After living on the farm for a year we started looking for a dairy cow. We found our milk cow, Liza on Craigslist. Liza was a two year old Jersey-Zebu cross. She had never been bred but had been handled and seemed friendly. Training Liza to be a first time milk cow was hard. There were so many times that I just wanted to give up. It takes persistence and a strong will to train a cow. It wasn’t easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Do All Cows Produce Milk?
For a cow to produce milk, she must have a calf. Our original plan was keep Liza away from the bull for a week or two. That didn’t happen because Liza jumped the woven wire cattle fence to get to the bull the first night she arrived. If you don’t have a bull, artificial insemination is a popular option. It can be done by a veterinarian or an AI Tech. AI techs are easier to find if there is a dairy farm close by. To perform artificial insemination you will need to have a way to hold the animal still. A milk stanchion will work. If you don’t have a milk stanchion yet, check with your local farm extension office. They may have a head gate available to loan.
How Do You Prepare a First Time Milk Cow For Milking?
It is important to start preparing the cow for milking as soon as possible. Here is how we did it.
- Build the stanchion right away
- Get a halter on the cow. We put it on while she was eating some alfalfa pellets.
- Spend time with her everyday the first few weeks brushing her and giving her treats
- Start attaching a lead to the halter. Work with her for even just 10 or 15 minutes everyday.
- Lure her to the stanchion with some hay, alfalfa pellets or a little grain.
- The first time you lock her in she won’t like it. When she is done eating her treat, let her out.
- Gradually keep her there a little longer without getting her too agitated.
- While she is in the stanchion gently brush her. Work your way down to her underside and down her back legs. Eventually start to run your hand over her udders.
- Don’t try to milk her, just let her get used to your touch.
How Soon Can you Start Milking?
After Liza had her calf we waited two weeks to milk. As this was the first time milking for both Liza and I, calf sharing seemed like the safest option. Letting the calf get that colostrum is very important. During those two weeks remember to bring your cow into the stanchion. Just long enough so she stays in the habit.
How to Start Calf Sharing With a First Time Milk Cow
After the two weeks are up, you are ready to milk. For the first couple weeks, don’t separate the calf from the cow. If the cow is in distress because she can’t get to her calf, you aren’t going to get anywhere. Try to keep her calm and milk her for as long as she will let you before she starts to get too worked up. You will probably just get enough milk to put in your coffee for those first few times. First time cows have a tendency to hold their milk for their calves.
How to Separate the Calf From The Cow Overnight
Put a halter on the calf while you can still catch them. Spending a little time with the calf everyday will help when it comes to getting them into a stall at night. The stall must be clean, draft free, with dry bedding. Make sure it will be safe from predators and put fresh water out. The first week, we separated the cow and calf for about eight hours. Then we shifted over to twelve hours overtime.
Milking the cow will be a battle of wills for a while. Once you have the cow locked in the milk stanchion, let the calf out. You may have to tie up the calf so she is close but can’t reach the milk. Seeing the calf may help calm them both down. The cow may hold back a lot of her milk for a while until she starts to relax with milking. Before you put the cow in the stanchion, have everything ready. Try to be as relaxed as you can. Even playing some relaxing music can help both of you. The key is to just hang in there, be consistent and stay safe.
Protecting Yourself When Milking
Milking can be a dangerous when training a new cow. You have to always be on alert. When milking, keep everything close to you but a safe distance from her hind legs. You probably never thought of milking as exercise, but you are going to develop a strong pair of quads. When you squat to milk, get in a position that will allow you to move quickly when necessary. She will do it less and less but always be on alert.
The process of training Liza to be a first time milk cow was hard but I am so grateful for her. I love starting my day with milking her. Most mornings I get to enjoy the sunrise as I walk out to get Liza to the stanchion. Having a milk cow has become the best part of our small farm.
