals shut and scars over, then we will lose that quarter forever. Many farmers do that, but if you have 50 or 150 cows, it is no big deal. We have six cows, which is 24 quarters, and we have 36 shareholders. You do the math - we need every one of them to be in working order! It is not easy on the cow to have the udder dry up, since it will swell before it dries up and possibly become infected.
I realized how serious it was that I had not milked her out last night when I tried to milk her this morning. It took forever for the milk duct to break open. By the time it did, Lucy had made a mess, knocked down a pipe and hit that big bruise once again! She calmed down once the milk started to flow, and between the three of us, I was able to milk out the quarter.
Tonight, the milk duct broke free almost immediately. But I learned my lesson. I didn't try to put on the milking machine, and I made sure that she was milked out completely before letting her back out into the pasture. Tomorrow morning, we will go at it again.
I have some idea how Lucy feels. The first time she didn't know what I was going to do, so it came as a surprise and I had some small advantage when I put the milker on. But now she knows, she knows in advance that it is going to hurt.
And I know in advance that those flailing hooves are going to get me, and they are going to hurt me. I start hurting before I even put my hands up to milk her (purely psychological, I know), and I can understand perfectly why she is beginning to hate the sight of me.
It is mutual. I DON'T love Lucy at this moment in time. We will both get over it once the healing is done, once my wrists are no longer tender, once we both forget about all of this.
Today's fiasco is my own fault. I didn't really do my job last night, due to the skittishness on the part of both Lucy and me. This morning Leifschon and her husband Jason both came over to help me. Leifschon knew how crazy Lucy had been the night before and thought having three of us there might be a good idea. It was a very good idea indeed.
The reason that we milk Lucy twice a day is to keep the milk duct open. If it heals shut and scars over, then we will lose that quarter forever. Many farmers do that, but if you have 50 or 150 cows, it is no big deal. We have six cows, which is 24 quarters, and we have 36 shareholders. You do the math - we need every one of them to be in working order! It is not easy on the cow to have the udder dry up, since it will swell before it dries up and possibly become infected.
I realized how serious it was that I had not milked her out last night when I tried to milk her this morning. It took forever for the milk duct to break open. By the time it did, Lucy had made a mess, knocked down a pipe and hit that big bruise once again! She calmed down once the milk started to flow, and between the three of us, I was able to milk out the quarter.
Tonight, the milk duct broke free almost immediately. But I learned my lesson. I didn't try to put on the milking machine, and I made sure that she was milked out completely before letting her back out into the pasture. Tomorrow morning, we will go at it again.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Very busy, but good news
Those who are following regularly will note there has been no blogging the last couple of days. Having to bring the cows into the barn every morning so that I can keep Lucy's injured teat working is taking a lot of time. The way our milking parlor is configured, I have to bring in all of the girls so that Lucy can't move around quite so much. It is a time consuming process but one that is necessary, like so much of what we do on the farm.
Very good news! The vet looked at Lucy yesterday, believes that even though it is a severe injury, it was a clean cut on the skin and is healing very nicely. We are only using my organic yarrow oil on it, and he is impressed. :) Last night Liefschon held her tail to keep her from kicking (our usual routine) and I put the milking machine on her. She danced, but not too badly, and responded to massaging of her udder. I was able to milk out about a half gallon of milk. This is huge! If any of you had been here the first few days, you would have thought that she would never ever again in her life tolerate being milked from that quarter. She is such a good girl! She has suffered mightily, but is obviously on the road to complete wellness. I am so happy for her, and for me! I have suffered a few bruises and scratches from the kicking, and it will be good to have my mornings back again. We should be able to quit the morning hand milking within a few days.
As for the rest of the farm, the hay was finally delivered yesterday. It was supposed to be here Wednesday, then 9 am Thursday, then noon, then 3 pm, and finally arrived at 5:30. It had to be wrapped once it was here, to make a fermented hay called balage. That is what you do with hay that is too wet to be conventionally stored, and the cows love it! My drive is over a half mile long, and there are a couple of sharp turns on narrow roads to get to it. I didn't measure the semi, but it was carrying 25 tons of hay - 63 bales that are about 3'x3'x6'. It was close, but the job got done. We finished well after dark, and it was drizzling rain the whole time. The truck driver was a little worried about getting the truck back out of the paddock where we put the hay, because the ground was a lot softer by the time he left. Fortunately, the truck was a lot lighter, and all was well.
So yesterday was a pretty stressful day, but a lot got accomplished. Lucy is on the mend, and the girls have a more than adequate supply of hay for the winter months.
There were fifteen fat chickens roosting in the Moop last night, and all other critters accounted for.
Very good news! The vet looked at Lucy yesterday, believes that even though it is a severe injury, it was a clean cut on the skin and is healing very nicely. We are only using my organic yarrow oil on it, and he is impressed. :) Last night Liefschon held her tail to keep her from kicking (our usual routine) and I put the milking machine on her. She danced, but not too badly, and responded to massaging of her udder. I was able to milk out about a half gallon of milk. This is huge! If any of you had been here the first few days, you would have thought that she would never ever again in her life tolerate being milked from that quarter. She is such a good girl! She has suffered mightily, but is obviously on the road to complete wellness. I am so happy for her, and for me! I have suffered a few bruises and scratches from the kicking, and it will be good to have my mornings back again. We should be able to quit the morning hand milking within a few days.
As for the rest of the farm, the hay was finally delivered yesterday. It was supposed to be here Wednesday, then 9 am Thursday, then noon, then 3 pm, and finally arrived at 5:30. It had to be wrapped once it was here, to make a fermented hay called balage. That is what you do with hay that is too wet to be conventionally stored, and the cows love it! My drive is over a half mile long, and there are a couple of sharp turns on narrow roads to get to it. I didn't measure the semi, but it was carrying 25 tons of hay - 63 bales that are about 3'x3'x6'. It was close, but the job got done. We finished well after dark, and it was drizzling rain the whole time. The truck driver was a little worried about getting the truck back out of the paddock where we put the hay, because the ground was a lot softer by the time he left. Fortunately, the truck was a lot lighter, and all was well.
So yesterday was a pretty stressful day, but a lot got accomplished. Lucy is on the mend, and the girls have a more than adequate supply of hay for the winter months.
There were fifteen fat chickens roosting in the Moop last night, and all other critters accounted for.
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