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Barnyard Buddies:  Can you milk only when you want to  |
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 8:21:56 PM
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and let the calf suck her the rest of the time. What kind of trouble is there with this way.
"COURAGE is being scared to death,
but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 8:57:04 PM
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Alot of chance of mastitis. It would sure be nice and easy that way, but once you get her milk built up it is more than the calf can use and too much chance of infection. I do go down to once a day milking after the first 4 months or so..I work on getting her down to 4 gallons a day first..and then gradually get the milkings further apart until I am milking once a day.
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 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 11:41:42 AM
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i agree with jenny
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 1:20:55 PM
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But you can go down to once aday milking then. Do you do it morning or night.
"COURAGE is being scared to death,
but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 1:46:10 PM
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Gradually go down to once a day. Morning would get you the most milk if cows are like humans. 4 to 6 am in humans is a release of the hormones that produce more milk number one (those hormones are lowest in the evening), and number two most women (human) are fullest in the morning. But, if you go down to once a day do it gradually not all at ounce of you could have a very sore and infected cow.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 2:08:53 PM
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My preference for OAD milking is in the morning. It's just easier then. And I have more time. And it's quieter. But only after several months and then they are giving less anyway by then. So it's easier to slow them down.
When will you be getting your cow? ANd when is she due to calve? What kind is she?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2011 : 10:12:13 AM
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She is a jeresy and she is due in First of Oct. she is coming from a milk dairy so she has been being milked 2 times a day. So am wondering if I should work down to once a day or what. Getting her this friday.
"COURAGE is being scared to death,
but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2011 : 11:50:05 AM
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Sounds like she is just 3 months along. So you will need to milk her til August then dry her off for 2 months til she calves. So if you wanted you could go to OAD around 3 months before you dry her off. But when you do that you need to slow the feed down. I made that mistake once. No one told me to not feed as much when going to OAD. So gradually she will slow down and not give as much milk. Then it's easier to dry them up. Hope this helps. I hope my math is right too.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2011 : 11:59:18 AM
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Thank you so much Kristin for the help and you are right at the math I have a ranch and raise cattle but not this kind. Again thank you
"COURAGE is being scared to death,
but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2011 : 09:03:37 AM
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I do milk nights when I go down to once a day...just because it is more convenient for me. But..I totally agree...take it slow getting down to once a day and cut down that grain to do it...My Mona is a real "giver" and it takes work to get her down to 4 gallons a day...which is where I go down to once a day. It isn't easy. Good luck with your new cow...sounds great!
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 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2011 : 10:12:29 AM
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Hey Jenny. Is Mona pregnant? I sure hope so by now. Just wondering.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 08:46:08 AM
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I hope so too! She is due in July if she is preg like I think. I can't get the vet out to check her..he got kicked in the face by a cow and is still recovering and catching up with large animal cases from what I have heard. sigh. It feels like forever!
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 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 10:46:15 AM
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hi girls, now i need opinions here. this belle thing. since i am having to feed her up with nutrients its going in her milk. i think there is 3 1/2 gallons in the can. she is putting what i feed her into milk production. i need to keep milking her oad till i can maybe get to step back the nutrients. it looks like she may stabilize. how to dry her off. i dont mean to high jack this thread. i just have never had to do this here at learn as i go farm. she was engorged this am and squirting. so since you all are taking about oad milking i thought it might be ok to ask this here. thanks sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 2:57:06 PM
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Sherrye, if you are feeding her all that molasses and alfalfa pellets and hay she will continue to make lots of milk . It may be hard to dry her up with all that. But I don't know. Can you get a little calf and graft onto her to help out some?
Jenny, I sure hope she's pregnant too. And that's awful about the vet. Ouch! That's what I am afraid of. I am going to try putting Chuck up this next Sunday night and try to milk Mazie. I will give her some nice alfalfa hay to keep her occupied til I can let Chuck on her. I just want to try some of her milk.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Sweet_Tea
True Blue Farmgirl
194 Posts
Tara
Newberry
SC
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 8:55:52 PM
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Susie,
if she is coming from a dairy, they are pushing her high mineral feed especially designed for dairy cows. You definitely have to dry her off before she has her baby. If you don't want to milk her, see if that same dairy farm has a bull calf/steer calf you can get with her. (they usually either give them away for free, or charge about $30) If you get a calf from them, make sure you give him Calfguard. Most Dairy cows are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections since they are bottle fed and do not drink their mothers milk. so if you see a clear runny nose, or hear coughing, you need to either give them duramycin or Sulfur bolus. The damages that occur in their lungs are irreversible some times.
The calves are usually weaned from bottle feeding after 6 weeks, to one time a week for a couple of weeks, then get them started on a calf starter that's usually coated with molasses. They seem to like that. I just got a Jersey from a Dairy Farm, She has a bad hip, I think she fell on the concrete in the dairy. but, I have 2 jersey calves one is a little over a week old and the other is 4 days old. She took both of the babies on.
When she is done milking them i'm going to dry her off and get her healthy. Then breed her back so I can have milk :)
and you made a great decision getting a Jersey, out of all the cows I have been around Jersey's are my favorite. They are sweet and attach themselves to you.
plus jersey milk has around 5% milk fat and Holstein has around 3.3%. Jersey Raw Milk is the best milk I have ever had. its thick and creamy and udderly delicious:) ok that was a silly joke.. but, anyhow I know a decent amount about Jerseys so if you have questions let me know.
Jenny: That's horrible that happened to the Vet, I hope Mona is pregnant.
Sherrye, From what I know from the Dairy's around here.. I know they just stop milking the cow about 40-70 days. but, they just stop, because the pressure in the udder actually helps with the drying off process. and decrease the feed 50-70% which should decrease milk synthesis. I know I was asking a lot of questions one day and this is what they told me. Also they said the mastitis will come from trying to milk once a day etc. they said that prolongs the drying off process. But, these are dairy cows that average 30-40lbs of milk a day..... I know one dairy that dips the teats with Iodine before and after milking, due to the fact that mammary gland is opened up after milking. and You should continue to do that after you are trying to dry her off as well. while she is drying off make sure she isn't overfed protein, but keep her on high fiber and make sure she gets minerals and vitamins.
~ http://notsosweettea.blogspot.com/
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears"
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 9:58:32 PM
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Heard from the vet today finally and Mona will get preg checked on Friday afternoon...yay!
As for drying a cow off..I always have a hard time with that with Mona..she doesn't want to stop! I take away alfalfa pellets and go down to just barley corn, which I usually mix with alf. pellets during milking. Then since Mona isn't nuts about oats I go down to half oats and half barley corn and she doesn't eat it all...then eventually when I can get down to 2 gallons at a milking (on OAD) I start milking further and further apart..like 26 hours instead of 24..then 28 hours then 30 until I feel safe stopping all togehter. I don't cut down her hay at all. She gets a nice grass alfalfa hay all the time. Good luck..that drying off is always my hard thing..well, that and getting her bred!!!!
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 |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4481 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4481 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 05:21:42 AM
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To dry up a cow, I cut the grain, and cut back on good hay. Give them first crop, or poorer quality hay. Not second crop. It takes a while too, does not happen overnight. I do dry cow treat when I done milking. I don't want to take any chances with mastitis. I ususally milk till she is below a gallon a day.
Michele |
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Tall Holly
True Blue Farmgirl
2305 Posts
Holly
Worcester
Vermont
USA
2305 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2011 : 6:15:18 PM
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I stop milking 2 months before she is due. she reduced her milk output herself. I give her grain when I milk. I stopped the grain when I stopped milking. She nursed her own calf and a bull calf or three that we were raising for hamburg. I milk in the morning and put her with the babies all day to clean her out. I take what milk I need. After she birthed I milked twice a day until the calf was big enough to eat his share. then I reduced to milking once a day. I knew he was eating enough for me to discontinue the evening milking when there was not much for me to milk. When he was not leaving me any in the morning to milk he went to live in the stall next door. He did not like this at all and complained but he lived. I take about 2 1/2 galllons now because that is all I need.
If I am unable to milk one morning I leave her with the calves and they keep her cleaned out. She has no problem nursing other babies than her own.
Holly
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Barnyard Buddies: Can you milk only when you want to |
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Can you milk only when you want to
