No cow's milk?

The sad news today?

It is time to dry Ellie off. She has been in milk over a year.

Unlike goats, cows don't generally do extended lactations (which goats will do well), and while I believe she would keep at her gallon a day for a long time more, she is getting quite fat and that puts her reproductive system and cycle at risk of having issue with conception in the future. . .

She should have been bred back a few months after calving, but the family who had her at the time wasn't able to have that done when the elderly farmer who had always helped them with AI passed away.
We've had her since December, but I really didn't want to dry her up to take her to be bred somewhere and her cycles are too quiet to do a day trip. AI with cows has never worked out for me here. . .

So today, I milk her for the last time for at least 10 months, and we say farewell to the most awesome, rich milk in the land. . .

Never fear, we do still have goat's milk. . .but as much as I love my goats. . .that isn't the same as Ellie milk!! lol!! My kids are going to riot over this. Truly. So will the farming fellow. . .

She will travel to visit handsome Isaiah soon, a bull I co-purchased with Aimee of The Tyler Creek Farm - This bull (who looks to have a permanent height of 36'' and registered foundation pure) is actually the last calf of Elsie, the gorgeous Mini Cow I lost late last fall. It is pretty special to be able to stand to get a heifer by her son and out of our pretty chocolate cow, Ellie.