Author Topic: Hanging up my bucket... (Read 4110 times)

SallyintNorth · « **on:** January 12, 2012, 08:55:18 am »

No-one warned me I would feel like this!

Hillie had no milk for me last night; I've dried her off ready for calf #2 in March.

Since November 2010 she has reared:

her own beautiful Jersey heifer calf; I'll be getting her served in a few months!
a bought-in British Blue cross heifer; BH likes her so much he's buying her off me for a suckler cow
a bought-in Hereford cross bullock, doing great
a home-bred Angus x Charollais heifer (own mum wouldn't let her suck) - you would never recognise the stocky, confident little stirk as the neglected, skinny little waif Hillie took over
all the pet lambs - the last of the 9 went off fat this week and had better grades than any pet lambs BH has ever reared
as well as all the milk for the house for milk, cream, sour cream, butter, yoghurt, soft cheese, salad cheese, curd cheese for cheesecake (BH eats a lot of cheesecake, although now only like Hillie-cheese-cake!), etc
and waste from the dairy for the pigs
and a hound pup

What a little superstar!

But I feel so sad! I will miss my daily 'chore' - for a couple of months, and then (hopefully, all being well) we'll be off again.

And by this time next year, I should have two of them in milk and not have to be 'dry' again.

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2012, 09:04:15 am »

{{{hugs}}}
I was thinking the same as I was milking Ellie recently - she's beginning to dry herself off and I will finish the job by the end of Jan $:-\$ Milking her gives me a reason to spend good time with the goats - I shall have to take my spinning in there and sit with them instead

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2012, 09:10:29 am »

Well done Hillie! I don't expect as much from my heifers but I am looking forward to getting some real, fresh milk. Hurrah for the house cow!

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2012, 09:35:59 am »

Quote from: jaykay on January 12, 2012, 09:04:15 am

{{{hugs}}}
I was thinking the same as I was milking Ellie recently - she's beginning to dry herself off and I will finish the job by the end of Jan $:-\$ Milking her gives me a reason to spend good time with the goats - I shall have to take my spinning in there and sit with them instead

Please set up video camera.

Thanks for the hug, I do feel like I need it! I wonder if I am having some kind of transference weaning melancholy?

Miss Piggy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2012, 10:28:08 pm »

Amazing, all in just over 12 months, wouldn't have thought it possible

for Hillie

and a big big

(love)

(hug) and

bouquet for you

Try and enjoy the rest.

RaisinHall Tamworths · « **Reply #5 on:** January 13, 2012, 07:56:27 pm »

That's amazing, can't wait for my 2 Jerseys to be old enough for babies

little blue · « **Reply #6 on:** January 13, 2012, 08:48:08 pm »

oh! You had me worried by the title ... at least its only for a few months - it'll fly by!
We're like that with the goat, its sooooo frustrating at first, then you feel ok about it, then as the birth gets closer, I get really impatient!
She doesn't get "hello" anymore, I greet her with "are you having babies today?!"

Brucklay · « **Reply #7 on:** January 13, 2012, 09:21:04 pm »

I don't have anything to milk (unless I want a sore back with the pygmy's) but I know what you mean - all year round it's the happiness of the first kid, duckling, lamb, even the mixing up lamblac for the first bottle - the smell reminds you of last year - then it's the last kid etc then the last kid to leave home then first goat to go with the billy and it's all off again ....... long may it last

VSS · « **Reply #8 on:** January 13, 2012, 09:37:49 pm »

Know how you feel Sally - our Jersey is dry (due to calve 17th Feb) and the other cow is down to milking every other day.

Its not the milking I miss so much as the milk, butter, cheese, yohurt, ice cream etc. Will have bite the bullet and buy some milk for a few weeks.