Thank you for the video. Happy to see Buttercup not having allergy issues with dry off, so far. Looking forward to your upcoming projects. You live in such a beautiful area!!! 🏔
Yes, we are very blessed to live in some beautiful country. We’re also glad to see Buttercup is doing well with the transition. We worked really hard to get her production down before dry off.
You live in a beautiful place ,regardless of season. I thought you were originally talking about literally drying the cows, like after you washed them. Lol. I don't have much knowledge on dairy farms, especially not like yours. I'm pretty interested in learning though. I'm excited I've found your channel!
We’re excited you found our channel too! And we’re glad you’re getting something out of it. That’s the whole reason we do these videos! Thanks for watching!
Congratulations! You did it! I think Spud needs a video just about him. 🐈 The respect you show your cattle is commendable. Looking forward to the next video!
You mentioned changing them over to just grass hay. What were they getting before? You also mentioned “getting them down to a certain amount of pounds”. What were you referring to? And how does aloe boost their immune system? Great video! Thanks 🇨🇦
Grass hay from Alfalfa hay… the dairy grade Alfalfa is like rocket fuel! We like to be under 20# a milking before dryoff. Aloe in general stimulates the immune system, and the aloe pellets have other ingredients too like garlic that also boost the immune system.
Everything according to the book it seems can t go wrong i quess btw hard times coming up for you guys, no income,thanks and greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
No income for these next two month, yes. But, we only have a certain number of cows producing a certain amount of milk, so regardless if we stagger their lactations or group them together, it’s still the same income over the year. We planned for the dry period from the beginning, saving money to sustain us until the next season.
I have really enjoyed this season w/ you and your girls. Your dry prep is excellent! How will you keep parlor pipes from freezing when not in use ? Thank you for sharing. 🐂🐂🐂🐂😷👍
Our parlor is not heated, so we intentionally don’t have any water pipes in there. All the water pipes are either underground or in the milkhouse and processing, which is heated. We do have a hot/cold frost free sill cock extending into the parlor from the milkhouse, so that’s how we do parlor wash downs.
We started educating our customers early, so it wouldn’t take them by surprise. Many of our customers support us because of our husbandry practices, and support us working with nature, so they also support our seasonality. Personally, we froze a bunch of milk to get us through this dry spell.
That first day felt really weird for sure! You get so used to doing things a certain way for so long. I think the cows adapted to the change faster than I did!
We have had to buy alfalfa for the milk cows. We have prepared some more ground this last Fall to plant more alfalfa this Spring. So, within the next few years we hope to produce 100% of our stored forages. We’re probably around 80% this last year.
Well done. No tears shed by anyone, apparently. Will you resume feeding alfalfa as calving time approaches? Looking forward to seeing what projects you will undertake in the coming weeks. Stay safe down on your little piece of heaven.😁
Thanks for the thoughts! We are using up the alfalfa and will just have grass hay. So nice to have a little bit of a break to get organized and going on projects. Plus it lets us work on cleaning the dairy and getting ready for this next season.
We are using up the alfalfa and will just have grass hay. They are grazing some winter stockpiled forage, and will be eased into grazing once the grass starts really growing in April. Thanks for posting!
Beautiful area of the county that you guys live in. Definitely ready for spring and summer and hay making. Do you guys plan to plant more alfalfa this year?
Yes indeed! Already worked up some ground in the Fall. Should be able to get back in it next month. 200% increase in alfalfa acreage (sounds better that way than saying “going from one to three acres”) HaHa!
Thanks for sharing your lives. I really enjoy your videos! I wonder if you would be willing to share some financial information after your first year. Not all the details but just if it was probably or how long it will take to become profitable. That would be helpful to beginners like us. Thanks again!
Yes! Being a seasonal dairy is part of our long term plans. For us, it’s an important factor in our work/life balance. We plan to make a video all about seasonal dairying, so stay tuned!
My computer died and I lost the information on where you get your herbal supplements to help them. I love how you do that for them. Will you please post that information again?
Sure! The two main places we get stuff from is Dr. Paul’s Labs (Dr. Paul Dettloff, DVM) and Crystal Creek. Those two places pretty much covers all our needs. Dr. Dettloff has also published some healthcare books for ruminants we find extremely helpful.
Unfortunately, the only way would be to know the farmer. There is no sort of third-party certifier for this practice. Most of the farms that do it are smaller dairies that process their own milk. But, I know of some larger farms that practice calf sharing as well that ship their milk to a processor. That of course means that the milk is commingled with milk from other farms. Hopefully even more dairy farms will practice calf sharing in the future.
I am very new to having a milk cow so please overlook my ignorance. Can a dairy cow get pregnant while being milked? Also how long after having a calf can a Jersey produce milk?
Yes indeed. A cows gestation period is 9 months, and they typically calve once a year, so usually they are bred about 3 months after calving, so they are both milking and pregnant from that point up until you dry them off approximately 2-3 months before calving again. Hope this helps!
@@vnthomas16 yes it was very helpful. I have one more question then I'll stop pestering you. If she isn't bred back how long can I expect her to produce milk? Thank you again!
Milk production will continue to decline… Every cow is different and at some point it probably won’t be worth it for you to milk her. Plus, dryoff gives her a chance to rest and recover.
@@vnthomas16 to dry her should I use "Dry Off" or do you recommend something different? My cow is 4 mos post delivery and 2 mos post bull exposure. (Last question.)
Usually you dry off 10 months post-calving. That’s when in nature a cow will naturally wean their calf (it can vary a few months either way). We try and get the cows below 20# of milk a day, and then just stop milking them. A few days beforehand, we’ll give them aloe pellets to help boost their immune system. This can be a tough time on them. Otherwise, after we stop milking, we don’t touch their udder because we wouldn’t want to re-stimulate them to produce. Also make sure their bedding is extremely clean and dry as they are susceptible to mastitis at this time. I also test their milk before drying off to ensure there is nothing I need to treat for before drying off.
If they’re a Fertrell dealer, they should be able to order them. They’re not something than most places keep in stock. But, the Critter Apothecary in Sagle, ID has an extensive Dr. Paul’s selection and May have them in stock if you’re in a hurry.
Thank you for the lovely and educational video
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoy the videos!
Good attitude with wonderful smiles.
Thank you!
I love your vlog.
Thanks!
Such a wholesome channel. Thank you for sharing. Lots of love and support from Canada 🇨🇦
Hello neighbors! Glad you like our channel! We’re happy to have you along!
Thank you for the video. Happy to see Buttercup not having allergy issues with dry off, so far. Looking forward to your upcoming projects. You live in such a beautiful area!!! 🏔
Yes, we are very blessed to live in some beautiful country. We’re also glad to see Buttercup is doing well with the transition. We worked really hard to get her production down before dry off.
always enjoy watching your videos , looking forward to seeing future video
Glad to hear! More to come, so stay tuned!
Thank you both. Enjoy your reduced schedule, I’am certain the time won’t be wasted. We’re looking forward to your next video.
There is still plenty to do on the farm! Lots of fodder for videos during the dry period. More to come!
Thanks for sharing your story. I sure have learned a bit from you guys.
Happy to hear that! We appreciate your support by watching our channel!
Hot diggity dog , no more milking , now ya got time to deliver my order and show me 12 THE SHOW TRUCK !!!!!!! . Shall we say next saturday 8am ?????
Saturday is no good... We’ll be sleeping in! Haha!
You live in a beautiful place ,regardless of season. I thought you were originally talking about literally drying the cows, like after you washed them. Lol. I don't have much knowledge on dairy farms, especially not like yours. I'm pretty interested in learning though. I'm excited I've found your channel!
We’re excited you found our channel too! And we’re glad you’re getting something out of it. That’s the whole reason we do these videos! Thanks for watching!
Congratulations! You did it! I think Spud needs a video just about him. 🐈 The respect you show your cattle is commendable. Looking forward to the next video!
Spud already has a video all about him! I suppose, being a cat, he probably thinks he needs another one! Haha!
@@vnthomas16 that was just the introduction. We need a day in the life of Spud. 🤣🐈 🥔
If it were up to Spud, he would be the center of the universe!
@@vnthomas16 as should all cats lol
sounds like you have a well thought out plan as an old trucker i hope you do some more work on the cabover be neat to see the old girl workin
Thanks! Yes, hope to work on 12 more this upcoming year for sure!
You mentioned changing them over to just grass hay. What were they getting before? You also mentioned “getting them down to a certain amount of pounds”. What were you referring to? And how does aloe boost their immune system?
Great video! Thanks 🇨🇦
Grass hay from Alfalfa hay… the dairy grade Alfalfa is like rocket fuel! We like to be under 20# a milking before dryoff. Aloe in general stimulates the immune system, and the aloe pellets have other ingredients too like garlic that also boost the immune system.
Everything according to the book it seems can t go wrong i quess btw hard times coming up for you guys, no income,thanks and greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
No income for these next two month, yes. But, we only have a certain number of cows producing a certain amount of milk, so regardless if we stagger their lactations or group them together, it’s still the same income over the year. We planned for the dry period from the beginning, saving money to sustain us until the next season.
I have really enjoyed this season w/ you and your girls. Your dry prep is excellent! How will you keep parlor pipes from freezing when not in use ? Thank you for sharing. 🐂🐂🐂🐂😷👍
Our parlor is not heated, so we intentionally don’t have any water pipes in there. All the water pipes are either underground or in the milkhouse and processing, which is heated. We do have a hot/cold frost free sill cock extending into the parlor from the milkhouse, so that’s how we do parlor wash downs.
I knew you two had solved the freeze issue.
Drying the cows off gives you a needed break, and I get that. However, I'm curious to know how you prepared your customers for a dry spell?
Yes i would also like to know how you and your customers will get their milk because 3 months is a long time?
We started educating our customers early, so it wouldn’t take them by surprise. Many of our customers support us because of our husbandry practices, and support us working with nature, so they also support our seasonality. Personally, we froze a bunch of milk to get us through this dry spell.
Happy not milking for awhile. I'm sure it will feel a little strange. God bless and keep warm.
That first day felt really weird for sure! You get so used to doing things a certain way for so long. I think the cows adapted to the change faster than I did!
Did y'all have to buy hay? I was wondering if all that you grew is what supplied for the feeding season? If you did GOOD Great for y'all.
We have had to buy alfalfa for the milk cows. We have prepared some more ground this last Fall to plant more alfalfa this Spring. So, within the next few years we hope to produce 100% of our stored forages. We’re probably around 80% this last year.
Well done. No tears shed by anyone, apparently. Will you resume feeding alfalfa as calving time approaches?
Looking forward to seeing what projects you will undertake in the coming weeks. Stay safe down on your little piece of heaven.😁
Want to watch feeding alfalfa prior to calving because it will increase the chances of milkfever
Thanks for the thoughts! We are using up the alfalfa and will just have grass hay. So nice to have a little bit of a break to get organized and going on projects. Plus it lets us work on cleaning the dairy and getting ready for this next season.
We are using up the alfalfa and will just have grass hay. They are grazing some winter stockpiled forage, and will be eased into grazing once the grass starts really growing in April. Thanks for posting!
Beautiful area of the county that you guys live in. Definitely ready for spring and summer and hay making. Do you guys plan to plant more alfalfa this year?
Yes indeed! Already worked up some ground in the Fall. Should be able to get back in it next month. 200% increase in alfalfa acreage (sounds better that way than saying “going from one to three acres”) HaHa!
@@vnthomas16 🤣👍
Thanks for sharing your lives. I really enjoy your videos! I wonder if you would be willing to share some financial information after your first year. Not all the details but just if it was probably or how long it will take to become profitable. That would be helpful to beginners like us. Thanks again!
You’re welcome! Yes! We plan to make video covering our first year financials. We’ll make that sometime during our dry period, so stay tuned for that!
when are you calving again
Everybody is due in May! Thanks for watching!
@@vnthomas16 thanks for making the videos and putting the extra effort into them so we can come on along on your amazing journey
Grats on the break! Do you plan on doing this every year?
Yes! Being a seasonal dairy is part of our long term plans. For us, it’s an important factor in our work/life balance. We plan to make a video all about seasonal dairying, so stay tuned!
My computer died and I lost the information on where you get your herbal supplements to help them. I love how you do that for them. Will you please post that information again?
Sure! The two main places we get stuff from is Dr. Paul’s Labs (Dr. Paul Dettloff, DVM) and Crystal Creek. Those two places pretty much covers all our needs. Dr. Dettloff has also published some healthcare books for ruminants we find extremely helpful.
@@vnthomas16 Where can we purchase Aloe pellets? I live in AR, and am not seeing any dealers in our area. Thanks!
How would I know if I'm getting organic milk that's from a farm which allows the calves to hang around? (Other than yours of course)
Unfortunately, the only way would be to know the farmer. There is no sort of third-party certifier for this practice. Most of the farms that do it are smaller dairies that process their own milk. But, I know of some larger farms that practice calf sharing as well that ship their milk to a processor. That of course means that the milk is commingled with milk from other farms. Hopefully even more dairy farms will practice calf sharing in the future.
Are you trimming their hooves?
Never have needed too. The strong grazing genetics, coupled with outdoor access year round and minimum concrete has resulted in excellent feet!
I am very new to having a milk cow so please overlook my ignorance. Can a dairy cow get pregnant while being milked? Also how long after having a calf can a Jersey produce milk?
Yes indeed. A cows gestation period is 9 months, and they typically calve once a year, so usually they are bred about 3 months after calving, so they are both milking and pregnant from that point up until you dry them off approximately 2-3 months before calving again. Hope this helps!
@@vnthomas16 yes it was very helpful. I have one more question then I'll stop pestering you. If she isn't bred back how long can I expect her to produce milk? Thank you again!
Milk production will continue to decline… Every cow is different and at some point it probably won’t be worth it for you to milk her. Plus, dryoff gives her a chance to rest and recover.
@@vnthomas16 to dry her should I use "Dry Off" or do you recommend something different? My cow is 4 mos post delivery and 2 mos post bull exposure. (Last question.)
Usually you dry off 10 months post-calving. That’s when in nature a cow will naturally wean their calf (it can vary a few months either way). We try and get the cows below 20# of milk a day, and then just stop milking them. A few days beforehand, we’ll give them aloe pellets to help boost their immune system. This can be a tough time on them. Otherwise, after we stop milking, we don’t touch their udder because we wouldn’t want to re-stimulate them to produce. Also make sure their bedding is extremely clean and dry as they are susceptible to mastitis at this time. I also test their milk before drying off to ensure there is nothing I need to treat for before drying off.
Aloe pellets--where do I find? Are they the same as equine aloe pellets?
They are a Dr. Paul’s Lab product distributed by Fertrell.
@@vnthomas16 I'm also in Eastern Wa. Are you buying it local, or online?
We buy it through Red Bridge Farm’s feed store in Kettle Falls. They’re a Fertrell dealer.
@@vnthomas16 Okay, thanks. I saw a place in Spokane sells Fortrell products, although not the aloe pellets.
If they’re a Fertrell dealer, they should be able to order them. They’re not something than most places keep in stock. But, the Critter Apothecary in Sagle, ID has an extensive Dr. Paul’s selection and May have them in stock if you’re in a hurry.
What is your goal of the number of cows you hope to milk in the future ?
Definitely no more than 12, but we would probably be happiest around 8 or so. We’ll see! Thanks for watching!