Post by AnnB (NE) on Dec 21, 2006 9:24:06 GMT -5
Because of the family issues that we have going on, I'm doing something I've never done before -- drying off a cow who only calved Oct 3rd (Pixie), and putting both calves that I had previously separated onto Fancy (11-1/2 weeks and 9 weeks).
So far, so good. At this point, the calves will still eagerly take a bottle, or they will mob Fancy when she's turned in with them. Fancy is a GREAT cow, she loves ALL calves -- only lifted a leg and look real hard at Pixie's calf the first time. I no longer have to tie her when the calves are nursing and she's spending most of her time hanging out by the calf pen, talking to the calves. Another couple of days and I'll try leaving them together for few hours after nursing and see how it goes.
I know it sounds like a weird arrangement -- why would anybody dry off a cow that's only 3 months fresh? But I have to go out of state in mid-January, and there is no way that I could leave DH to milk the cows and bottlefeed the calves (his back has been broken twice, and while he won't admit it, he can't physically handle milking the cows), carrying feed to all the animals will be hard enough on him.
I could have put each cow's own calf back on her, but I don't want to come back to 2 cows, each giving a piddling amount, plus the risk of mastitis since these calves just aren't big enough to keep the milk moving by themselves, without eating way too much.
I'd much rather come back to 1 dry cow (who should be bred) and the other still producing well (and hopefully bred, too). Besides, I don't trust Pixie enough to just turn her and her calf out with Fancy and her calf -- not after Pixie killed Fancy's calf last year.
For drying Pixie off, I started off skipping a milking here and there. I then went to OAD and then every other day, at the same time reducing her feed. It's now been a week since she was milked and everything seems to be going fine. Her udder is soft and flabby this morning, with very little milk in there.
Pixie would however, like to lodge a formal complaint with the Family Cow Board -- she is protesting "Unfair Feeding Practices", and would be marching around the pasture carrying a picket sign if she could.
Just because Fancy is bigger, gives more milk when both are milking, and currently is milking while Pixie is not, in Pixie's opinion, should NOT translate to Fancy getting more food!
Ann B
So far, so good. At this point, the calves will still eagerly take a bottle, or they will mob Fancy when she's turned in with them. Fancy is a GREAT cow, she loves ALL calves -- only lifted a leg and look real hard at Pixie's calf the first time. I no longer have to tie her when the calves are nursing and she's spending most of her time hanging out by the calf pen, talking to the calves. Another couple of days and I'll try leaving them together for few hours after nursing and see how it goes.
I know it sounds like a weird arrangement -- why would anybody dry off a cow that's only 3 months fresh? But I have to go out of state in mid-January, and there is no way that I could leave DH to milk the cows and bottlefeed the calves (his back has been broken twice, and while he won't admit it, he can't physically handle milking the cows), carrying feed to all the animals will be hard enough on him.
I could have put each cow's own calf back on her, but I don't want to come back to 2 cows, each giving a piddling amount, plus the risk of mastitis since these calves just aren't big enough to keep the milk moving by themselves, without eating way too much.
I'd much rather come back to 1 dry cow (who should be bred) and the other still producing well (and hopefully bred, too). Besides, I don't trust Pixie enough to just turn her and her calf out with Fancy and her calf -- not after Pixie killed Fancy's calf last year.
For drying Pixie off, I started off skipping a milking here and there. I then went to OAD and then every other day, at the same time reducing her feed. It's now been a week since she was milked and everything seems to be going fine. Her udder is soft and flabby this morning, with very little milk in there.
Pixie would however, like to lodge a formal complaint with the Family Cow Board -- she is protesting "Unfair Feeding Practices", and would be marching around the pasture carrying a picket sign if she could.
Just because Fancy is bigger, gives more milk when both are milking, and currently is milking while Pixie is not, in Pixie's opinion, should NOT translate to Fancy getting more food!
Ann B