| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 09:43:38 AM
Well, last night Mona was in obvious heat AGAIN!! So..this morning we had the guy out to AI breed her AGAIN. He said that this time it felt and looked like the best breeding yet..we caught it at just the right time from what he could tell..third try this year..sigh. Now we are looking at about a Halloween calf. Jeesh!! I hope it is a late winter starting!!! So I have been out in the cold early with the guy doing that. Only takes him a minute..but takes me awhile to get Mona read before and to comfort her after he leaves. (I know she is fine but want her to know that I feel bad for her..yikes..if you have never seen it done..yikes!)
We are expecting a big storm to blow in here today.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| windypines |
Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 04:24:45 AM
Things are a bit busy for me too. Last oct I started working 3 days a week. The job found me, and I figured it would help pay for the new equipment purchases last year. So mornings are a rush to get all the animals taken care of and be to work by 8. Lucky it is only 5 miles away. Then I get home and its another rush to get evening chores done and milk. I have alwasy milked at 5 and 5, more or less. That was what worked best here. But now whew I am just getting tired. I will check out the website and see. Though knock on wood, i have never had the big M problem with summer. (don't want to say it and jinx her) Thanks for your thoughts on it all. I like being able to talk to someone who has done this before. It is nice.
Michele |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 28 2008 : 7:33:51 PM
Yep..once she is down to 5 gallons a day (she gave 8 gallons at peak) I started pushing her milkings further apart until at about 4 gallons I started milking once a day (night time for us) She had a mild case of mastitis this year...but long after the change to once a day. It was mostly cuz I was sick and my husband was milking more for a week..and he dosn't strip her out as well as he should. Besides that..no worries. I do give her a bucket with the same grain and supplements (she gets alfalfa pellets, calf manna and dried mollasses too) that I usually give in the morning each time even when she isn't being milked..to keep her milk up and her weight on. It has worked great for me. My mom was horrified since she also grew up on a dairy and it was unheard of.
There is tons of cow advice and stuff on www.keepingafamilycow.com a wonderful forum of people with family cows and a book that goes with the site...wonderful!! I really recomend that for people who get cows. It is no problem for me to milk twice a day for the first 5 months or so, but then it gets harder and once a day fits with our family better.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| windypines |
Posted - Jan 28 2008 : 4:15:33 PM
Oh Jenny, ya I can see the humor now. Talking about such things when you have a teenager!! Hope you never have to worry about that ! I wanted to ask about once a day milking. Having lived on a dairy farm, you milked twice a day period. So do you just cut her back to once a day milking, once Mona was down to a certain amount a day? No problems with mastitis doing that? Any other helpful hints?
thanks Michele |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 8:51:54 PM
It is so funny Michele..whenever I see you talk about your cow Summer, since that is my oldest daughter's name..haha.
I hope your little bull wasn't tall enough too! But then if it is a bull calf I guess it would be an okay thing, right? The AI guy asks me each time..now are you sure you want to breed her Jersey? Well. YES!!!!! I would be SO dissapointed if I got a heifer calf that was only half Jersey after all this..haha.
Mona has had such quiet heats this year until now. I am glad she spoke up yesterday though, and that we were home too..or I would have missed it and it could have been even later!! Her milk production was back up where it should be tonight..nearly 3 gallons...if she can just keep that up until springtime I will be happy to let her be dry longer than usual.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| windypines |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 5:35:56 PM
Hope she sticks this time Jenny. Summer was due to be back in heat this weekend. Had her outside with the rest of the girls, and no one bothered with her. So looks like she stuck. It will be nine months before I see who bred her though. She came in heat earlier then I expected, and she was out with my beef calves. And one of those is my new beef bull, Kobra. I put her out, and no one was bothering her, came home from work, and I see Kobra on her. Had the breeder out the next morning, so sure hope Kobra was not quite tall enough!!
Glad Mona was more obvious for you!!
Michele |
| LadyCrystal |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 12:26:21 PM
I am praying this one took for her. Atleast it isn't January for the little one to be due. Both Patsy and Etta took in October so it looks like we will have July calves again this year. I am so excited to have two little ones. Good Luck!!!
Alicia
http://fromcitytocountrygirl.blogspot.com/
follow your dreams |
| Farmtopia |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 11:54:08 AM
Aww, a halloween calf! I can just imagine the names for the little one, if that were the case!
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
View my work:
www.bigtownfarmer.com
www.pumpkinpatchparlor.etsy.com
And Blogs:
www.bigtownfarmer.blogspot.com
www.queenofcrows.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 10:48:34 AM
Jenny- I hope Mona is in the family way this time! *hugs*
By the way- I am hoping that if we get some land in the next couple of years that I will be able to buy a girl calf from you out of Mona! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Mumof3 |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 09:49:25 AM
Oh. Jenny. I hope it works this time! They do say that the third time's the charm, so I will say a prayer that Mona will have her little punkin' come fall.
Stay safe and warm with that storm coming!
Karin
Farmgirl Sister
# 18 :)
Wherever you go, there you are.
www.madrekarin.blogspot.com |
