Post by berriesncream on Jun 25, 2011 4:40:08 GMT -5
Please forgive me if this isn't the appropriate section; the guidelines say questions requiring immediate attention, so I thought this might qualify. Please move if it doesn't.
My heifer, Trixie, is due to calve July 5. Last night I noticed the following things: puffy, floppy vulva; full, not wrinkly, teats; very fully udder (no edema); long strings of mucous; dripping milk from 2 teats (at a pretty good pace - enough to make a nice size puddle on the ground). We put her in a nicely bedded stall in the barn. I checked on her last around 11 pm.
Just went out and checked on her again (4 am) and she was out of the stall! Door wide open! She must have knocked into the latch and got it open (now that I think of it, she was rubbing her head on everything, including the gate, when I checked on her last night). The *problem* with this is that in the barnyard are 3 bottle calves and this cow is very motherly and has shown in the past that she would let anything suck on her that tried, so we've been really careful with her. I went into the barnyard and got her (she was alone, no calves in sight - phew, I thought). But when I brought her into the light and looked at/felt her udder, I'm sure she's been nursed on. It's still pretty full, but much looser, teats are wrinkly, no more milk dripping.
What should I do??? Do I need to start milking her today??? If so, how does that work? Do I milk her all the way out by machine or just hand milk some? I know if I start this, I'll have to feed the baby colostrum, right? She looks pretty close to calving . . . baby has definately dropped (she doesn't even look round anymore), but her ligments are still there (just barely). Hoping maybe she'll just calve in the next 12 hours and I can worry about it then, but, otherwise, I'm not interested in brewing mastitis for however much longer she's got.
Advice, please! And again, please feel free to move this thread if it's not appropriate for this section.
Amanda
My heifer, Trixie, is due to calve July 5. Last night I noticed the following things: puffy, floppy vulva; full, not wrinkly, teats; very fully udder (no edema); long strings of mucous; dripping milk from 2 teats (at a pretty good pace - enough to make a nice size puddle on the ground). We put her in a nicely bedded stall in the barn. I checked on her last around 11 pm.
Just went out and checked on her again (4 am) and she was out of the stall! Door wide open! She must have knocked into the latch and got it open (now that I think of it, she was rubbing her head on everything, including the gate, when I checked on her last night). The *problem* with this is that in the barnyard are 3 bottle calves and this cow is very motherly and has shown in the past that she would let anything suck on her that tried, so we've been really careful with her. I went into the barnyard and got her (she was alone, no calves in sight - phew, I thought). But when I brought her into the light and looked at/felt her udder, I'm sure she's been nursed on. It's still pretty full, but much looser, teats are wrinkly, no more milk dripping.
What should I do??? Do I need to start milking her today??? If so, how does that work? Do I milk her all the way out by machine or just hand milk some? I know if I start this, I'll have to feed the baby colostrum, right? She looks pretty close to calving . . . baby has definately dropped (she doesn't even look round anymore), but her ligments are still there (just barely). Hoping maybe she'll just calve in the next 12 hours and I can worry about it then, but, otherwise, I'm not interested in brewing mastitis for however much longer she's got.
Advice, please! And again, please feel free to move this thread if it's not appropriate for this section.
Amanda