Drying Off Gypsy — End of Her First Lactation
Today we dried off Gypsy, finishing her very first lactation. She’s a special cow for us — not only a steady little milker, but also the dam of our miracle surviving twin calf.
Gypsy’s First Lactation
Gypsy calved February 10th, and we’ve been milking her ever since. For a first-calf heifer, she did wonderfully. She trained to the stanchion very easily, and milking her quickly became part of our daily routine. We’ve shared the exact steps we use on our Training a Dexter Heifer guide.
She gave 18.93 lbs/day at peak and held steady through the season. One thing I love about Dexters is that they don’t overwhelm a family — Gypsy gave us a perfect family-cow amount of milk. Just look at her perfect little udder!
📷 Close-up of Gypsy’s udder at the end of her first lactation.
Drying Off
We always dry our cows off before their next calf to give their bodies a rest. Today was that day for Gypsy. It’s a bittersweet moment — no more milk in the bucket for now, but it means she’s resting and preparing for her next lactation. If you’re curious about how we manage milk safety, see our Raw Milk Transparency page.
What’s Next for Gypsy
Gypsy is bred to Belle Fourche Marvel again, and we expect her to calve around March 15, 2026. We’re excited to see what her second lactation looks like.
📷 Amari - the surviving twin from Gypsy's first pregnancy.
Gypsy has already given us more than milk this year — she gave us a miracle calf and a lot of joy. We’re grateful for her and looking forward to what’s ahead.
