Family cows???

[Al Baker(pumpman)]

Just trying to muster up the will power to leave this warm house and go milk "Emma". Her and I spend 20 minutes or so each evening together. I get two gallons of fresh grass fed organic Jersey milk. Most of the milk goes for drinking and homemade butter. When we are feeling ambitious we do make a few types of cheeses. This isn't a cost effective job, but we like knowing the children are getting the best milk I can give them. Store bought milk seems very adulterated to me. I grew up drinking fresh milk as did my Dad, and his Dad, and his Dad also. It was good enough for them, well good enough for us. I was just wondering if anyone else keeps a family cow or two around besides there normal farm duties? I catch heck from some neighbors for the time I "waste" ,milking one or two cows. I just cant bring myself to try milking one of the angus Mommas here. Emma leads a very pampered life where she is the number 1 cow on this farm. Funny how much I love that old cow. I bought her 8 years ago. Each year she brings a healthy new calf and knows the routine and almost never needs to be directed. Open her pen, she heads for the stations. Always uses the same one. Milk her and she heads back to her pen. In the summer just call her name and she heads up from the pasture. Some of the other cows notice she gets special attention, but then she's "Emma". Al

 

[johnofnewhaven]

I don't but I think that is great!!!

 

[farmerwithmutt]

Wasn't that hoards ed and emma ?

 

[Kickinbull]

Most of the time in 50 years I?ve had at least one cow for fresh milk.

 

[Janicholson]

We had two in the heard of 24 (ended milking due to sanitary regulations in 1955) "Endwrench" and "Noname" both Holsteins. Endwrench had a black patch of hair on her right rib cage about 24" long at an angle that was a pretty good pattern for a combination open and box end wrench of about 3 inch span. No name had patterns that were nearly the same as other cows Left side looked like a cow whos name I can;t remember, and the other side patterned like a cow named "bos". I don't remember separating home milk from sold milk by cow, byt it might have been. Jim

 

[RedGreenGuy]

Growing up on the farm it was part of my twice daily chores to milk "Ole Bossy". Our sole source of milk and butter.

 

[fixerupper]

We did when I was a kid but got rid of the cow 50 years ago or more. I cranked the butter churn every Saturday morning. Mom made cottage cheese but she never made any other type of cheese that I can remember. I can still taste the sweet buttermilk.

 

[Mark-Mi]

My good friend milks one cow for their own use.

I kid him that he has the largest dairy in the township.

 

[gab]

That's a nice story about your old buddy Emma and I also drank milk dipped out of the cooler until I was about twenty years old.

 

[John in Md.]

Still keep two spoiled Guernseys, Chessie and Maybelle. Chessie is 15 this year and open, after 8 attempts AI'ing her she's going to see the beef bull this May. If that doesn't work it's off to McD land. Maybelle is 2 years old and due March 16 to a Select Sire son of Grumpy.
Both girls know there own tie stalls and are waiting for me morning and night to let them in. I've been milking family cows here since 1962 when my Grandmother passed the duties to me. We've made kafir, yogurt, cottage chess, butter, smearcase, panir, mozzarella, and feed the leftover whey to hogs and chickens.
As for milking Angus, years ago we had an old girl nicknamed Wobble Knockers that had to be milked down the day she calved so the calf could nurse, always had to bottle feed the colostrum to her calves, then they could nuse on their own. I still have a couple of quarts of her colostrum in the freezer for bum calves.
Still milk by hand but am thinking of getting an electric milker. Worked on dairy farms when I was in high school but didn't like the transition to Holsteins so I stuck with the Guernseys for temperament and milk quality.

 

[showcrop]

What does "very adulterated" mean to you?

 

[Part Time Pete]

When the kids were little we had a little black Jersey milk cow. I do miss it at times
Pete

 

[Part Time Pete]

My wife used to go to a web site named "keeping a family cow" - she got a ton of valuable information from it

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 06:15:00 02/13/18)
What does "very adulterated" mean to you?

Yeah, not sure how dairy farmers are supposed to take that comment, as it is their product that he's turning his nose up at.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind if I never saw another drop of milk in my life. Spent the first 18 years of my life dealing with those dirty, mean, ungrateful animals, and the next 15 doing it on weekends and vacations. I'm also lactose intolerant.

Unfortunately milk is necessary for some recipes so I buy whatever "very adulterated" product is on the shelf at the store with the longest expiration date, and keep it for about a week after that date just in case someone wants pancakes or mac-n-cheese. I try to buy quarts when I can, because it usually ends up getting huffed in the trash can unopened.

 

[Andy Martin]

(quoted from post at 06:15:00 02/13/18)
What does "very adulterated" mean to you?

It was easy for me to understand. The difference between raw milk that has been gravity separated and that from a plant that has accurately adjusted the fat will make a difference to anyone. Not a slam at dairy farmers from my unbiased view as a beef farmer.

If you've ever milked an Angus it makes Jersey milk look thin.

 

[Switchflicker]

(quoted from post at 09:24:23 02/13/18)

(quoted from post at 06:15:00 02/13/18)
What does "very adulterated" mean to you?

I didn't have any trouble comprehending what he said either. Maybe the following example will help soothe the pain.

Given the choice, would you prefer fruit and vegetables from your own garden/farmer's market or the stuff from the Walmart, Safeway, Fry's etc?

I know for a fact that the corn fresh picked tastes soooo much better than the stuff you get in winter from the supermarket

Neither the milk nor the fruit and veggie examples are a slam on the fine people who produce and market the product, Just the required process to keep it from spoiling and to keep it looking good
Stan

 

[C.Amick]

My parents had Pet who was a Guernsey and her daughter Daisy who was half Hereford as milk cows. I have been wanting to get a couple Guernseys, but need to find the funds to build a barn first for milking and hay storage.

 

[Dale39]

(quoted from post at 22:13:11 02/12/18) Just trying to muster up the will power to leave this warm house and go milk "Emma". Her and I spend 20 minutes or so each evening together. I get two gallons of fresh grass fed organic Jersey milk. Most of the milk goes for drinking and homemade butter. When we are feeling ambitious we do make a few types of cheeses. This isn't a cost effective job, but we like knowing the children are getting the best milk I can give them. Store bought milk seems very adulterated to me. I grew up drinking fresh milk as did my Dad, and his Dad, and his Dad also. It was good enough for them, well good enough for us. I was just wondering if anyone else keeps a family cow or two around besides there normal farm duties? I catch from some neighbors for the time I "waste" ,milking one or two cows. I just cant bring myself to try milking one of the angus Mommas here. Emma leads a very pampered life where she is the number 1 cow on this farm. Funny how much I love that old cow. I bought her 8 years ago. Each year she brings a healthy new calf and knows the routine and almost never needs to be directed. Open her pen, she heads for the stations. Always uses the same one. Milk her and she heads back to her pen. In the summer just call her name and she heads up from the pasture. Some of the other cows notice she gets special attention, but then she's "Emma". Al

I'm really interested in this- do you milk Emma once a day only?