# Our new adventure has arrived



## Sweetened (Apr 3, 2015)

Today, we welcomed the arrival of 14 year old Dexter, Donna, and her week old red heifer calf who we named Star (after the farm she came from). Donna is a HEAVY producer with an udder like a jersey. We are giving her a couple days to settle in before we persue handling her too much. She is highly protective of that baby so is uneasy of her new surroundings. She did take a tongue full of grain from a bucket before deciding she wasnt quite ready and backing off.

This old girl is in gorgeous body condition and im sure has several more good years left in her, and a few great chances for another lovely heifer.


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 3, 2015)

Congrats!


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## Goat Whisperer (Apr 3, 2015)

Congrats! 

I don't know anything about cattle but they are pretty 

Hope everything goes smooth with them


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## Hens and Roos (Apr 4, 2015)

Congrats!!


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## Greenvale (Apr 4, 2015)

Sweetened said:


> Today, we welcomed the arrival of 14 year old Dexter, Donna, and her week old red heifer calf who we named Star (after the farm she came from). Donna is a HEAVY producer with an udder like a jersey. We are giving her a couple days to settle in before we persue handling her too much. She is highly protective of that baby so is uneasy of her new surroundings. She did take a tongue full of grain from a bucket before deciding she wasnt quite ready and backing off.
> 
> This old girl is in gorgeous body condition and im sure has several more good years left in her, and a few great chances for another lovely heifer.
> 
> ...


Congrats. That calf is adorable!


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## bonbean01 (Apr 4, 2015)

Congratulations!!!!  Mama and baby both looking great!


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## Onyx (Apr 4, 2015)

Oh how sweet!  I wish I could have a cow but I don't have enough land.  Maybe some day...


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## frustratedearthmother (Apr 4, 2015)

Congrats!  That is quite an udder she has.   Can she be hand-milked?  Just wondering if all that milk is going to the baby or if she's going to share some with you.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Apr 4, 2015)

Congratulations!  What a great addition to your farm!


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## goats&moregoats (Apr 4, 2015)

Congrats!!   Awesome momma & baby. With an utter like that I am sure there is enough production going on for baby and yourself. Good luck with your new endeavor.


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## Sweetened (Apr 4, 2015)

We will be milking her for the first time tomorrow morning! She is trained to jand and machine milk, but hasnt been a home milker for sever years. She milks like an old pro thougb we are told. They were milking her to prep her coming here and pulling a gallon off her in the morning with the calf on her overnight (she apperently goes a little crazy of shes seperated from her calf), and thats pff two quarters. She has an udder on her that would make a jersey jealous!


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 5, 2015)

Her udder is huge! You'll certainly get a generous amount of milk from her!


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## Sweetened (Apr 5, 2015)

We pulled a gallon off her this morning, lost 3/4 to a foot in the pail (i wasnt fast enough). We could easily get 4-5gallons off her a day, never pulling her calf. We will be investing in a surge milker for the old gal, and for this old gal!

Her milk is very dark in colour, and i havent seen this before. It tastes fine. And it is hugely creamy, but i have a feeling its because we are barely scratching the surface of her production. We will try again tonight and pull as much as she will stand still for, as we want to start with good experiences before we push her too much. I am amazed she has gone 4 years with only an occasional milking if a calf needed a supplement!


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## Baymule (Apr 5, 2015)

I am so excited for you!


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## Godsgrl (Apr 5, 2015)

What an udder! Congrats, I wish you many years of milking and enjoyable cattle ownership


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 7, 2015)

Bloody colostrum, sounds like, I've seen it before and know what you're referring to. Dark as in a reddish milky colour right? Or is (was) it a deep yellow? You will need to give her time (if you already haven't, since I've been away for a few days) for the milk to lighten up a bit, or turn back to normal. The blood in the colostrum isn't to panic about, as it'll clear up, if it already hasn't since you posted.


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## Sweetened (Apr 7, 2015)

One side is clear and we are keeping the milk, we are getting about a gallon off the one side and we are not pulling the calf. once ive milked that side down (rich yellowish milk), i work on the other side with the, yes, light reddish brown milk. It has gotten better but is still dark and very salty so we give it to thecats or pigs. It is HUGELY creamy off that side, but we have sure noticed a difference in feel on that side now. Our milking sessions are getting longer, slowly, as she falls into our routine (as does her calf).

Thanks!!


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## Moody (May 29, 2015)

Congrats!! 

Sounds like wonderful milk. 

How long are the milking sessions and how one did you start with?

I'm curious as I have a dexter heifer who I could have bred this year.


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## Sweetened (May 29, 2015)

We have started to let her calf keep her milked out. Im having difficulty getting up and down at this point in my pregnancy. She will stand as long as there is oats. When the oats run out she gets stompy, does all she can to force every last bit of urine and fecal matter out, bawls and so on. Typically we can hand milk her out in about 45 minutes, but i also have carple tunnel from pregnancy so it takes longer than it should. I usually only leave her in the stand for 20 minutes and end on a good note.


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## Moody (May 29, 2015)

You are an adventurous one to take on a new cow to milk during pregnancy 

I think hand milking for 45 min would give most folks carpal tunnel. You had plans for a vacuum milker, right?


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## Sweetened (May 29, 2015)

Not originally, but we do now. Ahah.


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## purplequeenvt (May 29, 2015)

When we got our first milk cow I was milking by hand and was letting her eat her grain while milking. The milking aggravated my tendinitis and she was really antsy if she finished eating before I was done milking. 

I now have a vacuum pump machine to milk 2 cows and I stopped feeding then during milking. The cows are fed after they've been milked and the whole process goes so much faster.


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