Milking Cows
4 yr old Varian loved going to the barn with his father. He especially liked that he was now big enough to ride Prometheus the donkey, but there would be no riding before chores were done. The milk jug was empty and that meant it was time to milk the cows.
"Listen carefully, Varian. You'll have to watch everything I do because someday, I'll need you to do it by yourself, like if I'm ever sick or injured and you can't find any neighbors to help." Quirin told him. Varian nodded, but he wasn't worried. When Dad had sprained his ankle last fall, Bill the shepherd had been nearby and had helped Quirin stagger home, then worked with Varian to do all Quirin's remaining farm chores in addition to shepherding. Old Corona was full of helpful people, Varian couldn't imagine there'd ever be a day when Quirin needed help and the citizens would refuse to help him.
"First we put the halter on the cow, and secure her to a sturdy post." Quirin explained. He lead the cow to a stanchion, a sturdy wooden structure where she her head could be secured. Wooden slats clamped around her neck and held her in place.
"Now we approach the cow, speaking gently and patting her because she can't see you if you're directly behind her, and cows are frightened by things they can't see properly." Quirin continued. Varian understood this, too. He was still a little frightened of what might be hiding in his closet, ever since David, an older boy, had told him monsters liked to sleep there.
"Some people like to tie the cow's tail to her leg, so she can't swish it, but I find it comes undone too easily to be worth the added stress it might cause the cow. We move slowly so the cow doesn't kick or stomp on you by mistake." Quirin added. "Now you sit here and clean the teats with soapy water to wash off all the grass and dirt she may have gotten on them during the day."
"So we don't 'taminate the milk!" Varian piped up.
"Contaminate, yes. I see you've been paying attention when I talk to the other farmers. Good for you." Quirin smiled proudly. "When washing, be mindful of the direction your cleaning in, so you don't drag any dirt to the clean areas. We dry the teats before milking, using a soft cloth so it doesn't irritate them. Teats are very sensitive."
"Sensitive." Varian repeated as solemnly as he could.
"We wear gloves when milking a cow to keep our hands clean and to protect the udder from contamination. We 'strip' each teat 4 times, pulling down on the teat to pass any dirt or debris from the milk ducts. We don't put the milk from stripping into the milk jug, because it might be too dirty to drink. I place the milk jug between my legs so she's less likely to knock it over, but you're a bit too small to do that. You'll have to place it underneath her udder, but if you're gentle and give her a bit of hay to munch on as you milk her, it should be safe there." Quirin said. "I find it's easier if you sit on the cow's right side. You can scramble away quickly if she's uncooperative. If she does kick, you'll probably just get knocked over. It may stun you for a bit, but once you understand why she kicks, you'll know better ways to approach her in the future. Now wrap your hand around 2 of the 4 teats. I begin with the front pair, then move on to the back. Gently pinch each teat between your thumb and first finger so the teat fills your palm and squeeze down. As you press down, maintain you grip on the base of the teat, so milk doesn't flow back up into the udder. Don't yank on the teats, just squeeze your fingers in a gentle, but firm motion." Quirin demonstrated as he talked. Varian watched with amazement as the cow calmly let Quirin milk her.
"Milk until a quarter of the udder looks deflated. You can tell just by looking if it's been emptied enough. A full udder will be tight and firm to the touch, an empty quarter will look saggy and wrinkled and feel very soft. After you've milked one quarter, you repeat the motion with your other hand on the quarter next to it. Most people alternate hands because it takes less effort to do it first one hand, then the other, rather than put all your strain on a single hand." Quirin explains. "It may be easier to move the jug to the left hand side once you've finished milking the first half of the teats."
"I get it, Daddy!" Varian said, having studied his father very carefully.
"Alright then, why don't you have a seat on the stool and try squeezing the teats a little, just like I showed you." Quirin moved aside slowly and let Varian take his place. The teats felt a little slippery in Varian's grip, and they seemed very large to him, but he was determined to do a good job. He squeezed down just as Quirin had done, and the milk flowed straight down into the jug. He kept going until his hand started to ache, at which point Quirin grabbed onto the teat too, and they finished the job together.
"Nicely done, Varian. Hand me another empty jug, and I'll milk the other cows. You can feed some of that milk to the barn cats." Quirin told him.
Varian smiled. He loved the barn cats. He poured the milk slowly, and they all came running up to him, led by Ol' Smoke who seemed to moving a little stiffly, but surely towards Varian. "Hi, Ol' Smoke! I helped get your milk today, can you tell?" he asked the tomcat. Ol' Smoke squinted with his one eye, and purred as Varian petted him. Varian felt happy, even the cats knew he was a good helper! And his happiness only increased when Quirin finished milking the cows and decided that after all that work Varian could ride Prometheus, just for a bit.
The End
Farming is really cool, Varian is lucky to grow up around barn animals. They can be very sweet, and they work hard, just like him.