Adventures in Milking a Cow!
1) Herd cows into the stable by running after them and intimidating them with hoots and hollers. (I did not partake in this part of the activity, maybe next time)
2) Select two cows for milking (we milk twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening). Note: Two cow’s worth of milk fills a PAIL!!! It’s crazy!
3) Lead one cow to special milking stall. Entice them to stay with yummy food. Once they are in, tie their back legs to the stall. HA! Gotcha now silly cow.
4) Wash udders with warm water and washcloth. There are four udders.
5) Apply milking lotion in small amounts on udder to make for comfortable milking (for the cow).
6) PULL on the UDDER. Pull from the BASE and apply a firm and steady amount of pressure throughout the whole yank. Key here is not to make an “O” with your hand and pull, but to slip your thumb under your index finger and slip the udder in this opening.
7) Funny fact: Rhonda, the cow, started peeing while I was milking her. Also, my head is inches away from the side of her belly, which is caked with dry cow dung.
8 )After being told I was not milking fast enough, I was relieved of my duties by our house worker, Alcana.
9) We sell a liter of milk for 40 shillings, a little more than $0.50, to people who appear at our gate with empty water bottles. It’s pretty awesome. We also harness the energy in the cow manure in the form of biogas for our kitchen stove. BRILLIANT!
-
- Cows munchin’ on grass by the house
-
- Rhonda is ready for me
-
- Get in there!
-
- That was my expression the whole time I was down there
-
- Now there’s a semi happy face
