Post by BlueFeathers on Apr 29, 2010 18:36:22 GMT -5
Our Mocha (jersey cross) is 12 months into her first lactation. Just prior to the spring flush she was giving us 3.25 gallons per day on TAD. On April 15 we dried off our other cow, Polly, we had to pull her off pasture because she wouldn't dry off! Suddenly when only Mocha was out to pasture, her condition started picking up & her production jumped to 4+gallons per day. We realized that Polly may be pushing her off the best grass. We still fed a little flake of alfalfa in the stanchion along with her alf pellets, BOSS & 1# COB.
Now the last few days Mocha's production dropped down to 3 or less gallons daily. She's been lethargic & off feed a bit & this morning my husband noticed her moving her head/neck weird. Kinda as if she'd had a stroke & couldn't control it well. Yesterday we'd already started her on probiotics because he'd seen a long skinny mass of slimy grass like it had been vomitted up in the morning. This morning her production was still down & when he turned her out to fresh pasture, she wasn't eager to eat it. Normally she loves fresh pasture (what cow doesn't?) She wasn't even half-hearted, less than quarter-hearted.
So we read a bit in Tree of knowledge & have given her 1 cup of Rena's ketosis drench. Her manure looks fine, but she just is off. No bad breath at this point. We will give the injectable B at milking this evening. The bottle we bought says 1-2mL per 100# bodyweight given IM. Is this a good amount?
Everything we read seems to lean towards ketosis, except 2 really big differences: it's Spring, not Winter so she has lots of pasture & she's 12 months into lactation not just calved. We give a flake of alfalfa in the morning before she goes to pasture, so I doubt tetany. We've seen that before.
What else could it be? Any ideas? Has anyone had ketosis this time of year?
Thanks, Aloria
Now the last few days Mocha's production dropped down to 3 or less gallons daily. She's been lethargic & off feed a bit & this morning my husband noticed her moving her head/neck weird. Kinda as if she'd had a stroke & couldn't control it well. Yesterday we'd already started her on probiotics because he'd seen a long skinny mass of slimy grass like it had been vomitted up in the morning. This morning her production was still down & when he turned her out to fresh pasture, she wasn't eager to eat it. Normally she loves fresh pasture (what cow doesn't?) She wasn't even half-hearted, less than quarter-hearted.
So we read a bit in Tree of knowledge & have given her 1 cup of Rena's ketosis drench. Her manure looks fine, but she just is off. No bad breath at this point. We will give the injectable B at milking this evening. The bottle we bought says 1-2mL per 100# bodyweight given IM. Is this a good amount?
Everything we read seems to lean towards ketosis, except 2 really big differences: it's Spring, not Winter so she has lots of pasture & she's 12 months into lactation not just calved. We give a flake of alfalfa in the morning before she goes to pasture, so I doubt tetany. We've seen that before.
What else could it be? Any ideas? Has anyone had ketosis this time of year?
Thanks, Aloria