Post by mainelady on Jan 21, 2020 17:25:02 GMT -5
(If you know the Celeste story feel free to skip to the next paragraph)Celeste calved on New Years Eve, two quarters are dead and one has mastitis. I was milking her TAD, and leaving the calf on the whole time. The last week she’s been pretty empty when I go out in the evening so I started just checking in the evening, tying her up and what not but not milking since she feels pretty empty. The mastitis quarter is antibiotic resistant and the vet said that I should basically just avoid drinking the milk from that one.
I’m wondering if I can just stop milking the mastitis quarter. I’m never going to be able to use the milk from it, so it’s really only about the cow’s and calf’s health. Lately the calf just doesn’t drink from that quarter, and Celeste has been a PAIN to milk if I go for that one. This morning she was throwing some serious kicks, including with her FRONT foot. She didn’t land, but she’s figured out how to throw a massive amount of shavings at me. I could order a kick stop device for the back leg, but I don’t even know what to do about the front. The kick stop wouldn’t be here for a bit (not carried locally and shipping stuff here takes a hot minute). Tonight I thought she would be better because she saw me and walked right over to our spot (also the quarter was full), but then when I went to milk she kicked like she wanted me dead. I didn’t want to get hurt and didn’t have a good plan to try again so I stopped. I left her tied up and went to do other chores for a bit before I let her go (it seemed like letting her go and giving her grain would send the wrong message). She clearly doesn’t want that teat touched, and I don’t really want to touch it anyway... can I just leave it alone and it will dry up?
I’m wondering if I can just stop milking the mastitis quarter. I’m never going to be able to use the milk from it, so it’s really only about the cow’s and calf’s health. Lately the calf just doesn’t drink from that quarter, and Celeste has been a PAIN to milk if I go for that one. This morning she was throwing some serious kicks, including with her FRONT foot. She didn’t land, but she’s figured out how to throw a massive amount of shavings at me. I could order a kick stop device for the back leg, but I don’t even know what to do about the front. The kick stop wouldn’t be here for a bit (not carried locally and shipping stuff here takes a hot minute). Tonight I thought she would be better because she saw me and walked right over to our spot (also the quarter was full), but then when I went to milk she kicked like she wanted me dead. I didn’t want to get hurt and didn’t have a good plan to try again so I stopped. I left her tied up and went to do other chores for a bit before I let her go (it seemed like letting her go and giving her grain would send the wrong message). She clearly doesn’t want that teat touched, and I don’t really want to touch it anyway... can I just leave it alone and it will dry up?