The WORST Part About Owning a Milk Cow

A couple things I didn't mention in the video: (1) It might look like Mabel has diarrhea, but this is actually the normal poop consistency for a cow- they are always "loose". She likely pooped more than normal that day because she was a little annoyed and impatient. ;) (2) We are hoping to start selling milk locally, which is why we are super-picky about keeping things clean. We are currently getting our milk tested and working making sure the bacteria counts are low, which is important if we plan to sell milk to the public.

Ok.....my cow gets extra grain tonight. I hand milk my gal and I am so dang slow. Its her first year and mine. We are still learning. We don't even have to confine her though. She just stands there and lets me milk. If she has to poop she will just walk away to poop. then comes back and stands there sweet as can be. I thought she was naughty for hitting me with her tail and licking my back constantly......Mable just convinced me that my cow is an absolute angel.

This is the very best change I have made over the years in my milking routine. I get a large plastic tub, fill it with straw and ALWAYS keep it at the back of the cow when in her stanchion. Invariably one will pee or poop when I least expect it, and this way it always goes in the tub and does not splash because of the loose straw in the tub.

Milk cows operate on routine. They are letting you know that you are disorganized.

I think you cured my romanticism of getting a milk cow! 😂

How sweet of that little girl to make breakfast and serve everyone. She is so sweet

Glad I’m not the only one with an unruly milk cow 😂 I was rooting for you to get to the soccer game!

As someone who milks on a fully robotic dairy. I love your setup it’s clean and I imagine once you setup milking everyday will be efficient for 4 cows. The poop is because you are stressing them out. Cows hate jets of water and you kept making it worse by spraying into her instead of away. And loose poop is normal with stress so I don’t see any issue with that

That poop is all it would take for me to just go buy milk.

One of my earliest lessons when it comes to getting animals to do something : when you have 5 minutes for the 5 minute chore it will take (half) an hour, when you have an hour, it will take 5 minutes (tops).

She doesn't have diarrhea. If she "poops" 4 times in that period it's because it's stressed. Probably because she hasn't been milked in a week. That adds a lot of stress and increases the chances of mastitis and increase SCC's. The CMT it's accurate at all. Visual inspection is more accurate than anything. But the cost of your operation is insane 😱

I think the cows were pooping so much because they were stressed, which can happen if you don't milk them regularly because that can be painful for them in many cases, and it definitely doesn't feel good to have milk in there without any relief. I would say find a schedule, preferably one time in the morning and one time at night to milk these girls. That'll help them feel better and cooperate better, and they'll be happier. I really appreciate how clean you keep your facilities though, it's very nice

My milk cow lost her calf this year which meant I had to start milking her immediately. I was totally unprepared. The first few times I used the squeeze chute until I could get a make shift milking area. Oh my gosh! The first week there was so much poop and pee! I was dying of laughter watching this video. She has settled into the routine now and she does all of her pooping and peeing before she comes in to be milked. My milking area is, let’s just say, rustic. 😆 Yours is amazing!!!

I grew up on a grade B dairy, we had 86 of these gals. Jersey's too. Anyway, if you'd milk them at the same time every day, or twice a day preferably, let the kids bottle feed the calves . That give the kids a regular job, and puts your milkers on a schedule. No problem getting them to come in, they know they'll get relief so they're itching to be milked. I'd just step outside the barn and whistle, all 86 cows , who were already there, would come running. It the inconsistent milking times they don't appreciate. I was in the military and broke some bones in a fall, when I was x-rayed they counted hundreds of hairline fractures in my calves and feet, and they asked what that was. I said I didn't know how many times I've been kicked or stepped on by cows, horses and sheep during my teen years.

Mabel reminded me of an unpredictable newborn on the changing table lol.... what a sweetie to make breakfast for everyone.

You have heard the term, haste makes waste, well the cows feel into your energy. Go in calm and collected and it is surprising how much smoother the outcome will be.

Thank you so much for your video. It show's how homesteading is not always smooth.

I'm sorry to say this, but I was laughing so hard as your cow kept pooping! I know it was frustrating for you but it was very funny! However, I also felt bad for you. I never realized how much work goes into milking cows. I have an even higher level of respect for you and your family. Blessings!

Thanks for sharing the true struggles you had instead of acting like you are homesteading with rainbows and unicorns... We milk one of our dexter cows and most days she is great, but occasionally it feels like everything goes wrong all in one day.

I’m glad you show the reality of milking a cow... very interesting ... Mabel changed how I feel about milk lol it’s so much work to get some milk!