Guest guest Posted November 29, 1999 Report Share Posted November 29, 1999 Dear Niscula Prabhu, Re your maths regarding milking of cows. We had a great system at New Varshan and you may remember when I was milking, grhastas would leave their containers out. I had a monthly account running. I kept detailed daily records of the milkers analysing effects on production from weather, feed scraps, seasons etc. The milkers all had covers on in the winter and I feel we looked after them well. However, none of them ever milked for longer than 1 1/2 years to any significant amount. My experience is with Friesians, Jerseys and Shorthorns. What breed are you basing your maths on for cows to be milking for 4 years continuously without calving again? This maths needs to be worked on "the norm" rather than one extreme case. ( And how many litres daily in the fourth year?) When choosing a breed, consideration also needs to be looked at the average age that a breed lives for, the suitability of the bullocks and conditions of the property. Please check your source of information for your calculations and let me know of the surabhi breed that milks for 4 years. Your servant, Ananta Krsna Dasi. Email: ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 1999 Report Share Posted November 30, 1999 > Please check your source of information for your > calculations and let me know of the surabhi breed that milks for 4 years. > Your servant, Ananta Krsna Dasi. > Email: ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz I have known several Jerseys to milk for years without coming fresh yearly. they gave 1 to 1.5 gallons daily, depending on season and feed. Balabhadra has a cow that looks just liek a Holstein, although smaller than the common agribusiness size. He is getting even from this Holstein at least one half gallon a day, and it has been a long time since she came fresh, more than a year. To keep high yields, it is necessary to freshen cows yearly but for simple homesteading, the heritage breeds will give good milk for a long time. Certainly not on a competitive level , but adequae for a householder with just a couple of yoghurt customers and his own family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 1999 Report Share Posted November 30, 1999 > >Dear Niscula Prabhu, >Re your maths regarding milking of cows. We had a great system at New >Varshan and you may remember when I was milking, grhastas would leave >their >containers out. I had a monthly account running. I kept detailed daily >records of the milkers analysing effects on production from weather, feed >scraps, seasons etc. The milkers all had covers on in the winter and I feel >we looked after them well. However, none of them ever milked for longer >than 1 1/2 years to any significant amount. Were your milking cows getting high-grade feed at milking time? Our cows here regularly give milk for 3-4 years. No doubt at the end it is only a small amount. I tink I remember the milking lady saying only a couple of litres a day. My point is that even a couple of litres a day is enough for drinking! If you have 4 cows milking on a farm with 8 families, then if they are bred at one per year, then they are all at different levels of milk production. But the TOTAL should be enough for milk consumption AND ghee production, etc. ____ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 1999 Report Share Posted November 30, 1999 On 30 Nov 1999, Ann Fletcher wrote: > Dear Niscula Prabhu, > Re your maths regarding milking of cows. We had a great system at New Varshan and you may remember when I was milking, grhastas would leave their containers out. I had a monthly account running. I kept detailed daily records of the milkers analysing effects on production from weather, feed scraps, seasons etc. The milkers all had covers on in the winter and I feel we looked after them well. However, none of them ever milked for longer than 1 1/2 years to any significant amount. My experience is with Friesians, Jerseys and Shorthorns. What breed are you basing your maths on for cows to be milking for 4 years continuously without calving again? This maths needs to be worked on "the norm" rather than one extreme case. ( And how many litres daily in the fourth year?) When choosing a breed, consideration also needs to be looked at the average age that a breed lives for, the suitability of the bullocks and conditions of the property. Please check your source of information for your calculations and let me know of the surabhi breed that milks for 4 years. > Your servant, Ananta Krsna Dasi. > Email: ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz Comment: I have milked Freisland (Holstein), Jersey, Guernsey, Swiss and crosses of the above with Gyr/Kankrej. Have never under feeding conditions ranging from excellent to poor, temperature range of 20' - 110'F have I been able to get production of greater than 1 gallon (~3 litres) past the two year mark. ys, Rohita dasa Coastal Mississippi > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 1999 Report Share Posted November 30, 1999 Noelene Hawkins wrote: > [Text 2818336 from COM] > > > > >Dear Niscula Prabhu, > >Re your maths regarding milking of cows. We had a great system at New > >Varshan and you may remember when I was milking, grhastas would leave > >their > >containers out. I had a monthly account running. I kept detailed daily > >records of the milkers analysing effects on production from weather, feed > >scraps, seasons etc. The milkers all had covers on in the winter and I feel > >we looked after them well. However, none of them ever milked for longer > >than 1 1/2 years to any significant amount. > > Were your milking cows getting high-grade feed at milking time? Our cows > here regularly give milk for 3-4 years. No doubt at the end it is only a > small amount. I tink I remember the milking lady saying only a couple of > litres a day. My point is that even a couple of litres a day is enough for > drinking! If you have 4 cows milking on a farm with 8 families, then if they > are bred at one per year, then they are all at different levels of milk > production. But the TOTAL should be enough for milk consumption AND ghee > production, etc. I remember that when Mother Kaulini at Gita-nagari was milking Visaka (Brown Swiss) Kaulini was still getting 3 gallons a day from Visaka after 3 years. Unusual, but it shows that with good feeding, good care -- and suitable climate, it is possible. I was still getting at least 1 gallon a day from Prema Vivahla (also Brown Swiss) after 2 years. That's probably more normal. I think Niscala is touching on an important point here. If among, for example, 4 families, each family breeds its cow in a different year, that would provide different qualities of milk which they could distribute among themselves. Perhaps the freshest cow could provide the hot milk, and the one currently on the longest lactation could provide milk for curd. Cooperation among the families with regard to the breeding schedule could make things work very well. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 1999 Report Share Posted December 1, 1999 > > > I think Niscala is touching on an important point here. If among, for example, > 4 families, each family breeds its cow in a different year, that would provide > different qualities of milk which they could distribute among themselves. > Perhaps the freshest cow could provide the hot milk, and the one currently on > the longest lactation could provide milk for curd. Cooperation among the > families with regard to the breeding schedule could make things work very well. > > your servant, > > Hare Krsna dasi The scheme they are trying to work towards at NV is that a cow be bred and milked in the temple barn for the full of the flush, then after a year or so it would go out to a family. When breeding is resumed, the idea would be to bred about 5 cows a year for the temple, which would result in a stabilized herd size of under 100 animals (compared to the 200 currently and the 350 at the peak.) Hopefully, an endowment will be in place so each calf born will have a guarantuee of lifetime support. The temple will have a good flow of milk, and in exchange for caring for a cow, the householder would have a cow that could provide it ample milk for several years. If a cow could be expected to milk one gallon a day for 3 years, that means at any given time as many as 15 families could have a producing cow, which is more than are willing and able to take them now. Hopefully Krsna will send such willing and able householders. The choice of semen will be milking shorthorn, as they are one of the more homestead type breeds that are available through AI, with good characteristics for oxen. NV has 2 bulls, but one is a holstein and the other a Holstein/Simmetal cross, neither of which they want to bred with. Years from now, when they pass on , their facilities will hopefully be occupied by a homestead breed bull so they can get away from the AI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 1999 Report Share Posted December 2, 1999 Interesting to see your comments on preference for the Shorthorn breed. After years of trial and error, we have also concluded at New Varshan (NZ) when we start breeding again, we will bring the Shorthorn back in. Good milk supply, excellent working bullocks and their average age is 15 years. Your servant, Ananta Krsna Dasi. Email: ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 1999 Report Share Posted December 2, 1999 Ann Fletcher wrote: > [Text 2824140 from COM] > > Interesting to see your comments on preference for the Shorthorn breed. > After years of trial and error, we have also concluded at New Varshan (NZ) > when we start breeding again, we will bring the Shorthorn back in. Good milk > supply, excellent working bullocks and their average age is 15 years. > Your servant, Ananta Krsna Dasi. > Email: ann (AT) akn (DOT) quik.co.nz Not meant that there aren't possibily even better heritage breeds for some one to think about, but the Milking Shorthorn seems to one of the better choices of the easily available breeds. Jerseys are great milkers, but the bulls are reputed to be extra vicious, and our own experience with a Jersey bull confirmed that (named Bu, rest his soul). The 2 oxen I did train (oh so long ago) were Jerseys, and they were mellow enough, but the Shorthorn are reputed to make better oxen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 1999 Report Share Posted December 4, 1999 <<Balabhadra has a cow that looks just liek a Holstein, although smaller than the common agribusiness size. I thought she was a holstein and defenitely looks like one. The thing smaller about her then the 'regular' holstein might be her milkbag and super gentle and sweet nature. << but adequae for a householder with just a couple of yoghurt customers hahaha... he who is actually tasting the nectar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 1999 Report Share Posted December 6, 1999 "COM: (Bhakta) Dirk Vansant (Geel - B)" wrote: > [Text 2831069 from COM] > > <<Balabhadra has a cow that looks just liek a Holstein, although smaller > than the common agribusiness size. > > I thought she was a holstein and defenitely looks like one. The thing > smaller about her then the 'regular' holstein might be her milkbag and super > gentle and sweet nature. > > << but adequae for a householder with just a couple of yoghurt customers > > hahaha... he who is actually tasting the nectar... And it is nectar :-) She is smaller in overall stature. The gene pool of modern Holstiens has definitely been narrowed to large size and large production. She is a bit of an anomaly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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