Been working on getting a certain cow of mine bred, gave her Lutalyse earlier in the week and waiting for her to come into standing heat and then AI her. Well, long story short I've been walking her the 1/4 mile down the road from my place to the dairy twice a day for milking. Halter and tie her to the back of the four wheeler and lead her down. Morning milking starts at 4am and I was walking her down the road at 3:45am the other morning in the dark when this car went past. Folks locally know me and wouldn't have batted an eyelash, but out-of-town license plate on their truck -- I'm sure they must have gone past and been sure they were seeing things. :lol2:
Wonder what they thought?
- Thread starter milkmaid
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rkm
Well-known member
The one thing I could never get used to when I moved to NY, a lot of family farmers don't start milking until 7 to 9 am. I always wanted to be done barn chores by 8:00 am and in the field by 8:30. Milkmaid I'd be wondering what a car with out of state plates was doing on the road at 3:45 am. :shock: :shock:
sidney411
Well-known member
I came up on an old beat up cadilac the other night about 10pm with a horse tied to the driver side mirror :shock:
I saw someone with goats in the back seat of their car. I thought that was much stranger than leading a cow with a four wheeler. I once put a pen of chickens in the back of the Blazer. What a mess! 
I also gave my son's music teacher some chickens once as payment. Turned them loose in the band hall. A classic Kodak moment.
I also gave my son's music teacher some chickens once as payment. Turned them loose in the band hall. A classic Kodak moment.Oh and let us not forget the recent escape of Gus the spotted donkey in the middle of the night. Had to chase him with a car to get him back in the pasture. The grass really is greener on the other side, I guess.
born2run
Well-known member
I was riding my mare w/ a fly mask on a couple of years ago, and had someone stop and ask if she could see? I kick myself to this day that I wasn't quick whitted enough to say, "Nope, she can't! She behaves so badly that this is the only way I can ride her...blind."
got a friend who hauled a buffalo bottle baby in the backseat of a Geo Prizm to visit some family (friend's not the buffalo's) that was about 2hrs down the road. Really funny part is that when I was told the story, I did not know about the bottle calf, but did know about a weanling they had. I had a fun time picturing a weanling buffalo in the backseat of a car.
rkm":22h89hyo said:
Same thing I wondered in my half-awake state of mind. :shock: I know the newspaper gets delivered about that time, but this wasn't the newspaper person. And we sure aren't a busy road. I don't usually run into anyone at that hour. If they had stopped, where I'm kind of "stuck" going 3mph with the cow, I would have been really stressed.
I have a good reason for being on the road but there's not very many good reasons for anyone else to be out at that time of day. Especially not where the car was going the opposite direction needed to go to town.Second milking is at 2pm - gets us done around 5 and we have the evening free then. Some would say it's not ideal for the cows as there's 10 and 14 hours between milkings (as opposed to a perfect 12 and 12), but it does allow a person to have a life outside of milking...
I know some that milk at 5 and 5, and that sounds like up early, in bed late, have both your entire evening and most your morning taken up. As boss said once, "If you really want to be married to your cows..." LOL.
As far as keeping people wondering - I do that all the time, unintentionally. Shucks, the four wheeler is boss's - I'm reduced to moving hay with the wheelbarrow in the summer and dogsled in the winter, cows go back and forth with a halter and lead rope...:lol2: Yes I'm sure my antics keep all the neighbors amused.
born2run
Well-known member
I get home at 3:30 or 4 AM commonly. Dairy hours suck, especially ones that milk 3x. Next shift is there at 4:30.
cfpinz":3atf2m3r said:
:lol2: You get used to it. I was a little horrified in the beginning and it took awhile to adapt, but nowdays it doesn't bother me. ;-) (A nap mid-morning is very welcome though!) I usually just bike down in the mornings (boss can't understand how I can ride a bike in the pitchblack without crashing, lol) and I can be down there within 10 minutes of turning my alarm off.
Speaking of alarms, in the beginning I never went to sleep without three, sometimes FOUR alarms on the dresser. Nowdays one is sufficient and I don't worry about sleeping through it. You just get used to it. ;-)
milkmaid":1zeri8en said:
And when you reach your senior years you'll still get up at that time regardless of the necessity. You'll probably feel that sleeping past 4:30 is wasting half or at least the best part of the day.
dun
rkm
Well-known member
Dun you are so right. Even though I havn't had milk cows for 18 months up early every morning, no matter how late I stay up at night. I guess I can't turn that clock off in my head. If I happen to sleep a extra half hour I feel guilty. But for the first time in my life I find myself nodding off in the afternoon.
rkm":1m5fhs1s said:Dun you are so right. Even though I havn't had milk cows for 18 months up early every morning, no matter how late I stay up at night. I guess I can't turn that clock off in my head. If I happen to sleep a extra half hour I feel guilty. But for the first time in my life I find myself nodding off in the afternoon.
It's been over 25 years since I had to get up around 4 on a regular basis. Still do it every day. It sure must take a long time to reprogram the internal clock.
dun
