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  • From: Marie McHarry <mmcharry AT gmail.com>
  • To: homestead <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Training a heifer to milk
  • Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 23:30:15 -0500

On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 7:30 PM, Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been through a few really ornery goats and always ended up
> winning, so that's heartening. I've got two, so my other first timer
> is setting the example for good behavior, that helps, too!

The advantage with goats is that if they step on your foot, you don't
usually have to go to the doctor to have your toe nail drilled to
release the exceedingly painful blood that gathers after a close
encounter. Just sayin'.
>
> The ornery one has hard to milk teats, so unless I set up a machine,
> she's doing better with calves. Have two on her now and she could
> probably take 3.
>
We got a Jersey once, and she had very short teats. Jim worked on
milking her for a week. The cow was patient, but Jim was not. I came
home one day to the announcement from Jim (he'd spent the day at the
Amish auction) that he'd bought a milking machine. He had: a 3-day
bull calf who grew amazingly. We eventually got a real milking
machine. I hated to do it for one cow, but her teats were about an
inch long, so we didn't milk her so much as strip her out -- which can
cause serious hand cramps.

Just BTW, after a few years with a dwindling goat herd, I bought a
small herd (7, I think, of the Nubian perisuasion). Everyone is dry
right now, but if they all freshen in the spring, I'll probably end up
getting a calf or two to use the extra milk.

Marie




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