Post by hazelsmilker on Oct 17, 2005 23:23:51 GMT -5
Hello all,
We managed to dry Hazel up a couple of weeks ago. Her
second calf is due November 26, a few weeks before she
turns 3 years old. She had been milking for a year, was
giving 7 quarts on OAD milking, and seemed determined
to keep giving it. I cut her grain out completely to get
her dry, and she dropped weight. (Her bones started to
show at all the places you would rather not see them.)
I've started her back on a little grain (corn, oats, barley
with molasses) and a cup of sunflower seeds and she's put the
weight back on a bit. She also gets about a quarter cup of
kelp daily and has a mineralized salt block that she works on.
Here's my question:
How should we feed her to prevent milk fever?
As a first calf heifer she was probably giving 5 to 6 gallons
just after calving. We don't know for sure because she was
feeding 2 calves and giving us a couple of gallons a day as well.
It seems to me that she is probably just the kind of
Jersey who is vulnerable to milk fever.
The hay we usually give her is an alfalfa and orchard
grass mix. It's probably mostly alfalfa. She gets all she
wants of it typically. I got some plain orchard grass hay
to feed her while dry, but she would really rather have
the alfalfa. My understanding is that she shouldn't get
alfalfa and molasses while dry. For how long before
the calf comes should we withhold these?
I'm planning to have 2 tubes of the calcium paste on hand.
I'll give one during calving, and the other later. I will
also give her molasses in warm water after calving and
not milk her out entirely for a few days.
If she needs an injection I'm going to have the vet out
to give it. (My vet is really helpful with Hazel; she's tickled
to have a family milk cow to visit.)
Does anyone have any further suggestions or thoughts?
I'm worried about her going down; I'm hoping that
managing her diet now will help.
We managed to dry Hazel up a couple of weeks ago. Her
second calf is due November 26, a few weeks before she
turns 3 years old. She had been milking for a year, was
giving 7 quarts on OAD milking, and seemed determined
to keep giving it. I cut her grain out completely to get
her dry, and she dropped weight. (Her bones started to
show at all the places you would rather not see them.)
I've started her back on a little grain (corn, oats, barley
with molasses) and a cup of sunflower seeds and she's put the
weight back on a bit. She also gets about a quarter cup of
kelp daily and has a mineralized salt block that she works on.
Here's my question:
How should we feed her to prevent milk fever?
As a first calf heifer she was probably giving 5 to 6 gallons
just after calving. We don't know for sure because she was
feeding 2 calves and giving us a couple of gallons a day as well.
It seems to me that she is probably just the kind of
Jersey who is vulnerable to milk fever.
The hay we usually give her is an alfalfa and orchard
grass mix. It's probably mostly alfalfa. She gets all she
wants of it typically. I got some plain orchard grass hay
to feed her while dry, but she would really rather have
the alfalfa. My understanding is that she shouldn't get
alfalfa and molasses while dry. For how long before
the calf comes should we withhold these?
I'm planning to have 2 tubes of the calcium paste on hand.
I'll give one during calving, and the other later. I will
also give her molasses in warm water after calving and
not milk her out entirely for a few days.
If she needs an injection I'm going to have the vet out
to give it. (My vet is really helpful with Hazel; she's tickled
to have a family milk cow to visit.)
Does anyone have any further suggestions or thoughts?
I'm worried about her going down; I'm hoping that
managing her diet now will help.