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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Milking a single dairy cow with calf

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  • From: "Lisa Rollens" <rollens@fidnet.com>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Milking a single dairy cow with calf
  • Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:52:44 -0500

Hi Amy,

What you would like is exactly what I have done thru 3 lactations with my cow. I started off at about day 3 putting the calf up in the barn at night. I then milk in the morning, bringing the cow in and tying her right across the gate from her baby. After a few days I put a rope on the calf and tie him near the cow's head. You end up with a halter broke calf in just a few days, but watch him carefully because he will about kill himself before he understands the leadline. Get a regular calf halter.

I grassfeed the cow, but give her a half scoop of alfalfa pellets after I milk her. She has to stand and be nice before she gets a treat! I leave the calf with the baby all day in the pasture and then separate them again at night. It's not long before the calf almost goes in by himself, and mother goes out to pasture willingly.

Yes, the cow will give a whole bunch of milk at first and the calf is not big enough to use it. Cow's production goes down esp when she is grassfed. I think that we are limiting the production by only grassfeeding. Industrial ag folks feed lots of carbos to increase milk production to the max. But our cows should live much longer healthier lives!

The cow will be producing her maximum at 3-4 months lactation because that's when the calf is getting most of his nutrition from the mom. After about 4 months he gets a substantial portion from pasture and mom's milk tends to go down. You will not want to wean the calf till about 8 months or so, but don't wait too long or you might have a calf that turns into a cow and has a calf of her own and still thinks she needs to nurse her mother....not a good situation! You may have a problem trying to wean only one calf, and if you have a friend who has a similar aged calf, you might want to put them together for a while. They will keep each other company and not even notice mom is no longer around.

Anther thing to expect...that mom might not let down her milk willingly when it's you who wants it and the calf is standing right there. Sometimes I have to let the calf have a suckle or two and then wash mom and milk her. That's when the halter and lead come in handy. Just pull the calf away and tie him back up again. After the calf is weaned and out of the picture she drops her milk just fine for me.

Good luck! If you have any more questions, just ask. Hope this helps! Lisa

PS At this calf's age, when you milk in the morning milk it all out! She will make more for the calf during the day and that will help increase production a little. Besides, you won't get it all anyway! Also, if you let the calf loose after milking, you won't have to strip and teat dip and all that....the calf will do it for you.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Amy Little" <amylittle@hvc.rr.com>
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 6:59 PM
Subject: [permaculture] Milking a single dairy cow with calf


Hi Folks,
Any of you with experience with a dairy cow: We have a single mother with a 3 month old calf who is with her and nursing. She was giving us 2-4 gallons twice a day but has slowed up to barely a gallon in two milkings.
So... the questions:
Is this something we should expect?
What is the best way to wean?
Could we cut back to one milking a day if we wean?

We would really like to keep calf with mother, keep mother grass-fed, and keep getting milk for us.

Any advice welcome,
Amy

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