Mandie's Jersey Journey

[freemotion]

Yippeeeee!!!!!! Good thing I don't live near you.....I'd be sneaking in and stealing that little one! Hee-hee!

Please keep this thread going with your experiences and learning. I am so interested in this. I've wanted a Jersey for years. Some day.....sigh. Meanwhile, I'd appreciate the opportunity to live vicariously through you!

 

[Henrietta23]

 

[framing fowl]

Yippeeeee!!!!!! Good thing I don't live near you.....I'd be sneaking in and stealing that little one! Hee-hee!

Please keep this thread going with your experiences and learning. I am so interested in this. I've wanted a Jersey for years. Some day.....sigh. Meanwhile, I'd appreciate the opportunity to live vicariously through you!

I second the motion!

 

[valmom]

Congratulations! I don't think there is anything cuter than a Jersey calf.

 

[rebecca100]

That is great! I loove Jerseys. Mine would turn around and lick my hair when I milked her and treated me like she would her calf. Slobbery grainy cow love. Of course she was old and ended up being just a loveable pet. I cried my eyes out when she died. After a while of working with her yours will get there.

 

[mandieg4]

The cow finally has a name, we've gone with the Disney theme and named the mama Ariel and the baby Melody. I have been happily surprised with how calm Ariel is now. I haven't had a bit of a fight with her, despite not having a way to hold her. She stands fairly still and lets me milk while she eats. Granted, she hasn't finished before me yet. I've been having a problem with her not letting her milk down though. I can get about 1/2 gallon and then she refuses to let me have anymore. No amount of begging and pleading, petting and bumping her bag convinces her that I need more than 1/2 gallon. I guess I need to take the calf away from her and just let Melody suck for a few minutes before I milk. I need to figure out where to put her though. I have a place outside, without shade or a place inside, without access to the outside. Neither one sounds like a good option. I wish I had the money to buy one of those calf huts for her. On a positive note, DH has finally started on my barn. I'm excited that all I have to do is go out the back door to milk instead of the 1/2 mile down the road to my FIL's barn. The road is so bumpy I worry my milk is churning to butter on the way home Oh, and the other good news is my FIL ordered a milking machine for me this morning. I don't have a problem milking by hand, and might still continue to milk by hand after I get the machine, but I like having the option of using the machine, especially if I need someone else to milk for whatever reason.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Beautiful baby and Mama Congrats!

 

[TTs Chicks]

beautiful - congrats!

 

[rebecca100]

Glad she doing good for you!

 

[freemotion]

Yay! I love my machine. I love to milk by hand, too, but my hands don't love it, they hurt. So to make up for it I pat and brush and love up the goats while milking, most of the time. Sometimes I dash around and get other things done. It is very handy to have. Congrats again!