Post by Tamara on May 8, 2015 3:14:11 GMT -5
Sooooo you'll never guess what I found out this evening... or maybe you will. Anyway. Tallulah isn't drying up at all. Not even close. She has plenty of milk. Someone is just STEALING it. That someone is Ginger! I can't believe it! No wonder Tallulah's udder fluctuated so much.
I was lucky to find out. I had Tallulah separated for the day. But Kofi, our alpaca, chased her and she got into the horse's paddock. The poor girl must have run into the barbed wire fence too because she has (thankfully very very shallow) cuts along both her sides. Anyway, the grass in the horse's paddock is too lush and I was worried if I left her there she might bloat so I took her back to the cow's paddock. Well, Ginger was hanging around and the first thing she does? Head straight for the udder! Gah!
The little porky has been weaned for a year. I know she must have been fully weaned because Tallulah never held back a drop and I got tons of cream. So why, all of a sudden, would Ginger start drinking again 2 weeks ago? There is more than enough grass. She's so big she nearly has to go on her knees to reach the udder. I can't believe Tallulah just stands there and lets her drink. No wonder she has cuts on her teats!
I couldn't drag Ginger away so there won't be milk tomorrow either. But the good news is that Tallulah is NOT drying up. She's just holding it all up. Tomorrow I'll separate Ginger and start working on a weaning mask. I don't know if that's a long term solution though. Will Ginger try to drink again later? I can't just go back to separating them for 12 hours. Tallulah holds up too much and I'll go back to getting a quart a day. It was fine when Ginger was a calf but she's over 2 years old now and doesn't need that milk.
I'm even considering just selling Ginger or something. Maybe the guy I found who has a dexter bull will want her. I'll see how the weaning mask goes first. She's such a destructive heifer, the mask will have to be really sturdy.
Well, I'm not sure what my plan of action should be now. I'm inclined to breed Tallulah anyway to avoid any drying up issues in the future. My mother seems to believe Tallulah will milk indefinitely and there is no need for a calf and I'm just being stupid and wanting a calf 'just because'. But it should would be annoying if Tallulah dries up a year from now.
I was lucky to find out. I had Tallulah separated for the day. But Kofi, our alpaca, chased her and she got into the horse's paddock. The poor girl must have run into the barbed wire fence too because she has (thankfully very very shallow) cuts along both her sides. Anyway, the grass in the horse's paddock is too lush and I was worried if I left her there she might bloat so I took her back to the cow's paddock. Well, Ginger was hanging around and the first thing she does? Head straight for the udder! Gah!
The little porky has been weaned for a year. I know she must have been fully weaned because Tallulah never held back a drop and I got tons of cream. So why, all of a sudden, would Ginger start drinking again 2 weeks ago? There is more than enough grass. She's so big she nearly has to go on her knees to reach the udder. I can't believe Tallulah just stands there and lets her drink. No wonder she has cuts on her teats!
I couldn't drag Ginger away so there won't be milk tomorrow either. But the good news is that Tallulah is NOT drying up. She's just holding it all up. Tomorrow I'll separate Ginger and start working on a weaning mask. I don't know if that's a long term solution though. Will Ginger try to drink again later? I can't just go back to separating them for 12 hours. Tallulah holds up too much and I'll go back to getting a quart a day. It was fine when Ginger was a calf but she's over 2 years old now and doesn't need that milk.
I'm even considering just selling Ginger or something. Maybe the guy I found who has a dexter bull will want her. I'll see how the weaning mask goes first. She's such a destructive heifer, the mask will have to be really sturdy.
Well, I'm not sure what my plan of action should be now. I'm inclined to breed Tallulah anyway to avoid any drying up issues in the future. My mother seems to believe Tallulah will milk indefinitely and there is no need for a calf and I'm just being stupid and wanting a calf 'just because'. But it should would be annoying if Tallulah dries up a year from now.