Post by dextermooz on May 12, 2012 5:55:35 GMT -5
I am doing the happy jersey owner dance becasue I finally have a beutiful jersey girl of my own
She has lost a lot of condition since I saw her ten days ago and has quite sloppy poop which the owner assures me is from the new green grass (they have a huge amount of new grass growth since I was there 10 days ago, way more than what we have here so far). He was feeding hay by the large roll, and volume wasn't an issue (I don't think) as he had a massive shed full, so perhaps she was not eating enough hay compared to the amount of fresh grass (is that possible?). My horses, cows and sheep have all cut their hay consumption this past week even though we don't have as much grass as where my cow came from.
I have her in a small paddock that has minimal grass, I've given her a full bale of meadow hay and a small feed of lucerne chaff, white chaff, small bit of flaked lupins covered in molassas water. We got home just before dark, but i will go out later and check on her.
She is eating, drinking and acting normal, alert and aware and not distressed/dosn't look sick...just way too thin, so putting weight back on her is my first concern. The only thing she is doing, after popping lots, is passing lots of wind - is that a normal stress reaction to being caught/penned/transported or should I be worried?
edit: its autumn here and we have just had opening rains two weeks ago...now I'm worried about grass tetany.
I have seperated her calf in a pen next to her for the night so that we can start milking in the morning (or at least re-introduce it and get to know each other, I don't plan to take much from her until she gains condition.
The calf is six months old, I don't really want to wean him as I need to share milk, but would keeping him penned and only letting him feed from her once a day (so she in essence gets TAD milking) help her condition - even if its only for a week or so while I tame and halter break him?
Here are some very bad photos taken just before dark with my old camera (I will get some better ones tomorrow).
I can see all her ribs:( And she's lost muscle off her butt:(
And this is her steer calf who I think we are going to call Bangers (as in bangers and mash)
She has lost a lot of condition since I saw her ten days ago and has quite sloppy poop which the owner assures me is from the new green grass (they have a huge amount of new grass growth since I was there 10 days ago, way more than what we have here so far). He was feeding hay by the large roll, and volume wasn't an issue (I don't think) as he had a massive shed full, so perhaps she was not eating enough hay compared to the amount of fresh grass (is that possible?). My horses, cows and sheep have all cut their hay consumption this past week even though we don't have as much grass as where my cow came from.
I have her in a small paddock that has minimal grass, I've given her a full bale of meadow hay and a small feed of lucerne chaff, white chaff, small bit of flaked lupins covered in molassas water. We got home just before dark, but i will go out later and check on her.
She is eating, drinking and acting normal, alert and aware and not distressed/dosn't look sick...just way too thin, so putting weight back on her is my first concern. The only thing she is doing, after popping lots, is passing lots of wind - is that a normal stress reaction to being caught/penned/transported or should I be worried?
edit: its autumn here and we have just had opening rains two weeks ago...now I'm worried about grass tetany.
I have seperated her calf in a pen next to her for the night so that we can start milking in the morning (or at least re-introduce it and get to know each other, I don't plan to take much from her until she gains condition.
The calf is six months old, I don't really want to wean him as I need to share milk, but would keeping him penned and only letting him feed from her once a day (so she in essence gets TAD milking) help her condition - even if its only for a week or so while I tame and halter break him?
Here are some very bad photos taken just before dark with my old camera (I will get some better ones tomorrow).
I can see all her ribs:( And she's lost muscle off her butt:(
And this is her steer calf who I think we are going to call Bangers (as in bangers and mash)