We didn't need another cow. I knew that because Tom, Bessie and Rosebud had all agreed upon a congenial routine of daily greetings, meals, milking and tuckings in at night. The calves have settled happily into their new homes. Life was good. Everyone was happy.
Tom has one thing in common with his cows. He is happiest having a peaceful, predictable daily routine. The difference between them is that the cows have one, while Tom does not. Tom is married to me, and I am less content with this kind of serene existence than one with challenges, change and variety. This is a character flaw that even I get irritated with. But my most patient of husbands often ends up dealing with the interesting consequences of my varied interests. For example, this past year, he has mastered being a dairyman to two cows, though in all fairness, he was a willing partner in this recent exercise in self-sufficiency. But while our two cows had an orderly and routine year, Tom had to acquire a whole new career (though I think this makes about six).
About a month ago, I ran across a sales ad for a Miniature Jersey cow. I see these all the time, being a member of a number of internet lists pertaining to these small cows. But this one just "spoke" to me. Maybe it was the little white socks on her back feet, her small size or her unusual black color (she is part Dexter). But the upshot is that we decided that she would make an excellent, anniversary-Christmas-New Year's-Jorg's Birthday present, and Priscilla came to live with us.
Priscilla was not happy with this arrangement, being the only one not consulted about it. And she compensated for her small size with a large attitude. Her first week was spent doing an impressive Spanish bull impression every time you approached her paddock. But she has gradually come to realize that people here mean food and head scratches and a warm stall on cold nights. Bessie took her small size to mean that she was a calf, and our accomplished nurse cow immediately "adopted" her. Rosebud is frosty.
Priscilla is due to calve or "freshen" in April or early May. When she does, we will learn something new: how to deal with calves born with horns, as this calf will likely have them. In the meantime, we have all setttled in to the new farm routine. Until it changes. Spring is only two months away and it's hard to tell what the new year will bring. We still need to "introduce" Bessie and Rosebud to their mail-order husband. And try some new heirloom vegetables, and raise some new garden beds...we need new fruit trees....
Photo (L-R): Priscilla, Bessie and Rosebud
6 comments:
Love the picture of your girls! Great update!
Thanks, Tammy. She is starting to lose her pot belly and fill out a bit. She is also much happier being in with the other cows. She may never be as lovable as the other two, but she will probably be as gentle. Hope yours are doing well!
Jorg, How many months are your girls into their lactation? How much milk are they giving now? What did they give at their peak? You can email me if you don't want to post all of that info here. I am just curious how they compair to my girls in output.
Hi Tammy. I'm milking the girls twice a day and it is interesting the variation in amount day-on-day, even between milkings. I expected to get roughly the same each milking but it doesn't seem to work like that. Even the quarters are different on different days. Some of it is in the letting down, some in the temperature, and some in sheer cow cussedness! Anyway, approximately 1gal 5pints per milking (I'm using 3liter wine jars for milk storage!) from the two of them - total around 3gals per day on average. Bessie often gives slightly more than Rosebud, but not all the time. They have been pretty much at a level, in terms of production, from the beginning, with just the ups and downs throughout. I've had times when one or other of them simply refused to let down, and other times when they have given more. Part of the problem may be that i think our milker is fine for goats, but is a little underpowered for cows, also the cold weather affects performance. So many things to take account of........... Hope this helps. Tom
Thanks, Tom. I am always curious if "real life" measures up to the statistics I read about the minis. My girls have produced as much as 3 gallons each a day at peak lactation with a good amount of grain. Now that I have the others, I don't need to push them. Edy is dry right now and Mayfield is eight months into her lactation and giving 1.5 - 2 gallons a day. Not bad for these little girls, huh? After wintering the standard size cows, I want more than ever to get to the point where my herd is minitare to mid-mini in size! The minis hold their body condition so much better and eat far less! Good luck with your new girl and thanks for the info!
When the calves were nursing (or being bottle fed in Annie's case) I would estimate that they were probably giving well over 2 gals each maximum per day. That lasted a short time once we started feeding the calves. My technique probably ensured that they let down less over a period of time and reading up on it, it seems that anything from cold hands to hard words can affect quantity! I even had one person suggesting sucking on the teat in cold weather to encourage let down! What an adventure, and I thought cows were just big, amiable dumb animals. My mistake.
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