Post by simplynaturalfarm on May 6, 2011 10:29:03 GMT -5
I have mentioned several times before about my friends who were milking their ultra sweet black baldy (simmental/hereford/angus) and after 2 years still got 4 gallons per day with very little supplement. She got into barley and required surgery, had horrible peritonitis and STILL milked 1.5 gallons per day. She is still open now, but we believe it is due to scarring from the surgery - they had no bull to breed her to before she got sick, and now since the surgery she is not taking with a bull they have
Anyway, her daughter (her dam was crossed again with an angus cross bull/mutt) just calved 2 weeks ago with a Jersey bull calf (Dh Ai'ed her for them) They called me because they were getting NO milk and yet she was as sweet as can be for milking and they figured if she was that sweet it must mean she just simply has NO milk *G*. If you had known this cow before, she was insane, could never be caught, stepped on one sons head one day we were there and they had tried to catch her for DH to palpate, yet after spending about 2 weeks with her prior to calving she turned into a pocket cow ANYBODY including total stranger like me could handle!) I told them how to share milk and they were not separating the calf EVER so he wouldn't nurse so they could get a let down, so the day after she calved, they pulled the calf. Here 2 weeks later, they are getting 5+ gallons per day from her!
They have had some horrible luck with dairy breeds, mainly because they did not realize how sensitive they can be (sorry to those who think they aren't but they really are not as hardy as a beef cow), and issues with mastitis, diet being off (they house their cows inside a huge barn from October til grazing), skipping milkings, and are very laid back because they have a hectic schedule. After losing 3 Jerseys to this and that, I told them they need to buy a beef cow who won't die if you don't get out to milk on time, who won't have metabolic issues (most of the time), etc. They bought a trio of cows including dam and two daughters (one 18 months and one 6 months) and they have been so pleased with them.
And this is a first calving heifer - they don't know what her dam milks because they bought her when she had a 6 month old heifer at her side and they just pulled the calf and started milking the Mom and got 4 gallons per day with NO supplements.
Just a FIY for those who are continually curious about beef breeds.
Heather
Anyway, her daughter (her dam was crossed again with an angus cross bull/mutt) just calved 2 weeks ago with a Jersey bull calf (Dh Ai'ed her for them) They called me because they were getting NO milk and yet she was as sweet as can be for milking and they figured if she was that sweet it must mean she just simply has NO milk *G*. If you had known this cow before, she was insane, could never be caught, stepped on one sons head one day we were there and they had tried to catch her for DH to palpate, yet after spending about 2 weeks with her prior to calving she turned into a pocket cow ANYBODY including total stranger like me could handle!) I told them how to share milk and they were not separating the calf EVER so he wouldn't nurse so they could get a let down, so the day after she calved, they pulled the calf. Here 2 weeks later, they are getting 5+ gallons per day from her!
They have had some horrible luck with dairy breeds, mainly because they did not realize how sensitive they can be (sorry to those who think they aren't but they really are not as hardy as a beef cow), and issues with mastitis, diet being off (they house their cows inside a huge barn from October til grazing), skipping milkings, and are very laid back because they have a hectic schedule. After losing 3 Jerseys to this and that, I told them they need to buy a beef cow who won't die if you don't get out to milk on time, who won't have metabolic issues (most of the time), etc. They bought a trio of cows including dam and two daughters (one 18 months and one 6 months) and they have been so pleased with them.
And this is a first calving heifer - they don't know what her dam milks because they bought her when she had a 6 month old heifer at her side and they just pulled the calf and started milking the Mom and got 4 gallons per day with NO supplements.
Just a FIY for those who are continually curious about beef breeds.
Heather