Re: Once a Day Milking for a profitable farming lifestyle

[Guest guest]

We have a goat farm and only milk once a day.

Reason: I have a full time job with UPS.

I have been told that your milk production would be greatly reduced

milking once a day however, it has not hurt our soap production at

all. At this time we are only producing soap.

One day we may upgrade but at this time this is all I can handle

with a full time job.

Best Regards,

>

> http://www.oadmilking.co.nz/

>

>

> Welcome to our website. Please don't hesitate to contact us

regarding

> our method of farming. We have been milking once a day for

several

> years now and the purpose of this website is to enable the rest of

the

> farming community to contact us for our information pack.

>

> You are most welcome to contact us via phone/fax/post/email or the

> contact us form on this website.

>

> ==============================

>

>

> We have milked three years now OAD. No problems. Cows are very

healthy

> in good condition.

>

> Bunting

>

[Guest guest]

We have been milking cows 1x/day for over 15 years. We feed no

concentrates, so it isn't a problem. If a cow is giving a lot, we'll

milk 2x for her comfort, but as soon as production levels off, she is

a candidate for 1x. This is also a good strategy for keeping a cow's

condition when milking on only hay in the winter. I find that with

our cows and management a cow milked 1x gives about 2/3 as much milk

as 2x.

[Guest guest]

Will mastitis be more likely occur in one OADM? This is my big concern. Plus the discomfort of course, We tried it for one week and our milk production was down 2 gallons and couple days 1 gallon. True we only milk 5-6 cows a day. Ina

Re: Once a Day Milking for a profitable farming lifestyle

We have been milking cows 1x/day for over 15 years. We feed noconcentrates, so it isn't a problem. If a cow is giving a lot, we'llmilk 2x for her comfort, but as soon as production levels off, she isa candidate for 1x. This is also a good strategy for keeping a cow'scondition when milking on only hay in the winter. I find that withour cows and management a cow milked 1x gives about 2/3 as much milkas 2x.

[Guest guest]

We also have only a few cows but milk once a day. I have found my cows keep better condition and our babies grow so well on the cow. When babies are weaned the cows reduce their output accordingly to our needs. If you feed for production then usually yes you will need to milk twice a day but if your feeding for once a day then that's what the cow reduces. we use this strictly for home cheesemaking and selling and our own milk to drink. once a day produces enough for that out of 2 jerseys milking . We always have 2 milking year round.

regards,

Bev

[Guest guest]

Very interesting, . This makes a lot of sense to me.

I

I do not push for production….I would rather milk 2 cows once a day than one 2x……if I have a cow that is heavier than I am happy w/ I get another calf trained on her, and she nurses 2, separated at night, milked in the am.

.. _ -- in OklahomaConcharty English Shepherds http://www.concharty.comInterested in working from home?http://karencline.thewhycircle.com/

[Guest guest]

ROTFL for just $360 you can get the facts, figures on OAD milking?? Donna

Safehaven Nubians

>>>. Yea,,, what's up with that,,??? I tried to read some of the information,,and what is written is very nice,,but hey,,that would feed my goats for 2 months,,,Thanks but I'll just go the trial an error method, ..or get help from someone else !!!!

[Guest guest]

ROTFL for just $360 you can get the facts, figures on OAD

milking??

Donna

Safehaven Nubians

Dandridge, TN

In RawDairy , Bunting wrote:

>

> http://www.oadmilking.co.nz/

>

>

> Welcome to our website. Please don't hesitate to contact us

regarding

> our method of farming. We have been milking once a day for several

> years now and the purpose of this website is to enable the rest of

the

> farming community to contact us for our information pack.

>

> You are most welcome to contact us via phone/fax/post/email or the

> contact us form on this website.

>

> ==============================

>

>

> We have milked three years now OAD. No problems. Cows are very

healthy

> in good condition.

>

> Bunting

>

[Guest guest]

I milk the goats once a day once they have weaned the kids and are

producing a little less. Normally, I start the evening milking earlier

and earlier until I'm milking at 7am and about 12 noon. At that point

I stop the " evening " milking and milk in the morning only. Haven't had

any problems yet.

Belinda in TN

> >

> > *I**I do not push for production….I would rather milk 2 cows

once a

> > day than one 2x……if I have a cow that is heavier than I am happy

w/ I get

> > another calf trained on her, and she nurses 2, separated at night,

milked in

> > the am.*

[Guest guest]

I can only speak for myself here. I've never tested for mastitis, so

can't be sure, but have never seen clinical symptoms on either 1x or

2x milking. Not feeding grain helps with that, I think, and we hand

milk, another plus.

>

> Will mastitis be more likely occur in one OADM? This is my big

concern. Plus the discomfort of course, We tried it for one week and

our milk production was down 2 gallons and couple days 1 gallon. True

we only milk 5-6 cows a day. Ina

[Guest guest]

I didn't know I would have to pay for my answer when I asked..lol...Ina

Re: Once a Day Milking for a profitable farming lifestyle

ROTFL for just $360 you can get the facts, figures on OAD milking?? DonnaSafehaven NubiansDandridge, TNIn RawDairy , Bunting wrote:>> http://www.oadmilking.co.nz/> > > Welcome to our website. Please don't hesitate to contact us regarding > our method of farming. We have been milking once a day for several > years now and the purpose of this website is to enable the rest of the > farming community to contact us for our information pack.> > You are most welcome to contact us via phone/fax/post/email or the > contact us form on this website.> > ==============================> > > We have milked three years now OAD. No problems. Cows are very healthy > in good condition. > > Bunting>

[Guest guest]

I test now and then. The only time we've had problems with mastitis is

when we use a machine to milk. The girls don't like machines and I

agree with them!

Belinda in TN

>

> I can only speak for myself here. I've never tested for mastitis, so

> can't be sure, but have never seen clinical symptoms on either 1x or

> 2x milking. Not feeding grain helps with that, I think, and we hand

> milk, another plus.

>

>

> >

> > Will mastitis be more likely occur in one OADM? This is my big

> concern. Plus the discomfort of course, We tried it for one week and

> our milk production was down 2 gallons and couple days 1 gallon. True

> we only milk 5-6 cows a day. Ina

>

[Guest guest]

It's been researched to death in both goats and cows- correctly set

up and maintained milking machines don't cause mastitis. Poor

hygiene or technique or poorly maintained equipment does. Every time

I get a squawk I am abusing the teat end, so having liners that are

corretly fitted and not over due for replacement (stiff from old age)

is important. If I am not milking in gloves and cleaning my hands

and the liners between animals then I have a heightened risk of

mastitis. It's easy to get into bad habits in using a machine if I

don't really understand why what I need to be doing is so important.

And, it's vital I milk only a DRY udder with no water dripping down

from being washed. I have to dip (it's got to be a documented

effective teat dip!), wipe (with a single use towel or disposable

papertowel), strip, and attach claw within a minute, then take off

when milked out so as to not over milk, then finish with an effetive

post dip applied to point it drips off teat end.

Donna

Safehaven Nubians

Dandridge, Tn

In RawDairy , " labelleacres " wrote:

>

> I test now and then. The only time we've had problems with mastitis

is

> when we use a machine to milk. The girls don't like machines and I

> agree with them!

>

> Belinda in TN

>

>

> >

> > I can only speak for myself here. I've never tested for

mastitis, so

> > can't be sure, but have never seen clinical symptoms on either 1x

or

> > 2x milking. Not feeding grain helps with that, I think, and we

hand

> > milk, another plus.

> >

> >

> > >

> > > Will mastitis be more likely occur in one OADM? This is my big

> > concern. Plus the discomfort of course, We tried it for one week

and

> > our milk production was down 2 gallons and couple days 1 gallon.

True

> > we only milk 5-6 cows a day. Ina

> >

>

[Guest guest]

http://www.newholland.com/na/News/nhn/MJ03/V49No4_1.htm

Here is a website about a successful once a day commercial operation

in Missouri and it don't cost almost $300 to get some facts!

They run calves with their cows and I disagree with a calf taking

only 2 gallon a day! An older calf will take a lot more!

But, the stats about getting about 70% of the milk on 1x versus 2x is

about right. So, if you are going to have to milk 30% more cows?

How much are you REALLY saving??

Not having much of a mastitis difference between once and twice a day

makes sense, too. As you probably won't see much difference until

you approached what is natural at around 12 times a day (and

remember, they do have calves on those cows so it's not in the truest

sense 'once a day'.)

If you were set up to handle both cows and calves running together

safely? And, most commercial operations are not. And, if you could

deal with getting momma cow to leave baby cow once a day and go into

the parlor without a fight or your getting run over? They do hint at

fact that getting cows in the parlor is a trick- see that part about

cows not waiting in line??? Been there done that, and sometimes it's

peacable and sometimes it ain't!

I can see where it can have applications. For raising your heifer

replacements in a healthy disease free herd, you would likely come

out ahead as they would be bigger and able to calve earlier. On your

steers though? I don't know if you would come out ahead on land used

to graze those extra animals and milk consumed? If you also had some

way to market that as beef yourself to home freezers??

From my own experiences with my family cow, it lowers production too

much to make it worthwhile to me. And, it surely does on the

goats! I can see a big difference when I wean kids and go to real 2x

a day milking versus kids nursing and 2x a day milking.

Donna

Safehaven Nubians

Dandridge, TN