This is either going to make you quit drinking milk or buy a cow.
This is Barley, our 2nd milk cow on the homestead. She is 5 years old- a 3rd time calving Jersey cow. After milking our first cow, Brie I’m growing to love the challenge of identifying what each cows quirks and preferences are for milking.
Brie was very spoiled, demanded grain in her face thee entire time. If you took too long she would kick the bucket. Barley is a pain to move, it’s all that hornage, horning up into my back. It’ll get cha- but she is a breeze in the stanchion and will wait all day for you. You can ram me into anything for that accommodation!
The teat pulling abode.
This is our milking stanchion I primarily do all of our milking in, unless it’s raining- then I hit up our garage or inside the livestock trailer. Both of our cows have been trained well enough to be tied pretty much anywhere-which makes life convenient. I mean as convenient as one could get with a dairy animal. The stanchion is homemade, but not by me. I found a similar DIY pattern to mine here.
Pull up a pail. Cup a feel.
How to milk.
STEP 1: Feed.
Place grain and hay in a bunk in front of where you will tie the milk cow up to and walk the cow into the stanchion.
STEP 2: Washing up.
Clean udder & teats with vinegar water and a rag. This will clean any debris and relax the cow to help her milk come in. If she is really dirty, use a bristle brush and brush on her udder and belly to knock debris off.
I fill a mason jar with this mixture and put it in my milking caddy, instead of carrying a big bucket full.
RAGS: I chop up old flour sack dish towels to use, they wash well with bleach water and give me an excuse to get some new ones for the kitchen. VINEGAR: The vinegar is an acid that is used as a disinfectant.
STEP 3: Pre-Dip.
Pre-dip each teat into iodine solution- sanitizing purposes.
Wipe the iodine off each teat and udder with a clean rag.
After sanitizing the udder, I slip clean rubber gloves on. If the cow needs more feed or I need to pick something up I can simply take the gloves off to complete the task, slip the gloves on and return to my clean slate.
STEP 4: Stripping them teats.
Strip/squeeze 5 squeezes out of each teat into a cup or the ground, NOT INTO YOUR MILK BUCKET. These first few squirts will have the highest amount of bacteria in them so we don’t want this spoiling our milk. This is also a chance to check for any signs (clumps, clear milk and blood) of mastitis infection.
STEP 5: Milking Technique.
Properly hold the teat by wrapping your thumb and forefinger around the base of the teat. This traps the milk in the teat.
Start squeezing with the thumb and index finger, then work your way all the way down.
Unless you have some unruly hulk disposition, your hands will be in pain like you wouldn’t believe. Just keep going- they will get stronger and more efficient with the motion very quickly- as in 14-21 days quickly!
When am I done milking?
Cows have 4 quarters, each quarter has a teat. As you become familiar with milking you will know when she’s emptying by the way her teats look and feel. The milk stream will become very thin and weak. Her teats will become more flattened and saggy. All of us post nursing moms are looking down right now at the aftermath noting the similarities here.
STEP 6: Post-Dip.
Post dipping is an important step to remove any milk residue in the teat canal that could fester bacteria to grow and lead to infection. I use a spray solution called Fight Bac and spray to each teat that seals the canal opening.
Followed by the iodine solution once again.
And the end. Well, who’s still with me here- are we buying that family milk cow or what? Craigslist has served me well- just saying!
So what am I doing with the milk now?
Ok yes, I’m getting there too! You can read all about how I properly store my milk here. Good luck friends on all of your own creamy endeavors!
HOW TO HAND MILK A COW
A step by step tutorial showing how to hand milk a family milk cow from cleaning the cow to cleaning milk.
Materials
CLEANING - STORING MILK
Instructions
FEED: Place grain and hay in a bunk in front of where you will tie the milk cow up to and walk the cow into the stanchion.
WASH: Clean udder & teats with vinegar water and a rag. This will clean any debit and relax the cow to help her milk come in. If she is really dirty, use a bristle brush and brush on her udder and belly to knock debris off.
PRE-DIP: Pre-dip each teat into iodine solution- sanitizing purposes, wipe the iodine off each teat and udder with a clean rag.
STRIP TEATS: Strip/squeeze 5 squeezes out of each teat into a cup or the ground, NOT INTO YOUR MILK BUCKET. These first few squirts will have the highest amount of bacteria in them so we don't want this spoiling our milk. This is also a chance to check for any signs (clumps, clear milk and blood) of mastitis infection.
MILKING TECHNIQUE: Properly hold the teat by wrapping your thumb and forefinger around the base of the teat. This traps the milk in the teat. Start squeezing with the thumb and index finger, then work your way all the way down.
POST DIP: Post dipping is an important step to remove any milk residue in the teat canal that could fester bacteria to grow and lead to infection. I use a spray solution called Fight Bac and spray to each teat that seals the canal opening. Followed by the iodine solution once again.
Notes
WHEN AM I DONE MILKING?
Cows have 4 quarters, each quarter has a teat. As you become familiar with milking you will know when she’s emptying by the way her teats look and feel. The milk stream will become very thin and weak. Her teats will become more flattened and saggy.
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