Post by freedomacres on May 7, 2008 13:58:54 GMT -5
Our cow had her baby!!!! We are thinking that we are going to leave the babe with mama and that she will still give our family plenty of fresh milk as well. When should we start milking her though? Should we wait a few days and let the calf have all the colostrum first? Mama seems huge and if we don't milk her out and the calf only takes a little here to start with will that effect production? Can someone help us get started here?? She gave birth yesterday at about 6 pm and we have not milked her at all yet other than to get a few drips out of her. Also, any suggestions on tying up the calf while we milk mama? We're already a bit scared about tying mama up to milk her. We've been picketing her out on a tie-out so she's used to being tied up but 1) she's never been hand milked (she was a nurse cow) and 2) she had a baby to protect now! Is she gonna go ballistic on us?
Hoping all you smart cow owners can steer us in the right direction
We have not dipped her navel yet either. We don't have any iodine (they told us when we bought her in March that she wasn't due to calve until late July!!!) and the cord is dried up today.
Also, should we have given her any vaccines immediately???
Sorry to ask all these questions that have probably been answered before but this board is set up goofy and I feel like I'm going in circles from board to sub-board and then when I get where I think I should be there is only 1 post there or none at all!! Sorry I guess besides being cow illiterate I must be "pro board" illiterate too!!!
Thanks for any and all help!!! - - - - - Brenda
Hoping all you smart cow owners can steer us in the right direction
We have not dipped her navel yet either. We don't have any iodine (they told us when we bought her in March that she wasn't due to calve until late July!!!) and the cord is dried up today.
Also, should we have given her any vaccines immediately???
Sorry to ask all these questions that have probably been answered before but this board is set up goofy and I feel like I'm going in circles from board to sub-board and then when I get where I think I should be there is only 1 post there or none at all!! Sorry I guess besides being cow illiterate I must be "pro board" illiterate too!!!
Thanks for any and all help!!! - - - - - Brenda