Frank mentioned in a post that his parents had milked the cows for the last time this year. I didn't know milk was seasonal. I've heard of cows "freshening" and starting to give milk. Could someone explain the milk cycle to me? And no, I am not planning on getting a milk cow or two. My husband turned green when I suggested it. I am still working on acquiring a couple of mules, though .
Jane, Barb is correct. You need to have a breeding season, calving cycle and then begins the milk production. Here in the US a farmer breeds the cows (normally through artificial insemination as most don't keep a bull on the farm) after they have have come in heat. The calf takes approximately 11 months of gestation... so, he feeds the cow for 11 months while she is gestating, but there is no milk being produced, as soon as she gives birth the calf might or might not be allowed to nurse the colostrum ( which I can't imagine why they wouldn't allow that because they can't milk it in that stage, either, but either way the calf is removed from her shortly and bottle fed) then the cow is put back into milk production for the next year or so. Then the cycle starts over...
Thank you, now I understand. I also understand why milk is so expensive! We are surrounded by cattle ranches, but of course they aren't dairy farmers and I couldn't quite figure out why milk production was cyclical. Sounds as if it isn't much fun for the bull, wherever he is . . . .
Yes, Jane... It is expensive to upkeep and maintain a healthy herd at all times. 1/2 of the herd may be "dry" or in production at all times. So, in all reality the farmer is feeding all of his herd and having only 1/2 of it producing milk at a time. When a cow has her calf the farmer is rejoicing if it is a heifer and not a bull. They maintain an expensive commodity on the farm with their cows and a bull is a non productive addition and they usually get rid of the bulls through an auction, but the blood lines of the cows (most farmers keep a registered herd) are carefully maintained ensuring that even the bull calves have value if there is a breeder who wants that particular bull (due to the bloodlines) for his AI production, but most of the bull calves are castrated and turned into steers and raised for meat.
When I was a kid on the farm, we milked 20 to 25 head twice a day all year around. Dad would keep them bred so that we always had that many in production. These were all Holstein which were generally the biggest producers. When they freshened, we would give the milk to the calves. And the cats. We would milk them out by hand when first freshening as the udders would be tender. The cats would line up and we would just aim at their mouths. The male calves would be castrated and turned into steers and they would be grown as freezer beef, or if there were too many, sold off. The females were raised to maintain the size of the herd of milkers.
I do hope that folks, like me, who were not raised on a farm, realize the thought and heavy work that goes into providing food for the supper tables here in the USA. Since we moved to our little farm, I have learned how hard-working, smart, and generous farmers are. If you need help, there they are. If you need advice, there they are. And if you need someone to tell you "honey, that just ain't gonna work," there they are to save you from making time-consuming, expensive mistakes. Let's hear it for the American (and all nations') farmers!
I couldn't agree more MG! Since moving to farm country, I have met the most generous, hard working people! I have become SO respectful of the hard work they do 24/7. The best bumper sticker I have read was "If you ate today, thank a farmer" !
As a school kid, I would get up at 4 am, eat a quick breakfast, help my 2 brothers milk usually 20 cows, feed them and then get cleaned up and dressed to catch the bus for school at 6:30 am. Dad would have left at 4:30 am to drive the 30 miles to work. He was a forman at a foundry. Then we would get home from school at 4:30 and repeat it all over again. This was every day, winter and summer. Spring, summer and fall, there was also crops to plant or harvest or hay to put up. So I learned early that I did not want to be a farmer.
Capt... I so totally agree with you... A farmer is born, not made, just like a teacher. You cant make a person into something that requires so much devotion. It comes from the heart. I swore I would NEVER marry a farmer. It is 24/7/365!!! At least an animal farmer is, and here I have pretty much turned into a farmer myself... JUST NOT COWS! chickens, rabbits, a dog and cats, along with 6 greenhouses/high tunnels and a truck patch for almost 6 months of the year.
I was raised on a farm until I was 11 and had my chores. Driving the cows in, feeding the calves (my favorite job) and helping to clean out the barns after each milking. Later, at 26 years old, I started my own mini farm. Not milk cows but I raised our own beef, pork and chickens plus had a huge garden. I enjoyed it but it was also necessity. My oldest son was suppose to avoid any food raised with growth hormones, steroids, preservatives or any un-natural additives or fertilizers. Lots of work but it did keep him off medications. I drew the line on a milk cow but I did enjoy having all my animals and our huge garden.
Farming is a lot of work, as all of you know. But it also has its benefits: Getting up early enough to see a really spectacular sunrise. The smell of a warm barn on a cold day--the scent of cows or horses, hay, and grains. Seeing what the "output" of cattle, horses, chickens do for your vegetable garden. Having to travel a 1/4 mile or more to get to your next-door neighbor. Breathing air that is clean and has a faint odor of green growing things. There are lots of other benefits, but these are the ones I hold in mind while weeding, cleaning out coops, and raking water purslane out of the pond's edge. It helps me keep from grumping!
KK Ng, With your work ethic and love of growing things, you would make a great farmer! Judging from your posts, I think you are farming, just on a smaller scale, perhaps.
I remember for a few years we had a German shepard that we taught to bring the cows up in the evening for milking. She got to where all we had to do was tell her to get the cows and off she would go to get them. If they were slow or feeling cantankerous and didn't want to go to the barn, she would jump up and nip them on the flank and off they would go for the barn. That was one of the best dogs we ever had!
