Post by kellyj on Jul 1, 2010 13:12:11 GMT -5
Shasta is due July 20th. That calf is kicking constantly! She was ai'd so I am sure of the dates.
I've had a heck of time drying her up. She wants to keep producing, she had mastitis badly in one quarter the last weekend in May. I stripped out the bad stuff, treated all teats with Tomorrow. Vet-checked her the following week, he confirmed that the infected teat had dried up but that the other three were still producing. I finally milked out the three producing teats as she was huge on June 7th - the milk looked fine (2 plus gallons) but re-treated those teats with a partial dose of Tomorrow in each. As of June 20th I felt she was the most 'dry' she had been with the exception one teat that was huge and leaking milk- I milked that teat out and got one gallon of healthy-looking milk. From the 20th until yesterday she was looking fairly 'dry'. Bag soft and small.
Starting yesterday two quarters (including the constant producer) are huge- the veins are popped out and she is walking very gingerly and doesn't want to have those quarters touched. Despite the kicking I felt them thoroughly and they seem soft and not hot, they feel full of milk. Is this pre-freshening bagging up? Did she ever truly dry up?
I've thought about using Today on those quarters. I've thought about doing nothing unless she has an issue with eating, temp, attitude etc. At the moment she is peeing and pooping fine, looks alert though constantly hiding in the barn from the flies. She isn't crazy about the so-so quality hay and is the thinnest I've ever seen her - with the exception of a very wide belly - she has big divots around her tailhead - but if I give her fresh grass or good hay you can practically watch that bag enlarge. I can't figure out what to do with her - I gave her comfrey yesterday and today, I gave her willow today. I am giving her vi-c and codliver oil.
She has a little mucus today but no swelling.
A very confused KellyJ
I've had a heck of time drying her up. She wants to keep producing, she had mastitis badly in one quarter the last weekend in May. I stripped out the bad stuff, treated all teats with Tomorrow. Vet-checked her the following week, he confirmed that the infected teat had dried up but that the other three were still producing. I finally milked out the three producing teats as she was huge on June 7th - the milk looked fine (2 plus gallons) but re-treated those teats with a partial dose of Tomorrow in each. As of June 20th I felt she was the most 'dry' she had been with the exception one teat that was huge and leaking milk- I milked that teat out and got one gallon of healthy-looking milk. From the 20th until yesterday she was looking fairly 'dry'. Bag soft and small.
Starting yesterday two quarters (including the constant producer) are huge- the veins are popped out and she is walking very gingerly and doesn't want to have those quarters touched. Despite the kicking I felt them thoroughly and they seem soft and not hot, they feel full of milk. Is this pre-freshening bagging up? Did she ever truly dry up?
I've thought about using Today on those quarters. I've thought about doing nothing unless she has an issue with eating, temp, attitude etc. At the moment she is peeing and pooping fine, looks alert though constantly hiding in the barn from the flies. She isn't crazy about the so-so quality hay and is the thinnest I've ever seen her - with the exception of a very wide belly - she has big divots around her tailhead - but if I give her fresh grass or good hay you can practically watch that bag enlarge. I can't figure out what to do with her - I gave her comfrey yesterday and today, I gave her willow today. I am giving her vi-c and codliver oil.
She has a little mucus today but no swelling.
A very confused KellyJ