Well there is a rather fine paper coming out soonish in the fats/dairying
session at ICAZ that addresses this point with reference to medieval records and
documents such as Walters Husbandry. You could contact the author for a copy
"Thompson, Dr M.G." <[log in to unmask]> as long as you promise to use the
rest of the volume as well (I am a co-editor).
I would summarise but it is a little complicated as milk production sometimes
continued through the winter suggesting a late calving for some cattle - and
although other accounts refer to not milking cattle after michelmas, there are
records of winter cheese production. The best milk production seems to occur
over the 24 weeks of summer.
And to clarify.....
` it must be understood that cows do not all yield the same and that some give
more and others less milk and some are in milk for a shorter period than others,
and dry up sooner, nor yield heifers as much milk at the first calving as at the
next, but, taking one with another, this is as much as they ought to yield by
right' (Oschinsky, 429).
see paper for details.....
jacqui
Jacqui Mulville
Lecturer in Bioarchaeology
School of History and Archaeology
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF10 3XU
Tel: + 44 (0) 29 2087 4247
Fax: + 44 (0) 29 2087 4929
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