The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  Cows milk and hens          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Feeding and Housing Author Message Spana Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2206 Location: North Cornwall Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:48 am    Post subject: Cows milk and hens We are milking one of our Highland cows and after feeding the calf we still have a good bit left. The dog and hens go mad for it but is it OK to feed it to hens as I sell their eggs. thanks Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:43 pm    Post subject: Hmmm - I would have probably thought not, as it would be classed as kitchen waste . . . . . plus you know how everyone in authority thinks you are going to die a horrible death if you so much as look at unpasteurized milk. . . . . I know another forum which has an excellent step by step with photos "make your own stilton cheese" if you fancy having a go. Can be done in a domestic kitchen. Itsybitsy Back to top Spana Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2206 Location: North Cornwall Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:05 pm    Post subject: Thanks Itsy, I'd love to have a go at making stilton cheese. From the next milking we are going to drink it ourselves. We haven't before as I thought the udder had to be washed with special stuff, but just spoke to a dairy farmer and he said no dont wash the udder, just squirt first pulls onto the floor. It is the most beautiful milk. When it settles in a jug in the fridge it has 2inches of thick golden cream on the top. We are clear of TB and Johns so its rice puddings, ice cream and what ever else I can think of. Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 15942 Location: Hampshire Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:13 pm    Post subject: Quote: and Johns Oh, how I envy you your supply of unpasturised milk! Back to top mojo Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 10862 Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:22 pm    Post subject: officially no animal product should be feed to an animal that produces products for human consumption Back to top Spana Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2206 Location: North Cornwall Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:28 pm    Post subject: CP wrote: Quote: and Johns Johnes disease Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:59 pm    Post subject: I'm not very good a posting links, but here goes:- http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=2089 Itsybitsy Yay it worked Back to top layla Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 573 Location: West Midlands Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:04 pm    Post subject: Thats fab i adore a good stilton Back to top Spana Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2206 Location: North Cornwall Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:55 pm    Post subject: That is amazing Itsy, thank you, I going to make one I wonder if it matters that my milk will be unpasturised Back to top milkmaid Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7321 Location: isle of lewis Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:58 am    Post subject: i paterise by sitting milk for half an hour at 66 for half an hour , or 72oc 15 seconds or 82oc and cool straight away i use the lower temp as it damages the curd less we had a trading standards person who wanted cows udders washed with rubber gloves because the water should be hotter than you can put your hand in ,wonder how far across the dairy she would have flown i think it was suggested that she tried it on that part of her person herself ,not a lot said after that an amazing fact about colostum is that it can be kept on a shelf for 2 years withough freezing or going into fridge scape the top off and you can still use it ,it's amazing what you learn at talks sometimes i must get a life Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 am    Post subject: Spana wrote: That is amazing Itsy, thank you, I going to make one I wonder if it matters that my milk will be unpasturised No it won't, as long as you practice good hygiene whilst milking, if you are concerned about it then pasteurize, it's easy enough. Just remember though pasturizing kills good bacteria as well as bad and the good get killed quicker and easier (as is always the case) than the bad. In a case like this my main concern would be milking openly into a bucket, the length of time the bucket is under what is actually a very hairy cow, how much dust, hair & flakes of other detrious is falling into the bucket, the more she moves, the more drops in. . . . can you get enough milk from 1 milking? or has the milk got to stand, what do you strain it through, where will it be kept till you are ready to start? If you need milk from more than 1 milking I think I would be inclined to pasteurize the first milking and use the last one fresh (strained) from the cow, that way you will get some good bacteria into the cheese, which will make it a different product. I am assuming here that you are hand milking and have not got access to a small machine, in which case some of the earlier comments are unecessary. Itsybitsy Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Feeding and Housing All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 1 of 1 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group