Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2005 17:26:39 GMT -5
We have had Abby and Tilly for 4 days now and I have never been more tired!!! It wasn't even this much work when the babies were waking up every 2 hours to nurse!!! My whole body aches, but I feel so good!!!
Today when I milked Tilly she was really well behaved. Hopefully she's getting the routine down.
I got a really good feel of her udder and I think she has only 2 good quarters. I fear we may have lost one due to the calf not nursing it. We knew 1 quarter did not work (they said dogs got her down when she was a year old and chewed one teat and her tail) But I felt of the left front quarter and it seemed hard and although I got 2 or 3 squirts yesterday I didn't get much more than a drop this morning. The squirts were just like all the other squirts...no strings or clumps. Will that quarter be good next year after she is dried off and then calves again?
And speaking of drying off...I want to dry Tilly off once Abby calves, which should be in October. I don't know that I can handle milking 2 cows right now. With a 6 yo to homeschool, a 2 year old to keep up with and a 7 month old my days are a little busy. Tilly is due to have a calf next March. If I dry her off in October will that be a problem?
And Abby will be having her first calf this year. Do you need a low calcium diet for a first time calver? I need to get some good hay for them and I was gonna try to get a low calcium feed for Abby if I need to. The people we bought the cows from did not raise them for pets, they were strictly show cows and they have always fed them the same all the time, never adjusting for anything.
So to sum up my questions...
1. Will Tilly's udder be ok?
2. Can I dry Tilly off in October, even ifshe's not due until March.
3. Should Abby (my 2 yo jersey) be on a low calcium diet?
Thanks so much guys.
Today when I milked Tilly she was really well behaved. Hopefully she's getting the routine down.
I got a really good feel of her udder and I think she has only 2 good quarters. I fear we may have lost one due to the calf not nursing it. We knew 1 quarter did not work (they said dogs got her down when she was a year old and chewed one teat and her tail) But I felt of the left front quarter and it seemed hard and although I got 2 or 3 squirts yesterday I didn't get much more than a drop this morning. The squirts were just like all the other squirts...no strings or clumps. Will that quarter be good next year after she is dried off and then calves again?
And speaking of drying off...I want to dry Tilly off once Abby calves, which should be in October. I don't know that I can handle milking 2 cows right now. With a 6 yo to homeschool, a 2 year old to keep up with and a 7 month old my days are a little busy. Tilly is due to have a calf next March. If I dry her off in October will that be a problem?
And Abby will be having her first calf this year. Do you need a low calcium diet for a first time calver? I need to get some good hay for them and I was gonna try to get a low calcium feed for Abby if I need to. The people we bought the cows from did not raise them for pets, they were strictly show cows and they have always fed them the same all the time, never adjusting for anything.
So to sum up my questions...
1. Will Tilly's udder be ok?
2. Can I dry Tilly off in October, even ifshe's not due until March.
3. Should Abby (my 2 yo jersey) be on a low calcium diet?
Thanks so much guys.