Post by barefootfarmer on May 25, 2013 12:43:47 GMT -5
On my other thread I was talking about finding out my cow was much further along in her pregnancy than we thought. The vet came out on May 15th to palpate. That gave us 3 possible due dates for Ada.
Either May 22, mid June or mid July. We thought she wasn't due until December since she was also mounted in early March.
So, I stopped milking her May 15th. She continued to leak/spray milk right up until this Thursday, May 23rd. I figured that would happen and that she would either have her calf or we would have another month or two while she could dry off and then start making colostrum etc.
This cow shows none of the normal signs of being pregnant. She barely got bigger. Her right side really didn't show a calf. She hides it well. That is also why we assumed she wasn't as far along in her pregnancy. And because she let the bull mount her each month.
So- yesterday, May 24th Ada didn't come up when the other cows came up to milk. I walked out to the pasture and looked at her. Still nothing looked different. Her bag didn't get huge like it did last summer when she calved. But then again, everything got messed up by me milking her and drying her off without really knowing when she was due.
Today Ada came up to the milking stall. I put her in to check her out. Her right side is completely flat. I can't bump a calf. Her left teats are dripping colostrum and are fuller than her right teats. Her right teats will drip milk if I "flick" them with my finger. Her bag does not look nice and full, but then it doesn't look slack either.
I don't know what to do. We walked the whole pasture where she has been grazing. No calf. I don't know if I should milk her out or not. I closed off that field so she can't get out there. I'm hoping if her calf is hid in the grass that Ada will go up to the hot wire and call for it. I don't even know if she had a calf. Last summer she hid her calf for three days before I even knew she had it. But at least then her udder was huge. This time I just don't know.
When should I expect her to start making and leaking colostrum? Is it normal to have milk on one side and colostrum on the other? To me it looks like a calf was drinking the right side and that is why no colostrum. Should I have a vet out to palpate to see if she's still pregnant? He can't come out til Tuesday at the earliest.
Sorry this is so long. I'm really frustrated with both me and the cow.
Either May 22, mid June or mid July. We thought she wasn't due until December since she was also mounted in early March.
So, I stopped milking her May 15th. She continued to leak/spray milk right up until this Thursday, May 23rd. I figured that would happen and that she would either have her calf or we would have another month or two while she could dry off and then start making colostrum etc.
This cow shows none of the normal signs of being pregnant. She barely got bigger. Her right side really didn't show a calf. She hides it well. That is also why we assumed she wasn't as far along in her pregnancy. And because she let the bull mount her each month.
So- yesterday, May 24th Ada didn't come up when the other cows came up to milk. I walked out to the pasture and looked at her. Still nothing looked different. Her bag didn't get huge like it did last summer when she calved. But then again, everything got messed up by me milking her and drying her off without really knowing when she was due.
Today Ada came up to the milking stall. I put her in to check her out. Her right side is completely flat. I can't bump a calf. Her left teats are dripping colostrum and are fuller than her right teats. Her right teats will drip milk if I "flick" them with my finger. Her bag does not look nice and full, but then it doesn't look slack either.
I don't know what to do. We walked the whole pasture where she has been grazing. No calf. I don't know if I should milk her out or not. I closed off that field so she can't get out there. I'm hoping if her calf is hid in the grass that Ada will go up to the hot wire and call for it. I don't even know if she had a calf. Last summer she hid her calf for three days before I even knew she had it. But at least then her udder was huge. This time I just don't know.
When should I expect her to start making and leaking colostrum? Is it normal to have milk on one side and colostrum on the other? To me it looks like a calf was drinking the right side and that is why no colostrum. Should I have a vet out to palpate to see if she's still pregnant? He can't come out til Tuesday at the earliest.
Sorry this is so long. I'm really frustrated with both me and the cow.