Well this morning was our first try at milking Lorray with our portable electric milking machine. All parts were working fine and suction was good.
Lorray tried to kick a couple of times and was not happy, to all of the sudden be on a halter again when she was doing fine without it. :) She got me in the shoulder with her hoof.
She was not a happy camper. So in the end I tried milking her out but she was not letting me have the milk. Most of the time we had three cups on her but once we got all four on. She was NOT happy about any of it, let me tell you. I ended up taking the milk that I did get and where I got 6.2 litres yesterday for the whole day, I only got 1.3 litres with the machine this morning.
I must say that the machine was very efficient and quick. Lorray did not get her usual amount of grains but then she also didn't let me completely empty her either.
I have cleaned the machine as per instructions and it now waits for another time. Not today that is for sure. I need to get that milk out of her tonight or she may just bust as far as she is concerned.
Yesterday, at our produce store an old dairy farmer said to me that my thumbs would adjust in about another two weeks. This has me thinking whether just to milk her by hand. He said he would not worry about the machine as it is too much cleaning up afterwards which is right but I am more concerned about the amount of feed that she going through. It is certainly alot more costly than buying the bull milk from the shops. (That is what my kids call it as it doesn't taste anywhere near as good as our girl's milk, they think it comes from a bull not a cow. lol)
So at this point in time I am going back to hand milking in the night but will try again tomorrow morning and see how she goes. Currently she is very wary of Russell and I but I realise that she will get used to it if given enough time and maybe that is also what I need as I really am enjoying the milking. It really is such a lovely bonding time for the cow and me as well. Don't know if I want to give that up. Or maybe I can rest my head on her back leg as the machine does all the hard work.... Time will tell.
Cheers Damaris
Lorray tried to kick a couple of times and was not happy, to all of the sudden be on a halter again when she was doing fine without it. :) She got me in the shoulder with her hoof.
She was not a happy camper. So in the end I tried milking her out but she was not letting me have the milk. Most of the time we had three cups on her but once we got all four on. She was NOT happy about any of it, let me tell you. I ended up taking the milk that I did get and where I got 6.2 litres yesterday for the whole day, I only got 1.3 litres with the machine this morning.
I must say that the machine was very efficient and quick. Lorray did not get her usual amount of grains but then she also didn't let me completely empty her either.
I have cleaned the machine as per instructions and it now waits for another time. Not today that is for sure. I need to get that milk out of her tonight or she may just bust as far as she is concerned.
Yesterday, at our produce store an old dairy farmer said to me that my thumbs would adjust in about another two weeks. This has me thinking whether just to milk her by hand. He said he would not worry about the machine as it is too much cleaning up afterwards which is right but I am more concerned about the amount of feed that she going through. It is certainly alot more costly than buying the bull milk from the shops. (That is what my kids call it as it doesn't taste anywhere near as good as our girl's milk, they think it comes from a bull not a cow. lol)
So at this point in time I am going back to hand milking in the night but will try again tomorrow morning and see how she goes. Currently she is very wary of Russell and I but I realise that she will get used to it if given enough time and maybe that is also what I need as I really am enjoying the milking. It really is such a lovely bonding time for the cow and me as well. Don't know if I want to give that up. Or maybe I can rest my head on her back leg as the machine does all the hard work.... Time will tell.
Cheers Damaris
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