Post by barefootfarmer on Dec 15, 2015 15:58:58 GMT -5
Nelly is a 25 month Holstein. She calved on time, with no complications. Passed her placenta. She calved 12/13/15. I kept the calf with her for 24 hours. Then separated and milked Nelly by machine. First milking yielded 1 1/2 gallons plus 4 cups. Thick yellow colostrum. Second milking that evening only yielded 1/2 gallon, plus 1 cup. I'm bottle feeding the calf and keeping her separate. Nelly's udder and teats look and feel healthy. No redness or swelling. And actually, I expected her udder to appear more full looking.
This morning was her third milking. Nelly didn't want to come in from the field. She was laying in a pile of hay. My husband had to go out and pet & coax her to come up. Once up, she didn't want to go in the stall. No interest in grain. Yesterday her appetite was normal.
Once in the milking stall, I noticed that her udder wasn't very full. She only milked out a half gallon by machine. Didn't eat any grain.
Now- when I went outside this morning I saw that a cow had knocked out the side rail in the milk shed and had eaten about 20 lbs of grain. I assumed it was my Jersey because she was in that area, where she shouldn't have been able to access. Thinking it over though, it's possible that Nelly knocked out the rail, ate grain, then made her way back to the pasture. Her manure is normal, showing bits of undigested grain.
I put a call in to our vet and they are sending someone out to check her over in a couple of hours. In the meantime, I spoke with the former owner who works on a dairy. The guy at the dairy said that what I'm seeing is completely normal. That all of their first time fresheners did the same thing this year. He said she has a "sour stomach" and that I should give her calcium or magnesium pills, probios and a shot of vitamin B. Not to bother calling the vet out, it's all normal.
At first I was thinking that her milk just wasn't coming in and she could probably use a shot. But the lack of appetite concerned me so I called the vet.
What is everyone else's opinions? I'm concerned because she is a Holstein, so was expecting a much higher yield. Even my Jerseys produced more their first times. And the lack of appetite has me concerned, too.
No temperature taken yet. Her ears and nose are cold. My kit was burned up in the barn fire in September and I didn't realize it until I went looking for the thermometer. I'll have to run to town to buy a new one.
Worry? Don't worry? Keep the vet coming out? New ideas?
This morning was her third milking. Nelly didn't want to come in from the field. She was laying in a pile of hay. My husband had to go out and pet & coax her to come up. Once up, she didn't want to go in the stall. No interest in grain. Yesterday her appetite was normal.
Once in the milking stall, I noticed that her udder wasn't very full. She only milked out a half gallon by machine. Didn't eat any grain.
Now- when I went outside this morning I saw that a cow had knocked out the side rail in the milk shed and had eaten about 20 lbs of grain. I assumed it was my Jersey because she was in that area, where she shouldn't have been able to access. Thinking it over though, it's possible that Nelly knocked out the rail, ate grain, then made her way back to the pasture. Her manure is normal, showing bits of undigested grain.
I put a call in to our vet and they are sending someone out to check her over in a couple of hours. In the meantime, I spoke with the former owner who works on a dairy. The guy at the dairy said that what I'm seeing is completely normal. That all of their first time fresheners did the same thing this year. He said she has a "sour stomach" and that I should give her calcium or magnesium pills, probios and a shot of vitamin B. Not to bother calling the vet out, it's all normal.
At first I was thinking that her milk just wasn't coming in and she could probably use a shot. But the lack of appetite concerned me so I called the vet.
What is everyone else's opinions? I'm concerned because she is a Holstein, so was expecting a much higher yield. Even my Jerseys produced more their first times. And the lack of appetite has me concerned, too.
No temperature taken yet. Her ears and nose are cold. My kit was burned up in the barn fire in September and I didn't realize it until I went looking for the thermometer. I'll have to run to town to buy a new one.
Worry? Don't worry? Keep the vet coming out? New ideas?