milking your own cow

[ryder]

Has anyone had their own cow that they milked? Like just one, not a bunch that use the machines. But real milking by hand?

Im just curious... LOL.... If/when we get our farm I definately want to do alot of veggies and some fruits and have my own chickens.

Im not sure I would go as far as to have a cow, but if it was easy to milk the cow and prepare the milk it very well may be something i'd consider.

 

[saraendepity]

LOL i thought that said MAKING your own cow..me n OH had a little giggle!LOL

i think the actual milking process is fairly easy......i suppose it'd be like expressing milk but just in the extreme !LOL but it will taste funny unless you pasteuise it etc etc.....dunno exactly what that involves but i know you have to boil it for a bit then cool it down vvvvv quickly be worth looking into i suppose

sara

xxxx

 

[ryder]

interesting... lol... if it were a simple matter of boiling it for a time and then cooling it, that doesnt sound so hard?

Do cows have to be bred every year to produce milk? Or can they be bred and then just continue making milk if its milked from them?

 

[mommyof3co]

I have no experience, my mom lived on a farm and they drank the milk fresh, didn't do anything to it. But I don't know if I could lol, she said it did taste different. But I found this for you

If you milk your cow regularly and maintain a good feeding program, your cow can give you milk for up to 10 months

I also found this

Cows produce milk after giving birth to offspring. There wouldn't be any point in milk production *during* pregnancy, since the purpose of milk is to nourish the calf post-partum, and physiologically the body would see no reason to produce milk without a baby.

So I wonder if you would need 2 cows to get milk year round? Like milk one for 10mo while the other is preg...don't know how long they are preg for...then milk that one and breed the other? Otherwise it looks like there would be a lapse in milk production while they are preg...unless they work like humans and can produce while pregnant if you continue milking? lol I don't know though. So I google This is what I found haha...I'm bored can you tell? Hope it helps though

Part of the problem seems to be milk from modern dairy farms, where cows are milked about 300 days a year. For much of that time, the cows are pregnant. The later in pregnancy a cow is, the more hormones appear in her milk.

Milk from a cow in the late stage of pregnancy contains up to 33 times as much of a signature estrogen compound (estrone sulfate) than milk from a non-pregnant cow.

And they were saying the hormones in the milk are dangerous....granted that's dairy farms but I would imagine the same would apply if you have the one cow and milked it year round.

 

[ryder]

interesting... having 2 cows and alternating knocking them up may become a bit more work though LOL....

 

[bky]

Goats give a lot more milk than cows for body size and unless you were making cheese or something a goat might be a more manageable amount of milk (1/2 to 1 gal a day) for a family than a cow (generally at least 2gal/8l a day on the LOW end). People often don't like goat milk, but raw cow milk tastes pretty different than market stuff IMO as well.

Here is a pictorial guide (on a glove ) on how to do a goat. Cow's aren't much off.
https://fiascofarm.com/goats/how_to_milk_a_goat.htm

Pasteurizing is pretty easy as well. You just need a large pot and a candy or meat thermometer. Just heat to 145F/63C and then cover and cool.

 

[mommyof3co]

If you pasteurize it does it taste more like store bought? I think my mom said they drank it straight from the cow never pasteurized it. If you know what you're feeding it is it still considered safe to do that?

Sorry to hijack Ryder, just curious

 

[ryder]

thats ok, im curious too LOL...

how do you know if the milk is homo or 2% then? Or is regular from the cow milk fatty enough for toddlers anyway?

 

[bky]

I think (and I may be wrong) but the homogenization process (generally what you buy in the store) removes all the milk fat and then it is added back in to 2-4%. 4% is close to what comes out of the cow, but unhomogenized may tend to separate a bit more than one would be used to with store bought. I think it's the combination of homogenization and pasteurization that changes the flavour a bit. As I understand it from making cheese (my main experience with various types of milk outside of doing a bit of work for dairy management and having goats around ) pasteurized unhomogenized milk will taste more like if you mixed 1 quart heavy cream with 1 gallon skim milk (1:7 ratio). I haven't noticed pasteurization changes the taste much really--unless you scald or burn the milk. Some people want the benefit of the bacteria and such in the raw milk though.
It's probably fine to drink unpasteurized if you know your cow's udders are clean and you know what it's eating. I know some people use an udder dip or wash before and after milking to prevent mastitis....and of course cows can get a bit...splashy with the cowpats.

 

[NattieLou]

Are mini cows decent milkers? If we ever have land, I dream of owning a mini hairy coo as a pet. They are sooooo lush.

https://www.birchimages.co.uk/galleryimages/Highland%20cattle%20Scotland%202.JPG

 

[Rachel_C]

We used to drink unpasteurised milk at my mum's uncle's farm... it does taste different, but in a good way I think. I would like to have a cow myself, but living in a flat I don't think it's very likely! Also, I don't know if I would be able to get the cow pregnant then send the baby off to another farm, most likely to be slaughtered for meat I know that's what happens to get all the milk I drink but I don't think I could cope with seeing it in action. I'd probably end up with a whole herd of unwanted cows as pets, like a cow sanctuary

 

[freckleonear]

Lots of my family are smallholders who keep their own cows! I don't think any of them bother to pasteurise the milk.

The easiest way is to milk once a day. You will need to seperate the calf from the cow either during the day (for evening milking) or during the night (for morning milking). By breeding the cow when the calf is three months old, you will have a new calf at about the same time every year. At some point during pregnancy it's likely that the milk will start to dry up, so you might get a few months with not much milk.

The milk will need to be strained to remove any straw and cow hair. It is full fat milk, so you will need to separate the cream from the milk if you want to make skimmed milk, butter, cream or cheese. However, unlike shop-bought milk the cream is not evenly distributed throughout the milk but floats on the top, so the milk at the bottom doesn't actually have much fat in it unless it is homogenised. Using milk raw or pasteurised is down to personal preference, but pasteurisation can be easily done on the hob by heating to 145 degrees F for 30 minutes or 165 degrees F for 15 seconds and then quickly cooled.

 

[Vici]

We had cows and goats when i grew up and i remember mum only using the goats for milk. Never did anything with it and it was lovely. Goats are very easy to keep too. My ex's dad worked on a dairy farm and he used to bring home cows milk everyday. gain nothing done to it - gorgeous taste (nicer than goats IMO) but very creamy x

 

[saraendepity]

i still keep reading making your own cow...have a giggle everytime!!!!!

 

[adzuki]

I grew up on a farm and nannied for my neighbour who ran a dairy farm. We milked the cows by hand (somehow I remember it being a requirement for the 4h club - do they do badges? I don't remember!), and I remember just tipping the bucket and taking a sip of the warm milk. We would get a jug of milk each day - it tasted kind of like homogenized milk - really rich and quite nice, actually.


A

 

[Missy]

We used to drink unpasteurised milk at my mum's uncle's farm... it does taste different, but in a good way I think. I would like to have a cow myself, but living in a flat I don't think it's very likely! Also, I don't know if I would be able to get the cow pregnant then send the baby off to another farm, most likely to be slaughtered for meat I know that's what happens to get all the milk I drink but I don't think I could cope with seeing it in action. I'd probably end up with a whole herd of unwanted cows as pets, like a cow sanctuary

Good point. What would you do with the calves? Surely not sell them off for slaughter? That seems really wrong...taking the milk from mum and killing her babies...and on a parenting site too

 

[ryder]

I dont think we need to get upset or emotional over the cows and their babies... that isnt what this thread is about. And considering this is the "natural" parenting section it should be expected because milking your own cows and the business of it is a natural way of living.

Im sorry if your somehow offended by the conversation. Dont assume everyone is sending baby cows to slaughter though.. there are other scenarios for the cows.

Thank you girls for the info on the milking though!!!! I do believe you get badges in 4H for milking I think I got to milk a cow when I was much younger.

 

[Missy]

Well that's exactly what I was asking isn't it? What ARE the other scenarios for the calves and what did you intend? I will make my own decision on whether to find animal slaughter upsetting or emotional thank you. I do not require your permission. You might just find that a number of 'natural parents' are also animal friendly. For many it goes hand in hand.

 

[ryder]

well you do seem offended with your comment about "this being a parenting site too"...

 

[Missy]

I was trying to point out the irony.