Post by may1802 on Mar 15, 2015 15:51:59 GMT -5
Original post- Can a cow hold up FROM a calf?
This may be a silly question, but can a cow hold up FROM a calf? I know they can hold up on us humans amazingly well, but I wondered about a calf........
We're not having any problems, just a thought that occurred to me. We've just started the process of grafting a new calf onto our family milk cow and as I was watching the calf repeatedly suckle, slip off, head-butt, suckle, and on and on I wondered if it is even feasible for her to hold up. I imagine all that behavior would cause a lot of hormone release that would make it difficult, if not impossible. Just curious what your thoughts were
Thanks
She Sure Can- Please help
Update: 3/20/15
Apparently I spoke too soon, about not having trouble getting her to let down....That'll teach me to open my big mouth, haha We bought our Ruby at the beginning of the year, in milk and supposedly bred via AI, however biopryn came back as "open". We are trying to foster an auction barn calf onto her this week, as a relief milker, and she is not being very cooperative. She is NOT letting down for him. We bring her into the stanchion 2 times a day to allow the calf onto her. At first, she acted like she would like to take his head off, but, after hobbles and a swat on the backside every time she tried to kick him, she is getting better about that.
We're trying to figure out the best way to "convince" her to let down for him.
1) Do we let the calf try milking her out until he gives up and then step in to milk her out (which might encourage her to hold up her milk for us) it also doesn't guarantee that the calf is getting all he needs.
or
2) Do we let her get more and more full until she decided to give in and let him nurse her. I have 2 big concerns about that option first is mastitis and secondly I'd hate for her production to drop, since she is still open and we have a long time till she freshens again. Oh, and I guess a third one would be not knowing how much the calf is getting this way either.
or
3) another option that we haven't come up with yet
We've been at it for almost a week and are not seeing any improvement in her willingness to let down for him.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
This may be a silly question, but can a cow hold up FROM a calf? I know they can hold up on us humans amazingly well, but I wondered about a calf........
We're not having any problems, just a thought that occurred to me. We've just started the process of grafting a new calf onto our family milk cow and as I was watching the calf repeatedly suckle, slip off, head-butt, suckle, and on and on I wondered if it is even feasible for her to hold up. I imagine all that behavior would cause a lot of hormone release that would make it difficult, if not impossible. Just curious what your thoughts were
Thanks
She Sure Can- Please help
Update: 3/20/15
Apparently I spoke too soon, about not having trouble getting her to let down....That'll teach me to open my big mouth, haha We bought our Ruby at the beginning of the year, in milk and supposedly bred via AI, however biopryn came back as "open". We are trying to foster an auction barn calf onto her this week, as a relief milker, and she is not being very cooperative. She is NOT letting down for him. We bring her into the stanchion 2 times a day to allow the calf onto her. At first, she acted like she would like to take his head off, but, after hobbles and a swat on the backside every time she tried to kick him, she is getting better about that.
We're trying to figure out the best way to "convince" her to let down for him.
1) Do we let the calf try milking her out until he gives up and then step in to milk her out (which might encourage her to hold up her milk for us) it also doesn't guarantee that the calf is getting all he needs.
or
2) Do we let her get more and more full until she decided to give in and let him nurse her. I have 2 big concerns about that option first is mastitis and secondly I'd hate for her production to drop, since she is still open and we have a long time till she freshens again. Oh, and I guess a third one would be not knowing how much the calf is getting this way either.
or
3) another option that we haven't come up with yet
We've been at it for almost a week and are not seeing any improvement in her willingness to let down for him.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!