When I heard we would be milking cows for 4 hours on end each shift, I was a bit apprehensive. I was very apprehensive, however, after learning that milking shifts are either at 3:45 AM or at 2:45 PM (starting milking at 4:30 AM/PM in order to get a 12 hour interval for the cows). The milking process seems like a lot to learn at first (dip, strip, dip, wait 30-90 seconds, wipe down, attach unit, milk until udder feels done, unattach, post dip, next cow), but once you get into it, it becomes sort of second nature and a pattern that is easy to follow. After getting used to the milking process, being around the cows, and the times of the shift, it turned out to be something that wasn’t all that bad. You begin to learn the way each cow milks out, how each cow behaves (which is good for determining when they are in heat), and which cows might try to kick you if you try to milk them. Morning shifts fly by, as you don't even realize it as you are milking all the cows, pushing feed up (so that they always have readily available food) , feeding babies and so on. A bonus is that you get to see pretty stellar sunrises accompanied by about 30 of your closest cow friends every morning you milk. I’d never imagined that I would be semi-okay with waking up at 3:00AM to hang out with cows, but I guess that is the luxury of being in this program.
I have come to realize through working with them a bunch that cows are really just grass puppies, as personable and sweet as dogs are, only with about 1700 more pounds to love :)
P.s.- they love to give kisses too!