Post by mountainman on Mar 1, 2010 12:52:53 GMT -5
Hi Y'all !!
First, let me say, I have been reading as a guest for a while and I love this board and there seems to be a lot of great folks!
I can't seem to find the answer to my troubles so I thought I would ask here......
I just purchased the sweetest 5 yr. old Jersey ever. However, our excitement was soon over!
The following is according to the seller: She is less than 60 days fresh and gives 6 gal. a day. She had no calf on her, so we bought a 5 week old Jersey bull calf (about 100 lbs.) to "help" us with the milk. "Help" being the key word here, but he is taking it all. Our first day we got her we got 3 gal. the first milking (before she took the calf) and 1-1/2 gal. the second milking. From there we haven't gotten any!
A little more background:
When we got her from the seller, she had spent several days in a feed lot with several other cows and orphan calves. The idea was the calves would keep the cows milking. In hind site, her teats were caked with mud from the lot so I suspect she did not get nursed because of this, thus explaining why she was so full. Also, I assume this has caused her to loose production because she started drying off?? This is all just my guess??I have been feeding her all the grass hay she can eat and 16 lbs. of 14% grain a day. The calf is doing great and very frisky, but there is nothing left for me.
How long can a cow go without being milked without destroying her lactating?
Will she come back to a decent/or full production?
If I put the calf up and share, will the calf not get enough to eat?
She is open, so I don't want to feed a dry cow for another year before milking again.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Kelly
First, let me say, I have been reading as a guest for a while and I love this board and there seems to be a lot of great folks!
I can't seem to find the answer to my troubles so I thought I would ask here......
I just purchased the sweetest 5 yr. old Jersey ever. However, our excitement was soon over!
The following is according to the seller: She is less than 60 days fresh and gives 6 gal. a day. She had no calf on her, so we bought a 5 week old Jersey bull calf (about 100 lbs.) to "help" us with the milk. "Help" being the key word here, but he is taking it all. Our first day we got her we got 3 gal. the first milking (before she took the calf) and 1-1/2 gal. the second milking. From there we haven't gotten any!
A little more background:
When we got her from the seller, she had spent several days in a feed lot with several other cows and orphan calves. The idea was the calves would keep the cows milking. In hind site, her teats were caked with mud from the lot so I suspect she did not get nursed because of this, thus explaining why she was so full. Also, I assume this has caused her to loose production because she started drying off?? This is all just my guess??I have been feeding her all the grass hay she can eat and 16 lbs. of 14% grain a day. The calf is doing great and very frisky, but there is nothing left for me.
How long can a cow go without being milked without destroying her lactating?
Will she come back to a decent/or full production?
If I put the calf up and share, will the calf not get enough to eat?
She is open, so I don't want to feed a dry cow for another year before milking again.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Kelly