Time for milking

At milking time, Daisy sees TonTon appear in the field and then walks to the gate and up into the yards.

For a little munch.

She hears the pump go on and off as I rinse the lines and the bucket and comes to her door to watch. She is very calm, and just chews her cud as she watches me  get all the feeds ready for the other animals. I line up all the buckets.  Clean bits and pieces and get the house in order.  Waiting for her to be ready.

As she watches she will pee and poo.  Always. She will never make a mess in the milking parlour. She likes to have this all done before milking.  And once I have heard the noises of her toilet then I know she is ready.

I put her feed (last night it was peeled apples) into her tray and fill her bower with the good hay as a treat. 

Then I ring  her bell. Often she will ring it herself while she is waiting, but by accident I am sure. Once I have rung the bell she takes two steps back and to the side so that I can open the door and  then in she goes. At this point it is important not to be in her way. She is eager to get in there. She is still milking 30 pounds in the morning and 25 in the afternoon. This is about 7 gallons in a day.  I have fat pigs and a well fed happy calf.  And cheese and yoghurt, butter and icecream on the go almost every day.  Not to mention the huge glasses of cold raw milk with dinner.  And an old dog with renewed vigor as his arthritis is subdued. 

After the milking I walk her to a new field. She just walks along behind me. She is on a go slow lately. I do hope she is pregnant.  We will know in a few weeks. Everything is done the same way twice a day and everything we do has the company of two dogs and two cats.  Daisy ignores them all.  She and I walk gently to and fro. Both Daisy and I like the rhythms of the routine.

Sometimes if I am having a quiet day I take the horse brush out into the field and brush her coat. She loves to have the brush on her neck and behind her ear. So if I am brushing her considerable belly she will often slowly, slowly with the tiniest of steps,  move her entire body backwards under the brush so that soon I am brushing behind her ears. Then she will stop. She will lower her head so the brush is perfectly positioned and lean her face on my thigh.  There, she will say, that’s the spot. Right there.

But I have to brush you all over I tell her, as after a while I move back to her haunches. She just waits until I am settled then starts again, and ever so slowly will move herself backwards shuffling her cow feet softly so I don’t notice, until she has me positioned correctly again.

Good morning. There is the dawn and out I go. Ton is already out in the field waiting with her. I should train him to turn on the lights and flush the lines as well!

Have a lovely day.

celi

What I was making on this day a year ago.. Shepherds Pie!