Milk stanchion cows

Well I finally got around to building the girls a milking stanchion. You may be wondering why I’m building one now when it still nearly a year before it will be used. Well at the rate it is…

Here are two photos of our Dexter milking stanchion for reference: From the side . . . ... and from the rear. List of Supplies NOTE: All lumber is pressure-treated Four 8' 4x4s Fifteen 6' 2x6s One 8' 2x6 Four 6' 2x4s Two galvanized bolts with washers and nuts, 6" long Galvanized nails (5+ lbs.) & screws, if desired Circular saw Hammer Power drill Measuring tape T-square Carpenter's pencil Chalk line Pliers Screwdriver Here's a general explanation of the structure of our stanchion: The four…

How to Discourage a Milk Cow from Kicking-- there's nothing worse than a ruined bucket of fresh milk! Use these tips to avoid that situation...

Learn how to train a heifer to become a family milk cow. Follow these tips to figure out how to train your heifer both before and after calving.

Molly, ready to milk Here is Molly modeling our milk stanchion. The 2x6 swings shut to keep her head in, while allowing her to eat a lit...

Here are a few notes from the family, in their own words: a few things that we like about our setup are: -chilling our milk in a water bath utilizing rubbermaid bins inside a chest freezer and plug…

I did a lot of research online to find examples of homemade milking stanchions. Herb and I looked over them together to come up with our own plan. At the end of this post I'll list some of the links that were helpful to us, but here is the one that was invaluable: http://wagsranch.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/wags-milking-stanchion-web.jpg Thank you, Wags Ranch! Herb was so fast building this that I didn't get out to the barn in time to get photos of the beginning. I'll do a post later with…

Cow Milking Stanchion - our unique homestead pleasure. You will really appreciate it, especially when you were milking without it. It is a sturdy wooden construction that makes the milking job a lot easier. It is also handy for hoof trimming, grooming, vet checks or medical procedures.

That's what we've been busy with this weekend. Relatively easy, it's not finished yet, we want to concrete the floor. Ping decided to model it for us: She's quite photogenic don't you think? (Seriously, who thought I'd love goats so much!?) Poor Poppet. She has to be locked up for the night and doesn't enjoy it. Working on a pen for her so she can be separated from mom 24/7. The ducks are getting big.. and beautiful! We have a nice variety. Three Pekins, two Rouens, three Ancona and two…