Post by Joes Wife on Jun 2, 2009 13:17:21 GMT -5
Gertie calved on March 31st. I am milking TAD. Was getting 5 gallons for the first 6 weeks. Then it slowly decreased to 4 1/2.
2 days ago I noticed she was not "scarfing" her grain while milking. She usually never lifts her head till her grain is gone. She is getting sweet feed and also alfalfa pellets.
Yesterday her production dropped and she really was picky about eating and never finished what was in her feeder. She just stood there and would turn to look at me while I milked.
This morning she wouldn't eat anything. I tried to tempt her with our senior horses special feed, laying pellets, even beet pulp. Just not interested. I only got a gallon and a quart of milk. She looks sad. Not her usual spunky self.
Soooooo, I get on line here and start searching. I notice something about copper deficiency posted recently. Well Gertie is a full jersey and when her winter coat was shed she was much lighter. didn't think a thing about that. However, now I am taking note of some other things mentioned. Such as, her calf has rings around her eyes. Dark rings. I noticed them when she was born and then they went away for awhile. They are back now. We have been bottle feeding the calf using Gertie's milk. Gertie is light around her eyes, actually her face is really light. Just more so around her eyes.
I also have 2 black angus. I noticed that they have a red tinge to their hair. (Another sign of copper def.) My dairy and my beef cows share a pasture.
I have a mineral block available and loose minerals also. I do notice that Gertie licks the block but has never been interested in the loose minerals.
How can I supplement copper? How can I get Gertie a "quick fix" of copper just in case that is what she is suffering from?
I am going out now to take some pictures......
This is Maggie the angus- can you see the red tinge?
Be back in a little bit. Oh, she ate some hay (not as much as she normally does) and she has been eating the green grass in my yard this morning for the past hour.
Be back..
TIA
Teresa
2 days ago I noticed she was not "scarfing" her grain while milking. She usually never lifts her head till her grain is gone. She is getting sweet feed and also alfalfa pellets.
Yesterday her production dropped and she really was picky about eating and never finished what was in her feeder. She just stood there and would turn to look at me while I milked.
This morning she wouldn't eat anything. I tried to tempt her with our senior horses special feed, laying pellets, even beet pulp. Just not interested. I only got a gallon and a quart of milk. She looks sad. Not her usual spunky self.
Soooooo, I get on line here and start searching. I notice something about copper deficiency posted recently. Well Gertie is a full jersey and when her winter coat was shed she was much lighter. didn't think a thing about that. However, now I am taking note of some other things mentioned. Such as, her calf has rings around her eyes. Dark rings. I noticed them when she was born and then they went away for awhile. They are back now. We have been bottle feeding the calf using Gertie's milk. Gertie is light around her eyes, actually her face is really light. Just more so around her eyes.
I also have 2 black angus. I noticed that they have a red tinge to their hair. (Another sign of copper def.) My dairy and my beef cows share a pasture.
I have a mineral block available and loose minerals also. I do notice that Gertie licks the block but has never been interested in the loose minerals.
How can I supplement copper? How can I get Gertie a "quick fix" of copper just in case that is what she is suffering from?
I am going out now to take some pictures......
This is Maggie the angus- can you see the red tinge?
Be back in a little bit. Oh, she ate some hay (not as much as she normally does) and she has been eating the green grass in my yard this morning for the past hour.
Be back..
TIA
Teresa