Welcome to the forum.

Make sure to check in with the Who's here in 2008 thread.

Hi CC,

ItÂs great to see another newcomer around here. Welcome to RMG. ThatÂs a BEAUTIFUL valley you live inÂI love to stop at the overlook on Rt. 24 just east of where 265 splits to the south, to stand and look at the Collegiate Range. (And I love Salida too. Back in the 80's I used to go on 3-day weekends down there.)

Let us know when you have questionsÂthereÂs always somebody with an answerÂand you might even find a few people around here that are interested in the livestock!

Glad youÂre here,
Skybird

Hi there, I'm new too! I live in Utah at about 5500 feet.

Welcome, high altitude folks! I'm not "up there" but "up here" in the north country.

I'm encouraged to see a farming gardener. Once again this year, I'll have laying hens in the backyard and gardening for them. (Okay, so my farm of 3 or 4 hens won't require too much in the way of "feed" production. . . ;o) Charlene will also be raising birds and a number of other folks here have "livestock."

In my travels to Colorado, I've seen Salida a few times and also visited the Western Colorado College campus in Gunnison a few times, as well. Really lovely country there in the heart of the state. And, Utah . . . well that's one state I'm always happy to see, and see, and see!

digitS'

Welcome CC and happy gardening.

Gloria

CC, I enjoyed the story about "part-time milking" on the website. Took me right back to the farm.

Very nearly my first experience with milking was when Dad and my older brother went off deer hunting in eastern Oregon. I know where we were living and I was 6, 7, and 8 while were there. Anyway, they left 3 cows for me to milk and I couldn't have been over 8!!

I had 1 (ONE) cow up until that time! Suddenly they were both gone and I had all 3 cows! I doubt if they were gone more than a couple 3 days but this experience left a lasting impression on me!

We had 3 farms while I was growing up. Actually, the first one hardly counted because it wasn't ours. Dad worked there a short time so as to acquire some of the dairy herd. Then we went off to a little farm along the Rogue River to start our own dairy. After 3 years, Dad gave up on the dairy idea (heck, what were we going to do with only 3 milk cows?). He got a larger place and picked up some beef cows and a Hereford bull and went into a cow calf operation. It never amounted to much and we kept up to 6 dairy cows so there were always cows to milk throughout my childhood.

Anyway, it was fun reading about the Dexter cattle. Gosh, I had trouble milking the Jersey - the teats were so small! Any smaller . . . what's that a 1 finger and a thumb operation? Oh, we had an automatic milking machine but the cows didn't like it, Dad claimed. I wonder if he was lying to us??

Steve's digits

Hi Steve's digits. Wow, milking 3 cows at 8! That would leave a lasting impression. Glad you enjoyed the article. I had Jerseys before Dexters, and will tell you that my Dexters' teats are as long or longer than a lot of my Jerseys'. I breed for that trait. My Nigerian dwarf goats on the other hand, well that first year can be rather challenging. Thanks for sharing your story!

I have a suspicion that the milking of those 3 cows was very poorly done by that 8 year old. I remember that Dad said he shouldn't have left it to me and gave me a sympathetic look. I thought I'd been killed. Probably had trouble picking up my lunch pail and climbing on the school bus . . .

Mom had a hard-and-fast rule, given down by her mother - "Never learn how to milk a cow!" Hmmmm . . . I liked 'em, they were real warm on cold mornings.

digitS'