Post by Libelle on Sept 30, 2015 11:52:38 GMT -5
I just weaned my jersey's 10 month old heifer last week - Thursday was the last day she nursed. She was already separated and doing twice a day supervised nursing all summer, so I didn't think taking the final step would be that dramatic. I actually stopped bringing her to nurse a few days before Thursday, but she went into heat, got stupid, jumped a fence to be with mom, nursed, got caught and locked up again, jumped another fence and ended up in another pasture with a group of my neighbor's weaned beef calves.
My neighbor and I decided it was best to leave her there.
So now she's sewing her wild oats, so to speak, and Mom is very upset because she is GONE. She held up her milk terribly for a day or two, then HAD to let down some, but she has yet to give me everything. It's been six days, and there's plenty of cream in what she's giving me, but it's nowhere near everything in her udder. A week ago I was getting 3 gallons a day (twice a day milking) from just two quarters (mostly), with calf getting the other two (I would use the calf for the second letdown). Yesterday I got a little over two gallons, period. She will let down reluctantly, better if she's really full, but she turns off the tap and that's it.
I was under the impression that once you started seeing that nice creamline after weaning, the cow was letting you have everything. I am worried that she will dry herself off this way, because she doesn't really have any incentive to let down everything - I take out enough to give her relief. She is bred for a March calf, so that may be contributing to the situation.
This is the first time I've done this, so I don't know if I'm worrying for nothing. I am planning just to continue TAD milking, working hard with massage, etc. to milk out as thoroughly as possible. Anything else I should be doing?
My neighbor and I decided it was best to leave her there.
So now she's sewing her wild oats, so to speak, and Mom is very upset because she is GONE. She held up her milk terribly for a day or two, then HAD to let down some, but she has yet to give me everything. It's been six days, and there's plenty of cream in what she's giving me, but it's nowhere near everything in her udder. A week ago I was getting 3 gallons a day (twice a day milking) from just two quarters (mostly), with calf getting the other two (I would use the calf for the second letdown). Yesterday I got a little over two gallons, period. She will let down reluctantly, better if she's really full, but she turns off the tap and that's it.
I was under the impression that once you started seeing that nice creamline after weaning, the cow was letting you have everything. I am worried that she will dry herself off this way, because she doesn't really have any incentive to let down everything - I take out enough to give her relief. She is bred for a March calf, so that may be contributing to the situation.
This is the first time I've done this, so I don't know if I'm worrying for nothing. I am planning just to continue TAD milking, working hard with massage, etc. to milk out as thoroughly as possible. Anything else I should be doing?