We have Dexter cattle (a small, one-family sized breed). I milk our one cow each day. The trouble is, her milk is so low-fat as to be almost skim. If I have a quart jar sitting in the 'fridge overnight, I'll get maybe, MAYBE a quarter-inch of cream on it. This isn't normal for the breed, or so they say. I have a hard time skimming enough cream for butter, etc. This is her second freshening, and she was just as skim on her first freshening.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to increase the milkfat content for cows?

-- Patrice (dldesigns@wave.net), November 22, 2000

Answers

Patrice what are you feeding her? Some cows just don't make much cream but feed plays a big role. Try changing her feed. I suggest mixing sweet feed with a type of feed that has cotton seed hulls in it. Is she in good flesh? How long do you normally keep her fresh? If she is poorly her cream content will drop. Also too long of a lactation will cause quality to drop.

-- Amanda in Missouri (aseley@townsqr.com), November 22, 2000.

Cottonseed is a by-product of cotton production. Since cotton is not a food crop, it is exempt from the pesticide/herbicide restrictions for food crops. And cotton (unless grown organically) is typically VERY heavily treated with pesticides. This will end up in the seeds, in your animals if they eat it, and in you if you eat the animal or it's products. If you don't worry about pesticides in your food, please ignore this post. If you do, you might also check the prepared foods you are buying and see how many have cottonseed oil in them. I don't buy them.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), November 22, 2000.

Patrice, I have read that black oil sunflower seeds can increase milkfat content. My cow gets some and has about 3 pts cream per gallon, but I dont know if its from the sunflower seeds or not. Wouldn't hurt to try, they seem to like them.

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), November 22, 2000.

You dont mention how long you have been handling Dexters,but I have been raising them for 10 years,and they are known for frequently having a partially homogenized milk, much like a goat's. It does separate, but takes longer than most milks. Course its easier if you have a separator. I realize you may have a cow with low-fat milk, which other people can address (I've never experienced this, but I havent milked a great number of them;raise most of em for beef), but thought you should know that this a common characteristic of the little buggers.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), November 22, 2000.

Thank you all. The cows have free access to a moderately-good pasture all day, and I give them alfalfa at night as well as COB with molasses. Her flesh is excellent; she's in wonderful health. I do a "lazy man's milking," where I allow the calf to have access to her all day, and I separate them at night, then milk her only in the mornings. The calf (2 months old now) is fat and sassy and health as a horse. I'll try the sunflower thing and see if that works. I believe you might be correct about their milk being at least particially homogenized. Unfortunately cream separators cost an arm and a leg; does anyone know of any low-cost alternatives?

-- Patrice (dldesigns@wave.net), November 24, 2000.

Patrice, have you checked for used ones on e-Bay? Or at a local farm auction, or with a wanted ad in a farm paper? (Even a national one should work, as they aren't so big as to make shipping prohibitive).

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 24, 2000.

I suspect if someone were to make a homestead-scale cream separator at an economical price they would do very well on sales. How many homesteaders need a 42.4 quart capacity per hour?

I have occasionally seen them come up at farm auctions. However, instructions are never with them and all seem to be missing parts.

I believe these work on the centrifuse principle to separate out the cream. What if you put the milk in sealed jars, put them in the bottom of a washing machine tub, cushioned them with a blanket or something, then set the machine on the final spin cycle?

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 29, 2000.