We always fed before. During the summer, we would bring them in from pasture and as soon as they were all locked down in their stanchions, we would grain and start milking.
In the winter, we would rake them out to water, put them back in, grain, then set hay out and milk. Don't know if that was correct, but it worked for us.
Always seem that if we waited to grain after we milked, they were a lot more rowdy. I guess waiting for the grain


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Makes no difference.


When I had a milk cow for my own milk and butter, I fed her so she could eat while I was milking.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Kind'a what I was getting at. If they are eating, their minds are on that instead of trying to kick the milk bucket or milker. If they are not all stressed out of waiting for that grain, you can see them letting down their milk. Lot of times you will see it dripping out.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

We gave them their grain at the time of milking. When I was a kid the herdsman knew each of the 150 head and adjusted the amount of grain each one got at their feeder in the parlor... at least that is what he told me!!


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

One man that I worked for fed his milk cow over 1 gallon of feed then when he was done milking he took what she had not eat away. I asked why and he said she would kick your head off when she got all the feed eaten and there was no more, you could milk her as long as ther was feed in the feed box. I never tried it to see his boy did and he got kicked serval times getting away from her.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum