Post by Canningmama on May 5, 2011 1:04:39 GMT -5
I know this is long, but please read and help an ignorant cow mama out!
Ok, this newcomer has just about had it. I bought a cow for the first time ever 2 1/2 weeks ago. A pretty little 6 yr old Jersey gal named Daisy. The first 1 1/2 weeks, all was well, cow was happy and eating, producing 3+ gallons of milk a day, and all was right with the world. Then my cousin who helps milk her and care for her, started wondering if she was getting enough to eat. After some significant internet research, and posting on this forum (complete with lots of pics!), we decided to start giving her about 1/2 a coffee can ( 1.5 lbs??) of alfalfa pellets with her dairy pellets (about 3 lb??) per feeding. After doing that morning and evening for 2 days, we awoke on Sunday morning to a bloated cow. After MORE research and calling the local farmers, we called a vet (once again ON A SUNDAY MORNING), and the vet made the 45+ minute drive out here to take a look. She drenched her with a gallon of mineral oil with a bunch of other stuff in it and gave her some shots. We were told not to drink the milk for 72 hours because of one of the shots she gave her, and within hours the bloating had gone completely down and she looked thinner than ever! Other than her bloated appearance and condition, the vet said she looked and sounded very good. She indicated that she was only a wee bit thin, but considering she was a Jersery, she wasn't worried about her; she'd gain weight over the summer etc.
Now. Her milking schedule got off that morning because she would NOT let us milk, though we did attempt to milk and relieve pressure in the pasture while awaiting the vets arrival and while we were walking her through the field; not in a bucket, just on the ground. After the vet left, we took her to the barn and milked her out as best as we could, which was pretty thorough, it was just closer to noon than the normal 8 a.m. milking. We got right back on schedule with the evening milking on Sun. pm and have been milking her according to original schedule ever since, and her milk supply is going down, down down. Not only that, but even my semi city slicker house guest is commenting on how much she's just lying around during the day. She's not grazing much at all. She's eating the hay that we're providing her free choice (probably 1+ small square bale in the past 24 hr), eating her grain in the evening, which by the way we discontinued the alfalfa due to bloating and the vet's recommendation, and drinking water. She's just not eating much grass and she's not giving much milk. Is she drying up? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??? She freshened late last fall (Nov./Dec.) and is due around Thanksgiving this year, so I wouldn't think she should be going dry on us yet by long shot. Anyone have any insight? Please help!
Ok, this newcomer has just about had it. I bought a cow for the first time ever 2 1/2 weeks ago. A pretty little 6 yr old Jersey gal named Daisy. The first 1 1/2 weeks, all was well, cow was happy and eating, producing 3+ gallons of milk a day, and all was right with the world. Then my cousin who helps milk her and care for her, started wondering if she was getting enough to eat. After some significant internet research, and posting on this forum (complete with lots of pics!), we decided to start giving her about 1/2 a coffee can ( 1.5 lbs??) of alfalfa pellets with her dairy pellets (about 3 lb??) per feeding. After doing that morning and evening for 2 days, we awoke on Sunday morning to a bloated cow. After MORE research and calling the local farmers, we called a vet (once again ON A SUNDAY MORNING), and the vet made the 45+ minute drive out here to take a look. She drenched her with a gallon of mineral oil with a bunch of other stuff in it and gave her some shots. We were told not to drink the milk for 72 hours because of one of the shots she gave her, and within hours the bloating had gone completely down and she looked thinner than ever! Other than her bloated appearance and condition, the vet said she looked and sounded very good. She indicated that she was only a wee bit thin, but considering she was a Jersery, she wasn't worried about her; she'd gain weight over the summer etc.
Now. Her milking schedule got off that morning because she would NOT let us milk, though we did attempt to milk and relieve pressure in the pasture while awaiting the vets arrival and while we were walking her through the field; not in a bucket, just on the ground. After the vet left, we took her to the barn and milked her out as best as we could, which was pretty thorough, it was just closer to noon than the normal 8 a.m. milking. We got right back on schedule with the evening milking on Sun. pm and have been milking her according to original schedule ever since, and her milk supply is going down, down down. Not only that, but even my semi city slicker house guest is commenting on how much she's just lying around during the day. She's not grazing much at all. She's eating the hay that we're providing her free choice (probably 1+ small square bale in the past 24 hr), eating her grain in the evening, which by the way we discontinued the alfalfa due to bloating and the vet's recommendation, and drinking water. She's just not eating much grass and she's not giving much milk. Is she drying up? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??? She freshened late last fall (Nov./Dec.) and is due around Thanksgiving this year, so I wouldn't think she should be going dry on us yet by long shot. Anyone have any insight? Please help!