Extending Lactation in cows

[Guest guest]

"WWW: Tulasi-priya (Devi Dasi) SDG (?)" wrote:

 > It is possible to get breeds that milk for several years with a

single calf. Can you tell us what those breeds are?

 

 Hare Krsna dasi:

 It seems to me that the main thing is that the length of time that

you milk a cow (the cow's lactation) cannot be extended very long when the

cows are milked by machine. I think any cow's lactation can be extended by

good nutrition, plenty of good water and sufficient salt, comfortable

environment (including lush pasture and shade).

 

Comment:

Agreed, two things affect lactation in general, environment (covered above)

and breeding.

 

 Hare Krsna dasi:

 The problem with machine milking (which means all commercial milking

in Western countries) is that when the cow's milk falls to 30 lb per day, the

machine puts too much stress on her (she'll get mastitis)-- so she must be

dried up, or sent to the slaughterhouse.

 

Comment:

All commercial dairy animals (coming from AI herds) are selected for very

specific traits, many of which do not have any bearing on our requirements.

This is one example; duration of lactation, they prefer high production for a

short period (10 months) we are looking for 3 times that. Only those herds

where they have NOT bred for short duration lactations for many generations. A

heritage breed. Another is short teats, causes less problems with milking

machines, hand milking however requires long teats.

 

 

 

 Hare Krsna dasi:

 But, for self-sufficient community farming, a cow giving 30 lb of

milk a day-- that's 60 cups of milk -- is still quite valuable. The milk may

be a different quality -- better for curd than for hot milk -- but it

is still very useful. The farmer can trade his curd for the liquid milk of a

fresher cow owned by another community farmer.

 

Comment:

The longer a cow is milked the lower the palatability to you the consumer;

there is an increase in fats and solids in the milk with increased time along

with a change in hormones ratios.

 

 Hare Krsna dasi:

 I believe it is the case that in general, the larger cows, which

produce more to begin with, can be milked longer than the smaller breeds.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong about this.

 

Comment:

It is not a breed specific thing, nor size either, although they’re maybe a

tendency for some bloodlines to be longer milking.

 

 Hare Krsna dasi:

 At Gita-nagari we milked Visakha the cow for 3 or 4 years on one

lactation. She's a Brown Swiss cow -- also very nice because all the bull

calves have black hooves, which are better for working oxen because they are

less susceptible to hoof disease. Mother Kaulini was the main cowherd who took

care of her.

 

Comment:

There are only a few breeds and crosses of them that do not have black hoofs,

main ones are the Hereford and Guernsey. Striped hoofs indicate a mixed

heritage the animal may look like a Jersey but even if one claw of her hoofs

is stripped, it indicates most likely some blood of one of the two above

breeds.

Ys,

Rohita dasa

[Guest guest]

>

> I believe it is the case that in general, the larger cows, which produce more

> to

> begin with, can be milked longer than the smaller breeds. Someone please

> correct

> me if I am wrong about this.

 

Not the Holsteins. At NV they are milked by hand, and some give only 4 or 5

pounds a day. They keep milking them anyway, just to avoid breeding, but the

homestead breeds would be better. Just had 2 more calves from a neighbors bull

that was busting fences last summer, so still no conscious breeding going on.