Post by browncoat on Apr 12, 2021 9:18:29 GMT -5
I really should have started this thread 10 days ago, but I have been slammed lately and couldn't quite find the words.
On April 1st I picked up a jersey cow, around 4 years old- Nothing about this situation is what I would have chosen, but sometimes, the cow picks you and not the other way around. I don't know much about her history. I have ordered supplies to send off samples for disease testing. She is currently in a quarantine pen.
She came off a dairy 2 weeks before I got her, at the dairy she was milking 30-35#. The Man who bought her obviously knows nothing about dairy cattle: He got her (plus another cow who was not for sale) to be a nurse cow to feed calves. He had her feeding 4 calves 1-3 months old, on just free-choice grass hay and a little alfalfa twice per day (She got to clean up the calf feeder while in to feed the calves, so never more than 1 partial flake of alfalfa) He wanted to sell her because "She eats a lot" and is "bigger than the other cow who needs less feed"
No grain for any of the cows or calves: "It costs too much" (something I know all too well right now! $663.00 for a ton of steam rolled barley: EEEK!!)
I am certain she was moderately ketotic when I got her, and her teats are cut badly due to nursing hungry calves. After a 3 hour trailer ride, I got her unloaded and settled. Our first milking went surprisingly well, She is a trooper and very patient, got her milked well enough and treated the cuts. (layers of cuts+scabs. she had been cut and nursed repeatedly)
She ate some hay, and about 1 pound of sweet feed that evening. then she spent 18 hours mooing her fool head off and refusing feed.
On Saturday 4/3 she was extremely ketotic by test strips, but not down. I treated her with what I had on hand (Holiday weekend) So, Banamine, Propylene Glycol, Vitamin b, and Probiotics. I discovered something that she would eat- soaked Hay pellets! So I started working up her amounts and feeding multiple times per day.
It took 2 days and a mostly failed I.V. dextrose attempt (she was not THAT sick, thank you very much) but she pulled out of the extreme ketosis. I had her down to trace ketones for 4-5 days and she started to sample more foods, but not really going for hay or grain like she should. 99% of her calories are coming from soaked hay pellets.
Yesterday she was back up to "light" ketosis and going off feed again. I can drench with propylene glycol again, or molasses. If I need to, I can transport a chute to the quarantine pen in order to restrain her enough to do any more treatments such as I.V. or shots.
Oh, she was milking 3.5 gallons and was still going up daily on her "Trace days" but it dropped when her ketones went up again.
On April 1st I picked up a jersey cow, around 4 years old- Nothing about this situation is what I would have chosen, but sometimes, the cow picks you and not the other way around. I don't know much about her history. I have ordered supplies to send off samples for disease testing. She is currently in a quarantine pen.
She came off a dairy 2 weeks before I got her, at the dairy she was milking 30-35#. The Man who bought her obviously knows nothing about dairy cattle: He got her (plus another cow who was not for sale) to be a nurse cow to feed calves. He had her feeding 4 calves 1-3 months old, on just free-choice grass hay and a little alfalfa twice per day (She got to clean up the calf feeder while in to feed the calves, so never more than 1 partial flake of alfalfa) He wanted to sell her because "She eats a lot" and is "bigger than the other cow who needs less feed"
No grain for any of the cows or calves: "It costs too much" (something I know all too well right now! $663.00 for a ton of steam rolled barley: EEEK!!)
I am certain she was moderately ketotic when I got her, and her teats are cut badly due to nursing hungry calves. After a 3 hour trailer ride, I got her unloaded and settled. Our first milking went surprisingly well, She is a trooper and very patient, got her milked well enough and treated the cuts. (layers of cuts+scabs. she had been cut and nursed repeatedly)
She ate some hay, and about 1 pound of sweet feed that evening. then she spent 18 hours mooing her fool head off and refusing feed.
On Saturday 4/3 she was extremely ketotic by test strips, but not down. I treated her with what I had on hand (Holiday weekend) So, Banamine, Propylene Glycol, Vitamin b, and Probiotics. I discovered something that she would eat- soaked Hay pellets! So I started working up her amounts and feeding multiple times per day.
It took 2 days and a mostly failed I.V. dextrose attempt (she was not THAT sick, thank you very much) but she pulled out of the extreme ketosis. I had her down to trace ketones for 4-5 days and she started to sample more foods, but not really going for hay or grain like she should. 99% of her calories are coming from soaked hay pellets.
Yesterday she was back up to "light" ketosis and going off feed again. I can drench with propylene glycol again, or molasses. If I need to, I can transport a chute to the quarantine pen in order to restrain her enough to do any more treatments such as I.V. or shots.
Oh, she was milking 3.5 gallons and was still going up daily on her "Trace days" but it dropped when her ketones went up again.