Did you know that you don’t milk cows year around? Generally, you will milk a cow ten months and have two months off from milking. During these two months, the cow has time to recuperate and allow her body to prepare for giving birth!
I just “dried off” my cow meaning I stopped milking her because in two months she will be having a baby, and it will be milking time again! To be honest, I’m kind of sad I’m not milking her anymore. Getting up to milk was a beautiful and peaceful way to start my mornings. Most mornings, though, I was tired and wishing I could sleep in, lol. But now that I have the break, I’m missing the serenity and bonding time with my cow, Moo. I am also missing the abundance of milk. My fridge was FILLED to the brim with milk, and now it is not and I miss having that golden drink line my fridge.
I began freezing her milk a few weeks before I dried her off, so I would have a supply while I wasn’t milking her. I’m kicking myself though because a majority of her milk, I would put straight into the freezer and didn’t scoop the cream off. I figured I would have the cream later and the milk would go back to its normal texture. Well, cream doesn’t really thaw normally and becomes kind of chunky, so I have to use a fine mesh strainer for the thawed milk to get the milk out. I’m saving the chunky cream and hoping I can make butter out of it. I’m also sharing it with the dogs because it is incredibly nutritious.
When Moo begins milking again when she has her baby, the first week of her milk will be 100% the babies. Colostrum is what comes out of the udder for the baby when the baby is born. It is nutrient dense for the baby and isn’t exactly milk. After that, I will begin milking two times a day while sharing with the baby. Cows produce so much milk, more than even one calf alone could drink, so I will have to help her offload her milk. I will be swimming in milk again. I’m hoping I still get beautiful cream-filled milk like she was giving me this past spring.
Her and the calf will be on pasture as long as possible—most likely through October. Once the frost and snow roll in, they will be on a hay diet. Spring gives the most nutrient dense raw milk, and I am lucky I got to experience it this past spring with my very own cow! I know I still have a lot to learn moving forward with a calf coming in hot, but I can’t stop thinking about the raw milk, haha!