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Post by karenp on Mar 1, 2016 14:10:43 GMT
So maybe a dumb question. I know Dexter milk is more combined because of smaller cream particles ( I was corrected when I used the word homogenized) I know generally when milking there is more cream in the "hind milk". Is Dexter milk more combined in the udder with less of a difference between fore milk and hind milk?
Just one of the things I ponder while milking.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2016 14:41:51 GMT
I have been milking Dexters for a while and can honestly say I dont know. Never really gave it much thought.
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Post by jamshundred on Mar 2, 2016 12:53:52 GMT
Karen, I never noticed that when I milked. Not saying it isn't so. . ..just never noticed any difference in the stream from the front to the rear. I appoint you the committee to experiment. One morning milk only the front and let the calf have the rear. The next day reverse and see if there is a difference. It is either a full moon or spring fever because I am itching to milk again.
Judy
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Post by karenp on Mar 2, 2016 18:06:10 GMT
It's really a difference between the first milk you milk out vs the end of the milking, not front to back. The wording is confusing. When I get the cream separator up and running I'll separate a batch from the beginning of the milking and the end. I'll let you know.
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Post by jamshundred on Mar 2, 2016 21:04:05 GMT
I have a great hint for a cream seperator Karen!
When I grew up our cream seperator was this contraption on four straight wooden legs with the top section like a tall metal jar with a lid. It had a glass insert to see the cream versus milk level, and it had a spigot at the bottom to draw off the milk once the cream rose. my Dad milked an average of 8-10 Jersey cows and part of the income came from selling the milk and cream to the Carnation company.
i use a sun tea jar. The ones with the spigot to open and fill a cup or glass. I have half gallon and gallon sizes. The half gallon did not have a spigot so I bought a heavy duty one at the hardware store and took it to a glass company and had the hole cut. I guess a handy person could do it with a drill and know-how but I am not a handy person.
You can just put your milk in the jar and on when the cream has risen drain off the milk.
judy
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Post by karenp on Mar 3, 2016 11:18:26 GMT
I got a fancy cream separator for my birthday. The kind that you can adjust the thickness of the cream. I just haven't picked up the oil for it yet.
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Post by genebo on Mar 3, 2016 15:53:02 GMT
My friend who sells "cow shares" says that getting a good cream separator was the best thing he did. It reduced the standing time for the cream to rise and gave him richer, thicker cream. Easier to make butter and increased the yield of butter.
His favorite use for whole milk is to make fresh mozzarella for pizza. Milk the cows in the morning, make cheese during the day then have pizza for supper. I made pizza one time using his cheese and it was fantastic!
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Post by karenp on Mar 4, 2016 15:27:53 GMT
I wanted the cream separator to get thicker cream. The cream I am skimming is great for coffeee, but not thick enough for butter or whipping cream.
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Post by genebo on Mar 4, 2016 16:34:10 GMT
It's the "homogenized" quality of Dexter milk that causes your thinner cream. It takes a really long time for Dexter cream to separate fully. Goat's milk is evn more like that. The cream separator hastens the process for both.
A separator will let you make goat butter, which is good if you have the right kind of goats. Nubians give milk that makes good butter if they are kept away from a buck.
Dexter butter is better, if you keep the cows out of the onions!
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Post by lonecowhand on Mar 4, 2016 17:07:02 GMT
"Cows in the Onions"...sounds like a story coming on!
And I sure don't get the Nubian buck connection...
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Post by genebo on Mar 4, 2016 17:29:18 GMT
Milk tastes like what the cow or goat has been eating. Onion flavored milk is not good.
Bucks smell bad. It's a stink that sticks to everything. Just being around a buck makes a goat's milk taste like buck stink.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2016 18:46:37 GMT
It will take you a while to find the correct setting on the cream separator. to thick and it will not flow if that happens it clogs up solid with cream then you have to take it apart and clean it before you can separate anymore.
Lonecow, You can smell anyone who has a billy. It gets in your close and you cant wash it away.
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Post by wvdexters on Mar 5, 2016 0:25:14 GMT
Oh yes, The Billy goat. We had one yrs ago. You could smell him before we saw him. It was rough.. sold him after he got the job done.
And early spring milk, before the grass gets growing and they love to get into the green patches of wild onion in the pasture. Back when we had the jersey I had to just dump the milk out on the ground for about a wk. It smelled so bad, you couldn't even think about using it.
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Post by genebo on Mar 5, 2016 2:21:21 GMT
We used onion buttermilk to make cornbread. The onion taste didn't seem out of place in cornbread.
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Post by genebo on Mar 5, 2016 2:27:49 GMT
What we call onions is actually wild garlic. The Dexters and goats just love it. They keep it eaten so well that it is practically non-existent in the pastures.
Since I don't milk my Dexters, I pull handfuls of wild garlic from outside the pasture and feed it to them for treats. It's fun having a Dexter bite one end of the garlic bunch and pull. I always lose that strength contest. A cow's tongue is all muscle and they are well developed from pulling grass.
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Post by karenp on Mar 5, 2016 12:37:47 GMT
Maybe if I put the goats out in the pasture first they will clean it up before the cow gets to it.
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Post by karenp on Mar 6, 2016 11:09:10 GMT
As tasked I am conducting an experiment. So the method, using the same teat I milked a 8 oz into a jelly jar at the beginning of the milking and finished milking that same teat into another 8 oz jelly jar. I'm going to let them sit 3 days before I measure, but after sitting over night I am already seeing a difference in cream line. The later milk has more milk and a more distinct cream line with I am assuming means thicker cream. I'll let you know my final results.
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Post by karenp on Mar 11, 2016 15:11:59 GMT
Final results, the hind milk (later in milking) has more milk than the fore milk (initial let down) the cream line in the hind milk was about twice the fore milk. Additionally, the cream that was present in the hind milk was much thicker (thicker than heavy or whipping cream) while the cream on the fore milk was barely half and half consistency. I will post pictures when my tech team is available.
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Post by jamshundred on Mar 18, 2016 14:42:21 GMT
Karen,
Heres some new information I was given by a Dexter milker. This person says that the milk from the top of the udder, ( last milked) is heavier in cream. I admit to never noticing these things. I would just milkbring it in, strain into jars and refrigerate. I must say you milking ladies are giving me the itch to grab the three-legged stool and start milking again.
Judy
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Post by karenp on Mar 21, 2016 11:19:40 GMT
I know you're busy, but you absolutely should try milking again. Milking is sort of meditative, even when by back gets sore, it's just a great way to start the day. I'm a big milk drinker for an adult, I feel so much better after switching to raw milk.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2016 15:12:38 GMT
I do not enjoy hand milking at all. Machine milking makes it so much nicer and the cows seam to like it to. they always got impat waiting on me to finish hand milking. Yes the raw milk is so much better.
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Post by karenp on Mar 22, 2016 12:31:58 GMT
With one cow and getting under a gallon milking OAD, I would spend more time setting up and cleaning than hand milking. If I had a high producing cow, absolutely. I really do find it relaxing.
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