Post by thystledown on Oct 5, 2023 9:43:34 GMT -5
2nd calf jersey with two calves on her, fresh September 2nd. Calves are with her from about 8 a.m. to between 5 and 7 pm at night depending on my schedule. I'm getting approximately 3.5 gallons (over 12 L because more than will fit in seperator). I'm feeding about 5 lb of 16% soy-free organic feed twice a day. The recommended amount is more like 7.5 lbs TAD at this production, but A. She doesn't always finish the 5 lbs and B. the more I feed, the more milk I get. But as is always my fight, I don't want to lose condition. Note that she does, finally, seem to be milked out now when she comes in at night. But she's not nice to the foster calf and this one isn't a really sneaky, pushy, bold kind of guy, so I don't think he gets a lot. That said, he grazes, eats grain, and is growing well. They both definitely strip her out after I milk in the morning. I am getting full let down and pull the machine just as soon as flow stops. I get over a quart and a half of heavy cream using the seperator. But I can't remember if her production will increase or decrease. I know sometimes if the calves are eating other stuff well, they don't push the cow as they get older, and other times (other calves) they are pigs and do. Hubby thinks cow is losing weight. Some of that is she is maturing from the fat dam-raised heifer she was, but I'm wondering if production is still going to go up, maybe I need to find a more palatable feed. I grind this myself, so I can up the molasses. I can add more oats, but that will lower the protein. If it helps, I grind 6 lbs of peas, 3lbs of small grains (wheat, triticale, etc), 3 lbs of corn, 2 lbs of oats, and add 4.5 lb of sunflower meal and various dairy minerals and supplements. I add the molasses and water to her ration just before I feed it. Grass is still excellent. She is not on hay. I don't need more milk as I don't make cheese until winter. I'm making lots of butter right now, but I'm out of room for clabbering the skim milk for the chickens. So I don't want to push production, but I don't want her to go into winter losing weight. I was thinking guessing when she might peak anyway would help me manage her. Advice?