Dairy Cows

fenneran · Apr 10, 2005

I have a question for the brain trust here. Does anyone know if you can milk a dairy cow only once per day, or is it a hard-and-fast rule that you have to mike twice? We were thinking about getting a family cow for milk, but don't relish the thought of having to milk twice a day. I thought if we could ween it down to only once a day, it might be more manageable. What do you say?

-Frank

Bird · Apr 10, 2005

Frank, it used to be customary to milk twice a day; preferably 12 hours apart. I think now most dairies milk 3 times a day; i.e., every 8 hours. And while I'm far from being a dairy expert, I don't think you can get away with milking only once a day. I think if the cow didn't develop serious health problems as a result, that at least she'd go dry before very long.

cowboydoc · Apr 10, 2005

Bird is absolutely right. You have to milk twice a day. Your milk production will be very poor, VERY good chance of developing infection or other problems, and the cow will go dry in a short amount of time. If you want to really know how it is ask any female how it is to only nurse a baby once a day. Not a pleasant experience. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

fenneran · Apr 11, 2005

Actually, this was my wife's idea! She remembered that toward the end of the breastfeeding period, when the kids we're mostly on other food, she may only feed them a time or two a day. She got to thinking (you know how that goes /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif) and figured that even if the cow was used to giving milk two (or three?) times a day, we could slowly work it back to jsut once, much like a baby would, but then keep it at that level.

But from you guys are saying, that may not actually work. I would not want to take a chance of the cow getting a disease or drying up (would sort of defeat the whole purpose, eh?)

-Frank

Egon · Apr 11, 2005

A dairymans life is not easy but it sure is scheduled.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

vetteman · Apr 11, 2005

I milked cows for 25 years. Just go to the local convience store and pay the price, remember farmers are having a hard go of it and THEY dont make the $3.29 per gallon. Farming is a good life but being there 24/7 gets old fast!!!!!!! And to answer the question after a cow has her calf you HAVE to milk her at least twice per day, if you have been milking her for7-9 months and shes not bred back you could milk her once ,but you would have to get her bred back or she will dry up and youll get NO milk.

fenneran · Apr 12, 2005

Thanks vetteman. We were buying it from a local farmer until he decided to get rid of his two milkers. We would rather have the non-pasturized, non-homogonized, pure, out-of-the-cow-the-way-God-intended-it milk to the store bought stuff, but it is increasingly harder to find people who are willing to sell it like that.

kensfarm · Apr 12, 2005

I think PA just passed a law that allows dairy farmers to sell raw milk to the public.. don't have the details.

vetteman · Apr 12, 2005

Its not really an issue if they want to sell it but more like the newer modern bulk tanks make it difficult to laddel milk out and also with the state ag market and health departments the really do not allow it and if for some reason their was any kind of contamination in the milk and it was from that tank of milk the farmer could be fined and have his milk rights suspended or revoked and most dairymen cannot afford that.