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maryjane
7074 Posts
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 Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 3:32:19 PM
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| And I must add a thank you for helping me realize a dream--that of an online cow community where real learning takes place and there is a daily sharing of knowledge, all of it experiential. It takes a village. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 3:49:33 PM
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| Yes! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 4:30:51 PM
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| double yes! |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Andrea0509
155 Posts
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Posted - Feb 09 2016 : 07:09:23 AM
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| Couldn't agree more!! :) |
Hobby farming with my husband & two kids in beautiful Michigan ~ 1 Jersey; Miss Persimmon, 2 Olde English Southdown ewes; Lula & Clementine, and chickens to come Spring 2016. Loving the adventure! |
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Andrea0509
155 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 1:09:02 PM
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Cindy,
Referring back to your previous photos of your post-milking setup, you'd mentioned you use 6 total EZ bottles when milking, and cap them off right away. Do you find a need for a stainless steel milking pail at all? I'm going through my list and wondering if I should just purchase the extra EZ bottles and pass up the pail if it won't be used? |
Hobby farming with my husband & two kids in beautiful Michigan ~ 1 Jersey; Miss Persimmon, 2 Olde English Southdown ewes; Lula & Clementine, and chickens to come Spring 2016. Loving the adventure! |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 1:23:17 PM
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| Seems to me that if you go that route, there's no need for an expensive stainless steel milking pail. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 6:25:56 PM
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andrea,
with my bottle route i don't need a stainless milk pail BUT it really depends on your cows production. and with a new to you cow do you know what that production would be?
i really don't know if i was getting four gallons a day that i would do it this way, would i want to clean 16 of these bottles each day? it takes (4) quart bottles to make one gallon, and right now i only use 5 each day but always have that 6th one handy "just in case". when sally first came i was using (8) per day and that was fine for me to use bottles.
perhaps i can speak better to this after sally calves, and in the beginning when the calf isn't taking as much i can tell you what i think with a greater production.
i will tell you i went ahead and ordered an extra case of the EZ bottles when i got the milker just because i am neurotically organized and it seemed like a good idea to me ;> i was thinking last month that if i got past 8- 10 bottles i would prob just use the milk pail, but honestly... with this new IKEA milk cart i may just wheel it to the house and back full of bottles. i really don't know!
final thought - hamby almost always has DENTED stainless milk pails for sale at half price. i got two of those. if it was me i would have at least ONE handy even if you did go the bottle route... as you never know what will happen... if i had to hand milk the pail would come in handy. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Andrea0509
155 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 7:27:48 PM
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Hi Cindy,
I'm not sure on how her production will be once we're in milk, but with her being a mini I'm guessing it won't be too overly excessive. I agree, doing multiple bottles still sounds like a good plan especially with that IKEA cart! (I have two of those on my list! Thanks again for the tip!) But I can definitely see the advantage in having a stainless bucket available in case of hand milking or if I find I like dumping bottles in instead of capping off. I will check for dented pails on Hamby.Thanks, this helps! |
Hobby farming with my husband & two kids in beautiful Michigan ~ 1 Jersey; Miss Persimmon, 2 Olde English Southdown ewes; Lula & Clementine, and chickens to come Spring 2016. Loving the adventure! |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 19 2016 : 7:50:22 PM
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andrea another idea that i like is that we have a small refrig in our summer kitchen right beside the milking parlor. in the summer when it is warm the bottles could go straight in there in about 30 seconds to stay cool and then i could finish up with sally and taking her to the pasture, etc. can't let the raw milk sit around outside longer in the heat. up to this point i haven't worried as when it is freezing temps i don't mind an extra 20 minutes unrefrigerated (ok mary jane, don't freak out , i know this raw milk stuff makes you nervous!).
i have even thought of getting a small $50 mini refrig for the parlor itself. couldn't get the stainless milk pail in a small refrig, but those bottles will go in there easily! this may be overkill for many, but we have the pasture on the opposite side of the farm than the milking parlor, and the barn in between. and without a totally secure backbone fencing right now i can't just turn the cow out of the parlor, we have to walk them to and fro... so i have to have an easy way to deal with the milk. i am fine with small bottles of raw milk going straight into a refrig, i don't feel the need to do an ice slush to cool them down faster.
i really can't wait to see what you find that works for you. and you'll probably find that you think up a thing or two that makes an impression on us and we take your idea and run with it. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Milking a Miniature Cow
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