Milk victory, and other updates

Bessie stood still and gave almost 2 gallons this morning.  What changed? Bessie wasn't so antsy, for one. I didn't give her time to fill up on clover hay like the past few days, for 2.  (Note to myself here---it's probably more efficient to give them the whole bale in the morning, instead of half-a-bale, but if Bess is filling up on clover hay before coming in for milking, she might be too full to stand still long enough....so we'll go back to half-a-bale to get them out of the barn so that I can set up for milking, then half-a-bale later.) I mixed some concentrated hay "cubes" in with the grain mix, to keep Bessie content to munch a bit longer.  These are actually little cubes of hay, compressed into squares about 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch.  The hay cubes are a bit awkward for the cows to chew, so it kept her attention longer. I didn't give baby Ruby any grain, but only a bit of "calf-starter", which is pellets, molasses, and some rolled grain as part of that mix.  So Bess didn't smell more of the good stuff over in Ruby's stall and get selfish about wanting it. I started by milking the back quarter that I usually left part-way full for Ruby.  That way, I didn't unintentionally signal Bess that milking was over.  Her "teats" are part of the routine, and she KNOWS which ones I work with first.  Routine, always the routine! I had both buckets uncovered, and in place for easy switching out.  No "lid's been put on the bucket, we must be done milking" signals to over-sensitive Bess.  And I made sure to not even stop the flow of milk between buckets, but sacrificed a few squirts down into the straw bedding to keep her aware that we weren't stopping. Or, it might have been something as simple as this:  certain parts of each hay bale are different quality than the rest of the bale.  Maybe the mower went through a coarse patch of grass or the alfalfa in one section was already flowering when it was cut and left to dry.  The cows pick through any bale for the sections they want.  MAYBE the last 2 days, Bess was given a section of the alfalfa bale that didn't meet her high standards, and she turned her nose up at it. Or this:  The past few days, she had shifted around in the stanchion and I have had to adjust the milk crate that I sit on to be able to reach her.  Usually, the routine is---I sit firmly in place and don't move around unless I'm done.  Routine, again. Today, too, I remembered something from reading about how to get a calf used to being led with halter and "lead".  You pull a bit on the lead, and the calf will pull right back.  You don't give an inch until the calf lets up on the pressure she's using to pull against you.  The calf gets the idea that it's more pleasant to work with the lead, and not to fight against it. So....apply that to milking the big cow:  Bessie was starting to think she could back right out when SHE wanted to be done with the milking.  I knew that she was already done with the grain mix, and that she was starting to get antsy.  It was a hard choice for a Dutch girl, but.....I stopped milking before all the milk was in the bucket, and also before she could decide that SHE was stopping the milking.  Kind of the reverse of the calf-on-a-lead, but I think it still reinforces that I'm the one that gets to make the decisions, thank-you-very-much! Too many things to really pin-point one, but the victory today was that almost 2 gallons of milk are now in the frig.  I had 30 minutes of milking to think all the options through....no wonder it got to be a long list of possibilities. It's a constant problem-solving life, isn't it?  Maybe I'm finally learning that things will keep changing no matter what I had thought was "ideal", and I'm adjusting to that constant change?  For someone who likes to get things in order and have them STAY that way, that's a big adjustment. In other updates: Lucy should have been showing signs of heat this week, and so far, there's no hint that she is going through her cycle again.  So.....maybe the artificial insemination took on the first try?  I remember praying a little bit desperately at the time that it would take.  Her new owners are eager to have her join their own farm-family, and although I'm not eager to see her go, I AM eager to protect the hay-supply and not need to scrape up more money half-way through the winter for more.  She was "bred" 3 weeks ago on Saturday.  My job this morning (like almost every morning!)?  Shovel manure.  But I'll also be keeping a close eye on the interaction between the big cows, to see if there's any sign of Bessie or Lucy exhibiting "heat' behaviors. The cow-shelter:  We've started nailing up the plywood panels on the side of the barn (remember the photos of the rat-damage?!!!) and they have their first coat of paint.  Jeff has done a good job of cutting the wood to fit around weird angles, or to fit up into a space where a bit of siding needed to be replaced above where we're working.  My parents brought some salvaged windows from their house in Wisconsin, and Jeff is adjusting the space in the barn wall to install one of their windows (It was 1 1/2 inches wider than the space between the wall-studs, but Jeff determined that the stud he needed to move wasn't a load-bearing board.  Plus, although it is cedar, it was rotten and gnawed-through by rats, and it made sense to take that one out and replace it.)  The barn is not "square" (no surprise after 100 years and a cracked foundation), so it will take a bit more adjusting to get the window to fit.  After the window---we'll need to mark where we want the support posts and start digging, keeping curious (nosy?) cows out of the way somehow. The turkey:  Has stayed past his welcome.  He is not my favorite, because he has killed 2 young chicks and tried to kill another.  In his defense, these were chicks who were sick enough to probably die on their own.  But it bothered me that he seemed to be taking delight in bloodying them.  (To explain:  He struts around each morning, "courting" the geese.  His neck and head become brilliant blue, with bright red splotches on the bumpy parts, and the little knob above his nose elongates and hangs down a few inches.  His feathers are fluffed and his tail is fanned out.  That must mean "sexy" to turkey hens.  When he killed the chicks, his colors were up and he was acting excited.  The look in his eyes made me think of a vulture.  Anything on the farm that kill something and takes delight in it is NOT going to be my favorite!)  Anyway, we've all started talking about him as "Thanksgiving dinner". And on that happy note, have a good day, everyone! Laura http://dykstrasfarm.blogspot.com/