# How long does it take you to milk a gallon



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I have only been milking a week now. Maggie I was told is not a fast milker. It takes me about an hour, from the time I leave the house till I get back. She only milks 2-3 gallons a day.

Is it normal to some times get a gallon, some times a gallon and a quart (haven't gotten a gallon and a half for most of the week), and this evening, I actually got less than a gallon and I try my best to drain her dry?

So I am wondering what goal I should set for milking.

I know some of your cows milk more than that, but how long does it take you to get a gallon?

You with machines don't have to answer


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Karen you asked...I can milk one gallon in under five minutes easily...Of course that's me.....I know this didn't help, but you asked....Topside


----------



## greenhorn (Jun 3, 2009)

I would say look at how much time you are actually under that cow with hands-on. I find the other things that have to occur in the barn can really vary in time, especially when things are frozen 

Many things affect the amount of milk of course, but I'd say the main ones are where she is in her lactation cycle (when did she have her last calf), what is she eating, how is the water supply and I believe weather affects them somewhat.

That being said, I can get a gallon from my Guernsey who freshened Thanksgiving Day in about 6 or 7 minutes. My Jersey, who freshened in March, takes about 15-20 minutes to get a gallon. She also really goes up and down from half to a gallon and a half on various days. If she gets milked first she gives more; if second she's annoyed and gives less. Hope that helps.

greenhorn


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Sorry Karen; I`m with Topside, I can milk a cow in no time flat (unless she has super short teats) but I have been milking most of my life. My wife hates it that I can milk so fast, she says seems like i`m not doing anything compared to you. good luck and keep up the milking. > Thanks Marc


----------



## Shades of Gray (May 1, 2010)

Speaking of super short teats.....
Do they ever get longer? Further into the lactation? Second freshening maybe?
Cause I'm at 15 min. per teat, just the back quarters. So I'm rockin at 30 minutes for half a gallon!! :rock: HA! BEAT THAT!!


----------



## greenhorn (Jun 3, 2009)

I was so freaked out by the little teats that I actually bought a milk machine! By the time it arrives though, she had relaxed a bit and I had figured out how to milk her better. I use my thumb on one side and the pointer and bird finger on the other side then sort of pinch a drag. I get some relief from muscle tension (won't call it carpal tunnel yet) by milking in different combinations of teats, i.e. both fronts or both lefts or diagonal sometimes.

I haven't even opened the milking machine if anyone's interested......it's an awesome DeLaval system I got from Mike Perry. Everything's new except the compressor motor.


----------



## matt_man (Feb 11, 2006)

Shades of Gray said:


> Speaking of super short teats.....
> Do they ever get longer? Further into the lactation? Second freshening maybe?
> Cause I'm at 15 min. per teat, just the back quarters. So I'm rockin at 30 minutes for half a gallon!! :rock: HA! BEAT THAT!!


My Daisy has pretty short teats her first lactation and they were much better with her second.

As for the OP question. I can milk a gallon in less than 5 min. A cow's let down only last for so long. As soon as they start to let down you have to get it done in a hurry or your going to be leaving milk behind and her production will lower over time.

When my son milks, he is slower, and he gets less milk that I do because it takes him so long the cows have quit letting down. There is also virtually no cream line when he milks either. Where as if I milk both milkings, I get the same amount of milk and cream every time.


----------



## bantams (Sep 7, 2003)

I average about 1 minute per quart ... but I've been doing it for about 5 years. She is also an easy milker.
The first week I ever milked a cow it took me about 2 hours for 2.5 gallons! After the first couple weeks you'll be a pro.


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Yep the teats get longer the older they get, I have an 11 year old cow that would be a newbies dream milk cow. She is such a good old girl, she just keeps on tickin, and she will raise every calf born if she could. > Marc


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

Her back teats are kind of short. A guy on another forum actually looked at her before I bought her and that is why he didn't want her, but being female my hands are smaller and not has hard for me to grab.

I am progressing, I am not squirting up my arm any more.

I guess my hands are cramping because I aint going fast enough! I thought it was because I am always giving foot massages to my husband that I wasn't cramping, but now I find its because I am a poke.

I do get lots of cream though

I am thinking of getting a clock out in the barn so I can time myself, maybe a metronome to give me some rhythm. 

This cow is about 6 years old.

I may never get down to a couple of minutes, but will be happy with 20, then I will think about beating that.

I think I put her to sleep. Where I am milking her is a on a little bit of an angle and I am on the upside. I swear sometimes she falls asleep and more than once she about fell on me. I guess if I didn't take so long she wouldn't have time to sleep.


----------



## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Too funny, Karen! I know from milking literally hundreds of cows ( by machine) that some are just easier to get the milk out of than others. Keeping working at it! You've got a great cow that will stand still that long!


----------



## momofseven (Oct 10, 2008)

Yep keep plugging away. You'll get faster at it. The cow falling asleep was too funny!


----------



## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Depends on the cow for me. Some cows let down well and have good sized teats and milk orfices while others I have to "take" every drop they give me. I can definately see where the good old fashioned "handles" have been bred off of the cows.


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I did much better today.

Yesterday I went and got a 30 gallon tote to put in our little barn to put the feed in. Because part of my morning time was bringing out the milk bucket and wash water, then going to get the feed from the garage. So that cut my time down a little.

Then I tried ludicrous speed milking, for me anyway. 

By doing both things I was able to shave 18 minutes off my time.

And I got a gallon and a pint. Maggie didn't fall asleep.

My hands didn't cramp too bad, There were times I was only using one hand, trying to coordinate two hands sometimes is tricky. I most times end up doing it in unison rather than alternating. I also found that I am a better right handed milker (even though I am left handed). Could be because of the side of the cow I am on, my left hand is at her legs. Don't know why I chose that side, but just did. The people I got her from milked both sides as a couple.

I am glad now that I have a goal, and accomplishing it means I get to go home early. I like that.

Thanks


----------



## Looking4ewes (Apr 30, 2006)

My cow gives a gallon at each milking. It takes a half hour from start to finish. She doesn't let down easily; I have to coax it out a bit at a time and some quarters milk easier than others. I begin by using an alternating squeeze technique and when the milk flow lessens, I move to a double-handed bump and pull method. I switch quarters frequently, allowing them to refill with a small rest period. The dribbles at the end of milking seem to last indefinately, so I do my best to empty, then a quick strip and then I'm done.

My DH, when feeling generous, has milked the other side with me at times, but I usually find that he gets in the way with my bump and switch method. It would be nice to have a cow that lets down easily and with great volume, but I don't have that kind of cow. Maybe with later freshenings, it will improve.


----------



## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Karen, I have a problem with cramping in my hands, too, and I think it's because of short teats and small teat orifices. The one I'm milking now is a first-timer, and it will probably get easier (her mom is a dream to milk) as she gets older, but for now it's truly a pain. Because of the cramping, I have to alternate hands after a few minutes to give each one a few seconds' rest. I've also found taking vitamin B-6 helps some. I was getting the first twinges of carpal tunnel last year, and it's gone now that I'm on the B-6. It sure wouldn't hurt and it might help a little bit with the cramping. Of course cold weather doesn't help much, either. 

~Lannie


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I have tried my lightning speed, and then sit there for another 10 minutes or so getting the last dribbles out that never seem to end.

but now I am getting less than a gallon. I got a gallon up to a gallon and a half when I brought her home, and the last few times I haven't even made a gallon.

I have changed her food.

She was getting a calf starter, which I put a little cotton hulls in (she was getting them at her old place). I ran out of the calf starter, could only get one bag and when I went back to get the others that were supposed to come in they had already sold them all, so I got some TD or something like that for foraging cows and mixed in oat seeds (which seem to just pass right threw her)

I was told to watch for her cycling. I have no idea what I am looking for.

I try very hard to empty her, why am I getting so little out of her now?

Is it because of the changes?

How can I boost her back up?


----------



## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Karen, what breed is Maggie? If she's full dairy, she might need some kind of grain. I have dairy/beef crosses and don't feed any grain at all, so I can't advise on that, but I DO know that the more food and water you put in, the more milk will come out. If you think she's getting enough to eat, I would make sure she's getting enough water. Is the water really cold? Sometimes they don't like to drink as much when it's very cold. Or if it's freezing and you don't have a trough heater, is she getting water from you several times a day? She'd probably enjoy a 5 gallon bucket of warm water from the house, if you could do that. Depending on her size, she might drink 20 to 40 gallons of water a day. My big girl (Jersey/Hereford) drinks about 40 gallons a day when she's milking, and only a fraction of that when she's dry. Her daughter (3/4 Jersey) will drink about 30 gallons a day when she's milking. A cow has to drink about 10 gallons of water per gallon of milk produced, in addition to what they would normally drink if they weren't lactating. I just realized after having said all that, you're in Alabama, so it's probably not freezing water that's the problem. However, I'd still keep an eye on her intake and see how much she's drinking, and maybe someone else will have some advice on feeding for more production. I just feed my girls a good native grass/alfalfa mix hay with pure alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets during milking. I can get away with that because of the Hereford in them. 

Oh, and she doesn't have a calf on, right? Or does she? If she does, then that's a whole different issue.

~Lannie


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

As far as I know Maggie is 100% Jersey.

She has access to water, either from tubs we keep full or from the brook.

I will go back to the calf starter I was using. Hopefully they have some, all of a sudden I can't get it.

No calf, she calved in October, but they kept the calf.

Tonight it is 25 degrees and snowing. our first snow. It has been 16 degrees. But then yesterday it was 50, and the winter will go like that, we don't stay in a deep freeze, could be 70 by the end of the week. 

she was getting cotton seed hulls in her feed, and this new feed had some in it. The calf starter had corn, and I tried oat seeds.

Besides having the stinkiest pooh of all the cows, I could always see the corn and then the oats undigested.

I don't know how to tell how much she is drinking because she is out with 9 other cows. I pretty much just see her at milking time, especially now that it is cold. Yankee as I am, I moved south because I hate the cold.


----------



## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

Well, she should be drinking then, and I don't think that's cold enough to stop her.

Maybe it's a feed thing, but I don't have any experience with grain, so I can't help you with that. Hopefully, someone else who feeds grain can offer some insight.

~Lannie


----------

