Post by shauntijoy on Jul 22, 2010 14:11:42 GMT -5
I've been milking our Flossie for 3 1/2 years, and I'm still a newbie!!
Flossie bagged up very early (she always has), and I did not know I should have started milking her. She calved three weeks ago, and ever since, we've been dealing with extreme edema, some mastitis, and many times I cannot get any milk out.
I let two three-week old calves nurse the two teats on one side while I milk the other side. Sometimes I put the calves up overnight, and sometimes I leave them out all the time. I just got a third steer calf to help keep her milk out. The three-week olds are growing great, so they, at least, are getting all they need and more!
Now I'm realizing her udder is "blown," as the dairyman, from whom we bought her, said yesterday. A blown udder is described as the bottom looks round like a basketball, with her teats pointing outwards instead of down. The medial tendon (?) which suspends the udder from the body, has "let go." As far as I can remember, she's looked like this since her first calving at our farm.
I have several questions for you more experienced folks, and hope that this thread may help you other newbies keep your cows from this.
How much of a blown udder is caused from genetics and how much is from unintended neglect?
How can I manage her udder -- can I breed her back or is this it for her?
Is she only good for a nurse-maid now?
If I can breed her back, should I not dry her off, therefore keeping the edema from returning (if it does go away this time)? (Maybe I don't want a heifer calf from her ...)
This is her 6th calving; she is 8 years old and in good condition otherwise.
I don't want to take her to the sale barn, but one person said that's what she'd do if Floss were hers ...
I've tried Ben Gay and Lasics, but there has been no change. I cut her feed back, but she lost a lot of weight. She was fat on just grass before she calved. She does not have mastitis at this time.
Flossie bagged up very early (she always has), and I did not know I should have started milking her. She calved three weeks ago, and ever since, we've been dealing with extreme edema, some mastitis, and many times I cannot get any milk out.
I let two three-week old calves nurse the two teats on one side while I milk the other side. Sometimes I put the calves up overnight, and sometimes I leave them out all the time. I just got a third steer calf to help keep her milk out. The three-week olds are growing great, so they, at least, are getting all they need and more!
Now I'm realizing her udder is "blown," as the dairyman, from whom we bought her, said yesterday. A blown udder is described as the bottom looks round like a basketball, with her teats pointing outwards instead of down. The medial tendon (?) which suspends the udder from the body, has "let go." As far as I can remember, she's looked like this since her first calving at our farm.
I have several questions for you more experienced folks, and hope that this thread may help you other newbies keep your cows from this.
How much of a blown udder is caused from genetics and how much is from unintended neglect?
How can I manage her udder -- can I breed her back or is this it for her?
Is she only good for a nurse-maid now?
If I can breed her back, should I not dry her off, therefore keeping the edema from returning (if it does go away this time)? (Maybe I don't want a heifer calf from her ...)
This is her 6th calving; she is 8 years old and in good condition otherwise.
I don't want to take her to the sale barn, but one person said that's what she'd do if Floss were hers ...
I've tried Ben Gay and Lasics, but there has been no change. I cut her feed back, but she lost a lot of weight. She was fat on just grass before she calved. She does not have mastitis at this time.