So we have Angus cattle, and they are not "milk" cows, they don't get milked by a machine or hand twice a day, we don't make our own butter/cream/etc. But this last week, I saw one of our cows get milked. So this momma cow ( I named her Muhammad Ali --you'll see why), was making all this racket when I came home the other day. I thought she had gotten stuck in a fence or between some trees or something, she was tearing her head back and forth going ape-sh*t. Well I walk over and she's head-butting her little calf--which is normal to get them on their feet. Unless...you're head-butting the calf into timber and it gets stuck and you keep pummeling it until it really can't get up. I run back in the house---J--we have a problem. We go back out there and he has to pick it up and get it out into the clearing. Well Muhammad was still was head-butting it--poor little calf. So we haul the little calf into the barn, and mean Mama-bear Muhammad follows after us. She is not letting this little girl up so she can get some milk. Then J's Dad comes over and brings his calf-bottle and feeding tube. Hmm. This out to be interesting. I really don't know if I had ever seen a cow being milked before, especially one who wasn't used to a guy being all up in her business. Then we get to feed her (I named her Gertrude--she's so cute). It was all very interesting to me. She's one of the few girls we've had--most of the calves we've had this year have been boys. Hmph. I didn't get a pic of Muhammad Ali and Gertrude, but here's a pic of Borus and his friend--aren't they fine looking bull calves?
I've milked a cow and it's very different than beef cattle. I think milk cows enjoy the attention and the emptying of a full udder.
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