Guest guest Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 We once had four cows and eventually just went to goats and sheep. Anyway I would suggest just tie them up and milk one at a time. Once the cows know the schedule they are happy especially if you milk them in the same order everytime. Rhonda small dairy operation Greetings,I have a very small dairy, with a couple of cows and a single milking stanchion and milking machine. We plan on going up to four cows, eventually. I would love to talk any else that is this small, about how they handle the waiting cows, during milking time.-- Bright Blessings,Garth & Kim www.TheRoseColoredForest.comBedias, Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 We were at one time that small. Hubby milked by hand then. No stanchions. Hubby tied the girls up when milking. He fed a feed mix when the others were waiting. Not much feed. Just a pound or two. That was their daily dose of “candy”. I think he also tied up the ones that were waiting to be milked because the room was small that we milked in. 12’x20’. All our cows at that time were halter broke. Makes a big difference.Ro-nw ia From: RawDairy [mailto:RawDairy ] On Behalf Of Garth & Kim Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 9:09 AMTo: undisclosed-recipients:Subject: small dairy operation Greetings,I have a very small dairy, with a couple of cows and a single milking stanchion and milking machine. We plan on going up to four cows, eventually. I would love to talk any else that is this small, about how they handle the waiting cows, during milking time.-- Bright Blessings,Garth & Kim www.TheRoseColoredForest.comBedias, Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 We have always milked one cow at a time(by hand) and have kept 1-6 milking cows at any one time. We always milk in the same order and call up each cow as their turn arrives. With that few head, they almost always learn their names. The ones waiting either stand around and chew cud, or graze while waiting for their names to be called. DixonOzark JewelsNubians and Lamanchaswww.ozarkjewels.net Subject: small dairy operationTo: Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:08 AM Greetings,I have a very small dairy, with a couple of cows and a single milking stanchion and milking machine. We plan on going up to four cows, eventually. I would love to talk any else that is this small, about how they handle the waiting cows, during milking time.-- Bright Blessings,Garth & Kim www.TheRoseColoredForest.comBedias, Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Greetings, Once you milk a cow, do you turn it back in with the cows waiting? And yes, my girls know their names. What about when you have a cow dried off to calf? I want my girls to still get their feed, so having a dry cow in the lineup is a bit problematic. Bright Blessings, Garth & Kim www.TheRoseColoredForest.com Bedias, Texas > > > We have always milked one cow at a time(by hand) and have kept 1-6 > milking cows at any one time. We always milk in the same order and call > up each cow as their turn arrives. With that few head, they almost > always learn their names. The ones waiting either stand around and chew > cud, or graze while waiting for their names to be called. > > Dixon > Ozark Jewels > Nubians and Lamanchas > www.ozarkjewels.net > > > > > > Subject: small dairy operation > To: > Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:08 AM > > Greetings, > > I have a very small dairy, with a couple of cows and a single milking > stanchion and milking machine. We plan on going up to four cows, > eventually. I would love to talk any else that is this small, about how > they handle the waiting cows, during milking time. > -- > Bright Blessings, > Garth & Kim > www.TheRoseColoredForest.com > Bedias, Texas > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Garth & Kim.......I personally milk goats. We have several that we are milking. We bring 4 int o the barn at a time and we milk by hand. Often, I am milking alone. The ladies stay in there night pen with the other goats until it is there turn to come into the barn. We have the goats trained to the point that they know where they are going and what stand they belong on. I usually just stand at the gate, call there names and the proper 4 **usually** come right on up to be let out. I let them out of the pen (at which time they are totally loose on 20.5 acres of land) and I close the gate, then head to the barn door (an older single wide mobile home). I open the door and the goats proceed to head on in, on there own, and get up onto the proper stand. I see to it that there is at least a handful of feed at each stantion. After milking, I give each doe a piece of hard candy (spoiled ladies!) and turn them loose. Most of them back out, turn around, and stand on there stand until I open the door. They then head out and head to the gate to be let back into there pen! If cows are anywhere near as smart as goats...... Just remember a few things.....Consistency goes a LONG ways. At first you might have to retrieve the big girl from the pen and lead her to where you want her. Keep them in the same order. Remember, if you have to change the routine (that is what it is all about), then you'll have to retrain them. Just show them what you want and they will learn. The training, in most cases, will take anywhere from 2 days (for experienced milkers) to a couple of weeks. If you are in tune with your animals, you'll know when you can let go of there collar! Tami/TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 We would consider ourselves a small dairy. We milk between 8 and 10 cows and we milk them one at a time in a stanchion. We bring all the cows into a “holding” area and allow the cows to decide who gets milked when. It’s interesting to watch how they change the order. We also remove dry cows and care for them in a different area. Many times a cow that was number one when on one lactation doesn’t remain number one on a new lactation. We can always alter the order if we need to for any reason (a cow is in standing heat and we want to AI her or palpate one that’s been bred after she’s milked, etc.). Have a wonderful day linwww.feonow.comwww.trinityoaksfarms.com __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 7169 (20120526) __________The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.http://www.eset.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 27, 2012 Report Share Posted May 27, 2012 With anything up to four cows, we will just call them from the pasture as we need them. Usually they are all loafing around in the shade near the milking pen. But with anything over 4 head, we found it easier to have a small holding pen to being all the cows into before milking and just call them in one by one. This allows the cows already milked to go back out to pasture and not to mix with the cows still waiting. And yes, we left dry cows with the herd. Our dry cows get no grain from dry-off to just before calving when we start giving them a small amount. The dry cows would get turned away if they tried to come in and soon they got the message. With no grain coming to them and their udders not being full, most of the time they decided to stay out in the pasture rather than coming when we called the others. DixonOzark JewelsNubians and Lamanchaswww.ozarkjewels.net>>> > Subject: small dairy operation> To:> Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:08 AM>> Greetings,>> I have a very small dairy, with a couple of cows and a single milking> stanchion and milking machine. We plan on going up to four cows,> eventually. I would love to talk any else that is this small, about how> they handle the waiting cows, during milking time.> --> Bright Blessings,> Garth & Kim > www.TheRoseColoredForest.com> Bedias, Texas>>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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