Post by Heidi on Nov 28, 2009 5:50:35 GMT -5
Hello All,
Spot calved around the end of April (possibly 29 April), and I bought and brought her home on 7 June. She was field bred somewhere in between those dates. I have just had her pregnancy confirmed by bloodtest (Response in Test OD of 0.338). So, at the earliest, she would be due around 26 February 2010. Although I'd rather be more definitive about her due date, I don't mind drying her off for her earlier date, and erring on the side of caution. Spot is not a super-producer. She is about 8 years old (although sold as a 6 yo, but I doubt it), and is an "easy calver". Her last calf was "unexpected" by the then owners and was a complete suprise waiting for them in their back paddock.
Now my question is regarding drying her off. I share milk, and I whilst I have read everything on the Tree of Knowledge regarding drying off a cow, I couldn't find anything about drying off a share milked cow.
Currently, Spot gives about a gallon (orless depending on how much I want really) of milk once a day (am), and then I let her calf with her all day, then I lock the calf away at night. The calf is 7 months old.
So how do I dry off the share milked cow? Two ways that spring to mind are for me to stop taking my share, and only let the calf access feed once a day, and then separate for the rest of the day. Over the course of two weeks, I could then reduce the time that the calf has access to Spot, until I stop visitation rights.
(Although I suppose the trouble with this option is that the calf can easily stimulate the let down reflex and get an unknown amount per feed, no matter how limited or supervised the access may be).
Secondly, I could just remove the calf from the situation and only take my share, gradually decreasing the amount, then going to once every two days, then no milking at all, over a period of say two weeks.
My concern with the second option is that currently her let down needs to be kickstarted (or headbutted as the case may be) by the calf. If I try to milk without the calf getting the letdown I can't get milk. So that may mean she doesn't get milked, which could be a problem in itself.
As I have said, I've read the Tree of Knowledge, and also need advice regarding her feeding during this time. Spot is pretty low maintenance. I feed her a biscuit (a wafer) of lucerne hay (I think that is what Americans call alfafa?) with a slurp of molasses during the am milking, and then at night she just gets a about 2kg of dairy meal (a store bought protein mix of grain etc) to keep her happy. She has access to good grass (we are just at the end of spring here) at night and during the day. She is in good enough condition, I'm not sure what body score I'd give her, but she's not thin or fat, although she has milked off her back a bit. So, do I just stop the feed that I'm giving her and let her eat grass, or vice versa? It would be much easier to stop the feed than keep her in the stock yards in our summer heat.
Okay, this post is going on longer than I expected, or that any of you want to read! Hope someone can give me a step by step guide to drying off my cow. (this is my first time!), I take direction very well, and don't like to overthink things!
Bye for now,
Heidi
Spot calved around the end of April (possibly 29 April), and I bought and brought her home on 7 June. She was field bred somewhere in between those dates. I have just had her pregnancy confirmed by bloodtest (Response in Test OD of 0.338). So, at the earliest, she would be due around 26 February 2010. Although I'd rather be more definitive about her due date, I don't mind drying her off for her earlier date, and erring on the side of caution. Spot is not a super-producer. She is about 8 years old (although sold as a 6 yo, but I doubt it), and is an "easy calver". Her last calf was "unexpected" by the then owners and was a complete suprise waiting for them in their back paddock.
Now my question is regarding drying her off. I share milk, and I whilst I have read everything on the Tree of Knowledge regarding drying off a cow, I couldn't find anything about drying off a share milked cow.
Currently, Spot gives about a gallon (orless depending on how much I want really) of milk once a day (am), and then I let her calf with her all day, then I lock the calf away at night. The calf is 7 months old.
So how do I dry off the share milked cow? Two ways that spring to mind are for me to stop taking my share, and only let the calf access feed once a day, and then separate for the rest of the day. Over the course of two weeks, I could then reduce the time that the calf has access to Spot, until I stop visitation rights.
(Although I suppose the trouble with this option is that the calf can easily stimulate the let down reflex and get an unknown amount per feed, no matter how limited or supervised the access may be).
Secondly, I could just remove the calf from the situation and only take my share, gradually decreasing the amount, then going to once every two days, then no milking at all, over a period of say two weeks.
My concern with the second option is that currently her let down needs to be kickstarted (or headbutted as the case may be) by the calf. If I try to milk without the calf getting the letdown I can't get milk. So that may mean she doesn't get milked, which could be a problem in itself.
As I have said, I've read the Tree of Knowledge, and also need advice regarding her feeding during this time. Spot is pretty low maintenance. I feed her a biscuit (a wafer) of lucerne hay (I think that is what Americans call alfafa?) with a slurp of molasses during the am milking, and then at night she just gets a about 2kg of dairy meal (a store bought protein mix of grain etc) to keep her happy. She has access to good grass (we are just at the end of spring here) at night and during the day. She is in good enough condition, I'm not sure what body score I'd give her, but she's not thin or fat, although she has milked off her back a bit. So, do I just stop the feed that I'm giving her and let her eat grass, or vice versa? It would be much easier to stop the feed than keep her in the stock yards in our summer heat.
Okay, this post is going on longer than I expected, or that any of you want to read! Hope someone can give me a step by step guide to drying off my cow. (this is my first time!), I take direction very well, and don't like to overthink things!
Bye for now,
Heidi