Post by liveoak on Mar 19, 2010 21:05:48 GMT -5
Hello,
I have a new jersey, she is a 2 year old. I am using her for a nurse cow for 2 orphan calves. I am a newbie with cows so I have lots of worries and questions! Thanks in advance for your time and patience.
I got this cow three days ago. Her body condition is a 4 from the 1-5 scale, meaning I can feel the ends of the short ribs, I can see a couple long ribs, but she does have fat deposits around her pins and her tailhead, and the space between her hooks is a level plateau.
So, coming to my farm three days ago with two (new to her) orphan calves......she did not eat or drink well for the first couple days. I have, in the past three days successfully halter broken her to where she leads pretty darn well as of this evening.
She takes the calves pretty well with an occasional swat at one calf (she prefers one over the other) but mostly she stands for it.
The first couple days she trembled and threw a fit all google eyed but really she has taken to the halter, the routine, the calves, and the move fairly well all things considered.
I am noticing (after having her nurse these 3-4 week old calves twice daily) that her bag does not seem all that "full" or firm when it is time to nurse. Once the calves bump her and get going, I do see milk drip down so I know she is doing something. I've sampled it and it is sweet and white.
Their intake does not seem to be much (in this time we have treated both for coughs and scours as you might expect). At times one or the other has had less appetite than previous feedings.
How can I tell if she is producing enough to accomodate them? They are nursing twice daily until they quit. This takes about 20 minutes. After this, I hand milk her until empty but this is only about 2 ounces worth.
Just before she comes in to feed them, I would think her bag should be really really full......but it is not even as full as one of my hereford cows bags. Is her production going to increase as she settles into the routine, starts eating my feed better (and drinking more), and these calves demand more?
Next question.......is she too fat? The front part of her udder where it attaches to her abdomen is firm and it feels like FAT. Is this normal?
She is supposed to be about 150 days fresh, and bred back to a jersey. Is she going stale? Could the stress of moving to a new place, and going off feed for a couple days be the problem?
This picture was taken AFTER she nursed. She does not look much different before nursing. The udder size/shape/firmness is basically the same. The calves seem satisfied, their noses covered in milk foam, when we are done.
Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated.
I have a new jersey, she is a 2 year old. I am using her for a nurse cow for 2 orphan calves. I am a newbie with cows so I have lots of worries and questions! Thanks in advance for your time and patience.
I got this cow three days ago. Her body condition is a 4 from the 1-5 scale, meaning I can feel the ends of the short ribs, I can see a couple long ribs, but she does have fat deposits around her pins and her tailhead, and the space between her hooks is a level plateau.
So, coming to my farm three days ago with two (new to her) orphan calves......she did not eat or drink well for the first couple days. I have, in the past three days successfully halter broken her to where she leads pretty darn well as of this evening.
She takes the calves pretty well with an occasional swat at one calf (she prefers one over the other) but mostly she stands for it.
The first couple days she trembled and threw a fit all google eyed but really she has taken to the halter, the routine, the calves, and the move fairly well all things considered.
I am noticing (after having her nurse these 3-4 week old calves twice daily) that her bag does not seem all that "full" or firm when it is time to nurse. Once the calves bump her and get going, I do see milk drip down so I know she is doing something. I've sampled it and it is sweet and white.
Their intake does not seem to be much (in this time we have treated both for coughs and scours as you might expect). At times one or the other has had less appetite than previous feedings.
How can I tell if she is producing enough to accomodate them? They are nursing twice daily until they quit. This takes about 20 minutes. After this, I hand milk her until empty but this is only about 2 ounces worth.
Just before she comes in to feed them, I would think her bag should be really really full......but it is not even as full as one of my hereford cows bags. Is her production going to increase as she settles into the routine, starts eating my feed better (and drinking more), and these calves demand more?
Next question.......is she too fat? The front part of her udder where it attaches to her abdomen is firm and it feels like FAT. Is this normal?
She is supposed to be about 150 days fresh, and bred back to a jersey. Is she going stale? Could the stress of moving to a new place, and going off feed for a couple days be the problem?
This picture was taken AFTER she nursed. She does not look much different before nursing. The udder size/shape/firmness is basically the same. The calves seem satisfied, their noses covered in milk foam, when we are done.
Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated.