Milking Progress

Day 7 - July 10
Majesty met me at the gate, anxious for her buckets of fresh weeds.  The Milk Room pen is rather small and doesn't allow for much fresh eating.  She has a bale of hay, but much prefers the fresh green weeds I pull from the garden.  I gave her a pet as I walked by and took them in to her feeder.  She stayed outside while I got her grain and added it to the feed box.

She was still outside so I went out to look at the rest of the herd, who were all hiding in the back corner this morning.  A few minutes later I went in the Milk Room where she had started eating.  She backed out and looked me over.  I gave her a pet and told her I was going to wash her teats.  She went back to eating.

I started milking on her right side, which seemed fuller than yesterday, drained the front, and took 100 extra squirts from the rear.  Then I went around to her left side and she moved over for me before I even touched her.  She's a fast learner.  I drained the front and took 100 extra squirts off the rear.  I gave her a good pet and thanked her for the milk.  She was still eating when I left.

In the house, strained and measured - 3 Cups of milk today.

Day 8 - July 11
I was late getting started this morning.  PMSing and not eager to go to the barn.  This week will be a challenge for me, staying motivated while I feel so miserable.

Our little princess took advantage of my tardiness.  While Majesty was still content to comply with being milked, there just wasn't much milk there to get.  1/2 Cup today.  I drained all 4 teats.  (The extra teats at the back don't appear to be functional).  Queenie seemed rather smug about it, standing beside me watching.  She's got personality, lol.

Majesty is hungry.  She emptied her feed box overnight.  She still has hay, but isn't interested in it.  I am thinking about setting electric fence around the pig pen and moving them there while I'm away next week.  I'm not sure how she'll handle the step over the doorway though.

Day 9 - July 12
Majesty came after her buckets right quick again.  Queenie stayed outside.  No milk.  Well, just a drizzle.  Enough for two cups of tea.

I told her to eat up and stay put.  Then I closed the door up, leaving Queenie outside.  I'll go back out and try again in a couple of hours.  Her bag did not seem empty, so maybe she just doesn't want to let her milk down for me.  At any rate, it's time to start separating them for a couple of hours before milking, so now's as good a time to start as any.

Three hours later...

One happy cow, one well fed calf, one broken door.

I needed something to do this afternoon anyway though, right?

I did manage to get another half cup of milk though, and despite the separation, Majesty is still very agreeable.  If she wasn't so agreeable I might be tempted to give up.  Maybe half holstein isn't enough to make a family cow?  Time will tell.