Post by Tricia on Mar 1, 2010 11:27:40 GMT -5
I thought I would share what a friend of mine learned at the NOFA-NY conference about milk fever possible prevention and pre- milking as in milking a week before calving.
I find it very interesting and am going to try this with Molly in August, well if I find the paper where I wrote her due date (kicking self in rear for haphazard husbandry records). I'm going to do a bit more research also.
Here is her email to me:
The best information, from a holistic veterinarian, who spoke at NOFA, whose name slips my mind, is that colostrum is not produced until about 12 hours before birth, through 12 hours after. I have done premilking, yes, you are opening the teat end, just as much as you would when you start milking! The whole purpose is to save an udder, or prevent milk fever. Milk fever happens because of the sudden change from not milking to the udder demanding production. Premilking puts this system to work so that the cow is already producing, on a lesser level, but producing, and the sudden demand doesn't 'surprise' the cow's Ca and milk systems. You're going to disturb the plug at calving anyway. Another factor is that if the udder is huge, the colostrum concentration may be diluted because of the volume of milk when the cow is first milked. On the big farm (she-my friend- is talking about a 1,000 cow dairy she used to work for), we didn't save colostrum from any cow that gave more than 20 pound (2.5 gal) the first milking. We tested with a hydrometer, and the concentration was always to low to save anyway.
So I'm sharing this for those interested in some really great new info. and that may help you in your annual battle with MF. I'm not debating any side or debunking other information just sharing so please don't go at me saying I'm wrong!
I am going to see if I can find the name of the speaker at NOFA that gave the talk and will pass it on if I find it - or if some one finds it before me chime in.
So enjoy and ruminate on this topic! ha!
modified to add:
Click Here I think this is the vet that gave the talk.
If you also go to organicvoices you can order downloads/cd's on his talk at the NOFA-NY conference.
I find it very interesting and am going to try this with Molly in August, well if I find the paper where I wrote her due date (kicking self in rear for haphazard husbandry records). I'm going to do a bit more research also.
Here is her email to me:
The best information, from a holistic veterinarian, who spoke at NOFA, whose name slips my mind, is that colostrum is not produced until about 12 hours before birth, through 12 hours after. I have done premilking, yes, you are opening the teat end, just as much as you would when you start milking! The whole purpose is to save an udder, or prevent milk fever. Milk fever happens because of the sudden change from not milking to the udder demanding production. Premilking puts this system to work so that the cow is already producing, on a lesser level, but producing, and the sudden demand doesn't 'surprise' the cow's Ca and milk systems. You're going to disturb the plug at calving anyway. Another factor is that if the udder is huge, the colostrum concentration may be diluted because of the volume of milk when the cow is first milked. On the big farm (she-my friend- is talking about a 1,000 cow dairy she used to work for), we didn't save colostrum from any cow that gave more than 20 pound (2.5 gal) the first milking. We tested with a hydrometer, and the concentration was always to low to save anyway.
So I'm sharing this for those interested in some really great new info. and that may help you in your annual battle with MF. I'm not debating any side or debunking other information just sharing so please don't go at me saying I'm wrong!
I am going to see if I can find the name of the speaker at NOFA that gave the talk and will pass it on if I find it - or if some one finds it before me chime in.
So enjoy and ruminate on this topic! ha!
modified to add:
Click Here I think this is the vet that gave the talk.
If you also go to organicvoices you can order downloads/cd's on his talk at the NOFA-NY conference.