Post by combsaj on Sept 30, 2010 22:37:37 GMT -5
I am sure you experienced farmers might get tired answering the same questions from us newbies- but please help me with a couple questions?
SUPER excited that I purchased our cow today. Her name is Cindy is approx 6 yrs old- the owner wasn't for sure as she has no records, having purchased her from a dairy a couple years ago.
She is a jersey, very much on the small side and is too thin right now. She is still giving 4+ gallons of milk a day and is due in January. All the other cows in her herd are looking in great health and fitness- I'm guessing she is thin because she is so small to be making that much milk a day and manufacturing a baby at the same time. What do you think?
Other than being on the thin side she looks great all over except her udder which is hanging low. It doesn't seem to be damaged, or the skin too thin, just baggy and low hanging. Since she is small, I will have to use a shallow bucket to milk her with that low udder.
It was very important to me to find a small jersey as I want a mini-jersey, but unable to find one anywhere in my state (Washington), I am going to downbreed her using AI when she is ready to get pregnant again after she has this calf. How long should I wait after she gives birth before getting her pregnant again? 3 months/ 6 months??
I am confused about options for straining the milk- I was thinking a couple layers of pillowcase material should do the trick- but will the cream have a hard time getting through it (being that she is a Jersey) or adversely is it not finely enough woven to everything it needs to in the milk?? I don't like to use consumables and so would like to have a reusable solution. I thought the gold coffee filter sounded good, but then read that small bits of coffee grinds can get through- so I don't feel it would give me a good enough filter.
I'm planning on fattening her up a bit by drying her up as soon as I can - HOW quickly can I dry her off? I am going to milk only once a day- is it OK to not milk her all the way, leaving some milk behind to slow up her production before calling it quits after a couple weeks? To fatten her up I am also going to supplement her diet (which is a low protein local mixed hay) with alfalfa and alfalfa pellets. Is the alfalfa going to add too much protein to her diet because I read when she is pregnant she should not be on a high protein diet.
Also, when she gets here in a week should I keep her in the barn for a week to get her adjusted to being here?
I only have a small area in the barn that has a cement floor- should I put her feed on that to store it or make that part of the barn her milking area?
Sorry to be so long winded!
I figure that other than getting a milking pail (a shallow one), a straining material (I already have a jar funnel to place it in), and a harness for her (I already have a lead rope), and her feed, I don't really NEED anything else right away right? Am I missing anything improtant?
THANKS so much for your time! It's funny how super excited I was to go meet her today- but now I feel so stressed out getting everything ready in a week. :oThe barn needs to be cleaned out and made ready, the field needs to be cleared of the blackberries (a veritable forest), and I need to get what she needs- Oh, and find an animal trailer to get her home in. AT least I grew up milking goats, so getting the hang of milking shouldn't be too hard.
SUPER excited that I purchased our cow today. Her name is Cindy is approx 6 yrs old- the owner wasn't for sure as she has no records, having purchased her from a dairy a couple years ago.
She is a jersey, very much on the small side and is too thin right now. She is still giving 4+ gallons of milk a day and is due in January. All the other cows in her herd are looking in great health and fitness- I'm guessing she is thin because she is so small to be making that much milk a day and manufacturing a baby at the same time. What do you think?
Other than being on the thin side she looks great all over except her udder which is hanging low. It doesn't seem to be damaged, or the skin too thin, just baggy and low hanging. Since she is small, I will have to use a shallow bucket to milk her with that low udder.
It was very important to me to find a small jersey as I want a mini-jersey, but unable to find one anywhere in my state (Washington), I am going to downbreed her using AI when she is ready to get pregnant again after she has this calf. How long should I wait after she gives birth before getting her pregnant again? 3 months/ 6 months??
I am confused about options for straining the milk- I was thinking a couple layers of pillowcase material should do the trick- but will the cream have a hard time getting through it (being that she is a Jersey) or adversely is it not finely enough woven to everything it needs to in the milk?? I don't like to use consumables and so would like to have a reusable solution. I thought the gold coffee filter sounded good, but then read that small bits of coffee grinds can get through- so I don't feel it would give me a good enough filter.
I'm planning on fattening her up a bit by drying her up as soon as I can - HOW quickly can I dry her off? I am going to milk only once a day- is it OK to not milk her all the way, leaving some milk behind to slow up her production before calling it quits after a couple weeks? To fatten her up I am also going to supplement her diet (which is a low protein local mixed hay) with alfalfa and alfalfa pellets. Is the alfalfa going to add too much protein to her diet because I read when she is pregnant she should not be on a high protein diet.
Also, when she gets here in a week should I keep her in the barn for a week to get her adjusted to being here?
I only have a small area in the barn that has a cement floor- should I put her feed on that to store it or make that part of the barn her milking area?
Sorry to be so long winded!
I figure that other than getting a milking pail (a shallow one), a straining material (I already have a jar funnel to place it in), and a harness for her (I already have a lead rope), and her feed, I don't really NEED anything else right away right? Am I missing anything improtant?
THANKS so much for your time! It's funny how super excited I was to go meet her today- but now I feel so stressed out getting everything ready in a week. :oThe barn needs to be cleaned out and made ready, the field needs to be cleared of the blackberries (a veritable forest), and I need to get what she needs- Oh, and find an animal trailer to get her home in. AT least I grew up milking goats, so getting the hang of milking shouldn't be too hard.