Now, how can you possibly see what you think. Imagine if we were all walking about with the picture of what we were thinking flying about our heads for all to see. Thank goodness you cannot see what I am thinking . But let us see what we think.
I was talking to my friend from Colorado yesterday and we were talking about Daisy and her mastitis. (Daisy had mastitis in two quarters that we struggled with for months last winter) my friend has had years of experience with house cows and said that it was more likely that the mastitis will recur. I agree. She will never be a perfect house cow. Those two quarters will always be more likely to carry an infection. She suggested two possible solutions for me to see what I thought.
The first is to share-milk. The quarters that are prone to infection would do better if they were milked by her calf. At the same time as I am milking the other two quarters for the house and the cheese and the pigs and the chickens (and hopefully not orphan lambs this year)- the calf will be nursing on his side, then once the calf is done and I am done, I check his side to make sure the quarters are stripped and we are finished. This sounds like an excellent idea. As long as I can arrange my milking parlour to accommodate a fast growing badly behaved calf.
The other suggestion is so sensible I felt myself stepping out of my thinking square.
How did Daisy get mastitis she was musing. I told her that I found a steer I was raising nursing off her before she was even pregnant. I separated them forever but in retrospect I believed the damage had already been done. This made my friend pause then she suggested that Daisy might be a natural mother for calves other than her own. Why not let Daisy adopt Queenie’s calf and milk Queenie, she said.
You can milk a beef cow, I stupidly asked.
Of course you can, she said. You will maybe get two gallons a time rather than Daisy’s four or five but you can certainly milk a beef cow.
Well. I thought.
And I can keep Daisy as a breeding/ wet-nurse cow. And with any luck she will throw a heifer and I can raise her as the next milk cow. (Though there is a lot of luck in that thought!). And I will have to keep a very close eye on Daisy’s udder.
Well, we will have to see what we think.
Daisy is due in the middle of March and Queenie is due the beginning of April, I will have a small window to work this out. But what a very interesting think we will have.
Farming is full of learning.
Have a lovely day.
your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “We will see what we think”
I’m flabbergasted! Though my family were not livestock people – we were grain crop farmers – I always thought I knew a little about farm animals… it turns out I know little!! I have enjoyed reading this post, and the comments that followed. I love the term “think tank” that Lyn mentioned. What a wonderful group of people here who often have advice, and if not that, then a good dose of encouragement! With all of these positive vibes and ideas, surely Daisy and Queenie will flourish, whatever scenario unfolds!
I never forget how deeply lucky i am to have accumulated such a wonderful group of mentors. I hope you are well out there is your whispering forest.. c
You can milk anything that has an udder, lol. Sheep milk is super rick and makes wonderful cheese.
I laughed! Anything. Even cats?
terrifying thought!.. c
Now, ladies…..cats do not have udders. They have teats. There is a big difference.
I never knew that!.. learning all the time.. thank you emily!.. c
Sheep milk is very expensive and much sot after in the ‘natural’ markets! Sheep milk soap is like buying gold. Now just think of milking one of your ewes !!! 🙂
Dairy sheep……another project for you, Celi. and….wait for it…..dairy goats, too.
Lots of milk and cheese and soap.
ah the life of a farmer!.. c
How much training must be done to get Queenie prepared to milk?
When i trained Daisy .. when she was in her last few weeks of pregnancy I took her into the milking parlour for her food, and brushed her and moved my hands under her belly a lot so she got used to me being busy under there.. then when she was done with her food i would un hook her and off she would go. No problem getting Queenie to come in for food!!.. c
Very good thinking! 🙂
Have always tried to have insurance policies and back up plans ~ seems there are quite a few ‘variations on the theme’ and a lot of practical knowledge about . . . now to wish for two healthy calves and an early spring 🙂 !
I am joining you in that wish eha.. not long to go now. c
People used to milk sows and make cheese with the milk. I suspect any animal which lactates COULD be milked – however, you would need to be very motivated to try to milk a cat. Horses milk by the way seems a bit ‘thinner’ than cows milk.
You do have something to think about now.
Great post, makes me think how interesting.
I’m struck, yet again, with how creative farming is for you. This is fascinating, thinking outside the square.
So am I. There is a lot of room for creativity on a small farm like this.. c
It would be wonderful for some happy moments to occur and all the stars to align for you keeping fingers crossed it will work out perfectly
Brilliant.
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