Dairy Cattle saboranch on 07 Nov 2008 01:42 am
Milking Toffee
I have taught all my Jersey-cross dairy cows to be milked anywhere I can tie them up, which greatly simplifies milking during their daily moves on pasture during the growing season.
Here, I’m milking our Angus/Guernsey/Jersey 5 year old cow “Toffee”, who gives about 1-1/2 to 2 gallons of creamy milk a day on a once-a-day millking. Her month-old red calf, sired by our Devon Bull “Abel” is in the background.
All our dairy calves nurse throughout the 9-10 month lactation period. After birth, they live full time with their mothers for the first month or so, then progressively less time over a 24 hour period as their digestive systems (and their appetites for milk) improve.
This gives them daily access to all the health promoting benefits of fresh, raw milk from their own mothers until their immune and digestive systems are mature enough to keep them healthy on their own.
Photo: Steve Simpson