July 15, 2005
How much milk could a milk cow milk...
After the blog on the milking parlor, I had a couple of readers with questions about how much milk our cows give and how often do we milk them each day.
Here at Howmars Farm the average production for our Jersey cows is 40-45 pounds per cow. That's about 5 gallons a day per cow. We keep track of how many pounds of milk our Jerseys produce, rather than gallons, because we get paid X number of dollars for every hundred pounds of milk that is picked up from our bulk tank. Production per cow will vary with the season, with how good the feed is, and where the cow is in her lactation. Her production will peak at 90-100 days after calving, and tail off as she nears her dry period.
We milk our cows two times a day. We start the morning milking at 5:00 AM, and the afternoon milking at 3:30 PM. Some farmers who milk twice a day like to do the milkings twelve hours apart, but we have always done our milkings at 10 and 14 hour intervals. What's most important is to milk your cows the same times every day. Cows are very much creatures of habit, and they do best when the same schedule is kept every day. On many large dairies, with high producing animals, the milking is done 3 or even 4 times per day. I have herd of farmers who milk their cows once a day. One family keeps the calves with the cows until weaning, and the calves wait outside the milking facility until their mom comes out.
No matter what farm you go to, big or small, organic or conventional, everyone has their way they like to do things on their own place. When to milk the cows, and how much they produce, will be different on every farm you visit.
Got a question about milking, or anything else on an organic dairy farm? Use the comment box below and I'll try to get you an answer here in the blog very soon.
--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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Posted by Blogger Chris at July 15, 2005 08:05 PM
I just wanted to know how often you milk the cow daily when you leave the calf with her? We have an Ayrshire heifer soon to be a cow. About how much milk should we expect from her? Also when and how long do we let her come fresh before breeding again?
What do you do with your male babies?
I visited several farms in Vermont six years ago and was distressed at witnessing the male babies being separated from their mothers. I was told that the bulls are too difficult to manage so the farmers sell most of them to become food.
I became a vegetarian after that visit.
Thank you and kind regards,
Lyn Fatalo
Manchester by the sea, MA
Just came back from Ticonderoga in the Adirondacks and stumbled onto your site. After reading your site and from what little I know about farming and caring for livestock, I must tell you how much respect I have for you. Most people I know - especially being from Manhattan - could not endure ONE long, arduous day of the work that you do! We must all give you our thanks and respect, for you are the people who feed this country! Thank you.
I really am enjoying your site. I am glad I subscribed.
Yours TRuly,
Tara M. Adams
Just to say milking a cow 3 -4 times a day is just an extreme. These are not natural cows, these are machines -anonymous posting from a Swiss Farmer -
Hi I was reading about the different milking schedules and you mentioned one farmer leaves the calves with the cows till weaning and the calves wait outside the milking parlor for their moms to come out. My question is this: If you just milked the cow how can the calf get any milk or enough milk from nursing its mom who has just been milked? Does the milking not remove most of the milk from the nursing cows or are they milked shorter time to ensure there is enough milk for the calves to thrive? I find cows fascinating!
Do your cows get to be outside & if so, what percentage of time?
What happens to your cows once milk production slows down, stops or they become old?
Jonathan Gates reports from Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont.