It is now winter and much has happened in the way of Tippy Margaret. When we purchased her in June of this year, we knew she had been in with a bull for a little while. Thus, hoping she was pregnant. If she had not been, we hope she soon would be - as she was placed with a small herd, with a bull in the mix.
All that to say that our dreams of having a milk cow come Spring were well under way. Then life happened. We found Tippy to be pregnant, much farther along than conception in May or June. She actually calved mid-October, delivering a bull calf - Angus / American Milking Devon cross - while we were out of state. Life's learning curves are perfectly effective, aren't they?
What does that look like for us now? Well, we are currently calf sharing, with milking attempts being made a few times a week. If I am honest, leasing a spot for your cow and attempting to milk in the wide-open range, with no barn or water access is... difficult at best. We are thankful the calf and mama cow are well and going strong, and I am thankful that Tippy does allow me the opportunity to milk free standing for as long as food remains in the bucket. :)
This process has taught us much in the way of what we will desire once we get land of our own, and until then we will push forward and maybe even get enough milk for our morning coffee.
