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You are here: Home / Blog Post / Calf-Sharing: How To Get Started

Calf-Sharing: How To Get Started

07.16.2021 by Raelene Bradley // Leave a Comment

Calf-sharing is often touted as the milk-cow owners’ saving grace; it’s the simplest way to make the stringent demands of twice-a-day every day milkings more manageable.

But calf-sharing isn’t always easy to navigate. And sometimes, it’s just not the best fit for you, your cow, or your farm.

How do you know? When do you start? How do you do it? The answers to most of these questions are “it depends” (chuckle).

That’s probably the most important thing to know when it comes to calf-sharing: there really are no hard and fast rules; it’s about adjusting it to your own routine and making it work best for you.

But there are absolutely a few guidelines to help you feel confident and know you’re on track.

Here’s the basic 2-step plan I use when it comes to getting started with calf-sharing:

1. I keep the calf with the cow 24/7 until I feel like I’m not getting enough milk. The “right time” to separate depends mostly on how much milk your cow is giving and how much milk your calf is taking.

With Maude (a single heifer born in February 2020), that was about 10 weeks. I milked twice a day and Maude would come up to the milking shed with us, hang out while we milked, and follow her mama back to the pasture.

Sandy consistently gave 1-2 gallons at each milking (about 4 gallons every day) and that was more than enough.

This year, with twins (born in June 2021), that’s going to be at 3 weeks (tomorrow!). I could have started separating them last week, but I feel like the more time they can spend with the cow, the better their foundation for growth, so I prolonged it for just a bit longer because 1 gallon at each milking is enough for us for now.

But in the last week, that has dropped to 1/2 – 3/4 gallon so we’re ready to start separating the calves at night.

If you’re ready to switch to once-a-day milkings sooner rather than later, assess your cow’s production and the calf’s intake. If the calf is with her 24/7 and she’s still giving 3 gallons a milking, she’s producing much more than the calf can handle and you risk other complications if you drop to once-a-day milking.

But, if she’s giving less than 2 gallons a milking, you can pretty confidently move to once-a-day.

2. As the calf grows, he’ll take more milk so when you feel like you want more milk for the house, separate the calf for 12 hours, milk the cow, and then put them back together for 12 hours.

Morning milkings are the easiest for me to navigate (there aren’t many extra-curriculars scheduled for early morning!) so I separate the calf in the evening around 6-7pm.

Separate about 12 hours after your morning milking time – if you milk at 8am, separate around 8pm.

Make sure to put him in a secure pen – somewhere he can’t get out and can’t get hurt. Offer water and a bit of hay just in case – though depending on his age, he may not want or need it.

I milk as normal the next morning – around 6am right now, but you can, of course, adjust to whatever time works best for you.

I like to give the cow another hour or so after milking to replenish her supply before putting the calf back with her. This isn’t strictly necessary because she WILL hold some back for the calf and will have milk to give if you put them back together immediately, but I’ve found that a hungry calf can be pretty rough when the milk doesn’t come as fast as they like so I like to give the cow some time to replenish first.

Then the cow and calf hang out together all day long, the calf eating as much as he likes.

Separate the calf again in the evening and skip the evening milking. The calf will have taken all the milk and so you get a break.

For the first few days, monitor the cow’s udder in the evening – if it’s slack and loose, or even only moderately full, the plan is working and the calf is taking enough.

But if it’s tight and swollen and full, you may need to go back to twice-a-day milking. Keep separating the calf at night, but don’t skip evening milking until she’s giving 2 gallons or less.

So there you have it – the first two steps to get started calf-sharing. When it goes according to plan, it’s a win-win for all: the calf gets all he wants (and gets it himself! no bottle feeding!), the cow gets to mother her calf, and you get a break from twice-a-day milking.

In fact, implementing a successful calf-sharing system helps crush one of the most common myths about keeping a family cow: “I’ll never get a break. I’ll never be able to leave the farm. I can’t go on vacation.” Not true!

Calf-sharing gives you a lot of flexibility – and as the calf gets older and takes even more milk, you can absolutely leave the cow and calf together for a weekend and enjoy some time away.

If you’re intrigued by this strategy and want to learn more ways to crush those “I can’t because…” ideas that are keeping you from living the milk cow dream, I’ve got a Masterclass coming up next week where I tackle all the things you think are holding you back. I’ll bet you’re close than you think. Click here to sign up!

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belvederefarms

This time of year I worry about too much grass gro This time of year I worry about too much grass growing too fast before I can get the cows over to eat it down and make the most of it.
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As a grass farmer, it’s the very best kind of problem to have: grass tall enough to get lost in.
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Speaking of which: can you find the baby? Comment with a 👍 when you do!
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#grassfarmer #grassfedbeef #iamyourfarmer #farmraisedkids #intensiverotationalgrazing #grassfed #grassfedbutter #farmlife #homesteadlife #supportlocalfarmers
That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩. . Those firs That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩.
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Those first few weeks hand milking can be disheartening. Dribbles and squirts, milk running down your wrist, sticky fingers, and sore forearms. 
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Milking is a skill. No one is good at it right away. It takes practice. The more you practice, the better you get. The faster you get, the more sure and even your squirts.
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And then one day, there will be foam in the bucket and you’ll know you’ve arrived. Your squirts are fast and firm and sure and the sustained pressure of all that milk hitting the pail makes the most gloriously frothy foam.
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Keep at it friend. Whatever skill you’re working on now. Just because you’re not that great at it right now doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing or that you won’t get better.
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Keep working. Keep trying. Keep learning. The foam will come.
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#farmlife #milkmaid #modernmilkmaid #milkmaidlife #milkcowlife #handmilking #rawmilk #homesteadskills #traditionalskills
Transcript of a real-life conversation we had this Transcript of a real-life conversation we had this morning:

Me: Whaa? Why is there a frozen turkey on the counter?!

Seamus (4): Because I like turkey and chicken meat.

Me: So you went out to the barn…

S: …and got in the freezer. And brought in a turkey.

Me: Oh, love. We can’t cook a turkey until we have a stove [kitchen reno still on going 🤦‍♀️].

S: Well, then you can cut it up and cook it piece by piece in the microwave.

Me: Actually, that’s not going to work.

S: (looks outside) Well, it’s raining today but tomorrow when it’s not raining we can make a fire and cook it outside on the fire.
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Ever the problem solver, he was full of ideas. 🤣🤣
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I did finally convince him to put it back in the freezer and wait until we have a stove - with the caveat that we cook it for his birthday.
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#kidssaythedarndestthings
#farmkid #farmlife #homesteadmama #lifeonthefarm #farmraisedkids
We have two cows in milk right now: Sandy (old fai We have two cows in milk right now: Sandy (old faithful and best friend, there on the left) and Clara (new to our farm and momma to Ruby).
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How much work is two cows vs. one? I was so nervous about adding a second cow because the additional time/labor was an unknown, but when it comes right down to it, it’s about 20 mins more time milking. That’s it.
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Everything else is pretty well the same. It takes the same amount of time to bring them in to the milking shed. The same amount of time to move them to fresh grass. It still takes under an hour door to door to milk & do what needs done, and even less for evening milking.
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And since our oldest boy (14) helps milk the majority of the time, that extra 20 minutes doesn’t often figure in. Many hands (and even just one extra pair!) make light work.
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It does take a little more time to deal with the milk: more time straining, more time washing jars, more cream to skim, more butter to churn. But if more cream and butter are the cons, I’m here for it.
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What would you say is the biggest obstacle holding you back from getting a family cow?
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#familycow #milkcowlife #keepingafamilycow #milkcow #homesteadlife #rawmilk
Mud pie hearts. . Just because this day or month o Mud pie hearts.
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Just because this day or month or season or year is hard does not mean you are not heard or seen or loved. There is beauty all around, if we have eyes to see it, hearts open to feel it, and wild, barefoot, dirty, outdoor-loving farm kiddos to deliver it.
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#farmkids #wildandfree #mudpie #mudseason #springonthefarm #homesteadmama #farmmom
My cup - ahem. shirt - runneth over. Same same. . My cup - ahem. shirt - runneth over. Same same. 
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I gather eggs every morning and again every afternoon. Farm life is a constant reminder that there is #alwayssomethingtobethankfulfor 
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#farmfresheggs #farmeggs #rainboweggs #farmlifebestlife
Hello Friends! Jordan here, and it has been a hot Hello Friends! Jordan here, and it has been a hot minute. I went to Las Vegas last week to visit my brother and we made beef tongue tacos. I love using the whole animal and this was a fun process with a delicious outcome. You can check out the blog to get the recipe. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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#wholeanimalbutchery #wholeanimalcooking #beeftonguetacos #tacosdelengua  #cincodemayo #grassfedbeef #homesteadkitchen
T-minus 3 days until our first frost and we’re s T-minus 3 days until our first frost and we’re spending these lovely fall afternoons gathering in the last of the garden.
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Today: dried beans (Christmas Lima and Cherokee Trail of Tears), Reagan’s sunflowers and luffa, the last of the tomatoes (gah! they just won’t quit!), and the rhubarb.
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Tomorrow: chopping, freezing, cooking, and canning.
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Months from now: bellies full of homegrown garden goodness.
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#homegrown #gardenlife #farmlife #preservingtheharvest #garden #fallgarden #ohiogarden #growyourown #sunflower #familygarden #kidsinthegarden #gardeningwithkids #happyfall #harvesttime #harvest #fallharvest
Hello, fall. 👋 You’re long overdue and oh so Hello, fall. 👋 You’re long overdue and oh so welcome.
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This morning was the first I stayed in a long sleeve shirt to milk and didn’t have sweat dripping down my face.
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It’s the first the temperature has dipped below 60* (even though the humidity is a resilient 100% what with the rain, mist, and fog).
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Technically, our first frost date should have been this week, but Ohio’s holding out and it doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen for another two weeks at least.
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In any case, it finally (finally!) feels like fall and oh am I ever so here for it. So much so that once the must-do chores are done (yogourt, butter, beans and laundry), I fully intend to curl up on the couch with a cuppa and read.
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#fallonthefarm #hellofall #fall #fallleaves #fallscene #farmlife #farm #ohiofarm #smallfarmcharm #simplehappycountrylife #homesteadmama #home #ilovefall #october
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