Post by Lannie on Jan 17, 2012 20:13:55 GMT -5
Furious, is more like it!
I take equal blame for this, because I SHOULD have thought of it, but I didn't.
Rich and I went to pick up Cricket and Bonk today, and Cricket's udder was full to bursting. The reason I send the calves with the cows is to keep them milked while they're gone, and Cricket was at the bull's for a whole week.
When we dropped them off a week ago, we were told to put them in the corral that had the bull, one old cow, and two yearling heifers that were lame. They'd gotten knocked around some in moving the herd, I guess, and he'd separated them out so they could have time to recover.
I just ASSUMED the heifers were in there temporarily, but when we got there today, they were still there. They were perfectly fine, and not lame anymore, so I guess they just got left there because Lyle was busy with other things. But they have been nursing off Cricket!
I couldn't figure out why she was so full (her teats were strutted and everything), but figured Bonk might have been busy playing with the heifers, so I thought he'd have a good meal when we got home. Not. I went out at evening chore time, and she was STILL full, so I went back and got the milker.
When I was washing up her teats, I was horrified to see that her back teats are TOTALLY lacerated. There are cuts on cuts on cuts! I could barely get them clean because of all the cuts. Oh, and the milker? Yeah, she kicked at it more than a few times, and I don't blame her a bit. I was in tears. I thought she had mastitis, even, because the milk didn't "sound" right going into the bucket, and the quarters weren't emptying like they should. One of the back ones, just didn't want to go down, and I had to take the inflations off and start over with just that one. I didn't get her completely empty, and her right front quarter is still very full, but the teat was so slack, the inflation couldn't get a grip on it.
All I can figure is those heifers were trying to nurse from the back, so as not to get kicked, and they cut her up. I KNOW Bonk didn't do that. Anyway, I'm thinking she got fed up enough that she started kicking the crap out of ANYONE that tried to nurse, including Bonk.
I'm hoping (my fingers are double-crossed) that getting back home and back to their normal routine will help Bonk understand that it's OK to nurse, and help Cricket realize she should LET him. I REALLY don't want to have to milk twice a day, and I NEED a backup milker, so if she's "weaned" him during this last week, I'm going to be extremely upset. Hopefully, now that he's back home, he'll try again. I'm going to have to keep him off her back teats for a while, until they heal up a bit, which means he'll have to be confined to his stall for a few days. I HATE to do that, but I can't keep him separated from her otherwise.
Please pardon my English, but I'm just ROYALLY pissed right now, mostly at myself for not telling Lyle to get those heifers OUT of that pen last week. He's a beef guy, so he figures they got weaned last September or October and they're weaned. HA! Put a full udder in front of them and they forget all about being weaned. Poor Cricket! Those heifers were bigger than Bonk, and he's pretty big himself now. I can't imagine her having to fend off three of them.
The good news is Bonk is now a steer. At least that went right. And with any luck, the bull managed to breed Cricket in spite of the fact that she was having to fight off those heifers.
But now she's home, and she's been slathered in udder balm. I only got 1-1/4 gallons from her tonight, but it was fine. Perfectly clear and no saltiness, so I guess she dodged the mastitis bullet. I just somehow have to get her empty tomorrow.
~Lannie
I take equal blame for this, because I SHOULD have thought of it, but I didn't.
Rich and I went to pick up Cricket and Bonk today, and Cricket's udder was full to bursting. The reason I send the calves with the cows is to keep them milked while they're gone, and Cricket was at the bull's for a whole week.
When we dropped them off a week ago, we were told to put them in the corral that had the bull, one old cow, and two yearling heifers that were lame. They'd gotten knocked around some in moving the herd, I guess, and he'd separated them out so they could have time to recover.
I just ASSUMED the heifers were in there temporarily, but when we got there today, they were still there. They were perfectly fine, and not lame anymore, so I guess they just got left there because Lyle was busy with other things. But they have been nursing off Cricket!
I couldn't figure out why she was so full (her teats were strutted and everything), but figured Bonk might have been busy playing with the heifers, so I thought he'd have a good meal when we got home. Not. I went out at evening chore time, and she was STILL full, so I went back and got the milker.
When I was washing up her teats, I was horrified to see that her back teats are TOTALLY lacerated. There are cuts on cuts on cuts! I could barely get them clean because of all the cuts. Oh, and the milker? Yeah, she kicked at it more than a few times, and I don't blame her a bit. I was in tears. I thought she had mastitis, even, because the milk didn't "sound" right going into the bucket, and the quarters weren't emptying like they should. One of the back ones, just didn't want to go down, and I had to take the inflations off and start over with just that one. I didn't get her completely empty, and her right front quarter is still very full, but the teat was so slack, the inflation couldn't get a grip on it.
All I can figure is those heifers were trying to nurse from the back, so as not to get kicked, and they cut her up. I KNOW Bonk didn't do that. Anyway, I'm thinking she got fed up enough that she started kicking the crap out of ANYONE that tried to nurse, including Bonk.
I'm hoping (my fingers are double-crossed) that getting back home and back to their normal routine will help Bonk understand that it's OK to nurse, and help Cricket realize she should LET him. I REALLY don't want to have to milk twice a day, and I NEED a backup milker, so if she's "weaned" him during this last week, I'm going to be extremely upset. Hopefully, now that he's back home, he'll try again. I'm going to have to keep him off her back teats for a while, until they heal up a bit, which means he'll have to be confined to his stall for a few days. I HATE to do that, but I can't keep him separated from her otherwise.
Please pardon my English, but I'm just ROYALLY pissed right now, mostly at myself for not telling Lyle to get those heifers OUT of that pen last week. He's a beef guy, so he figures they got weaned last September or October and they're weaned. HA! Put a full udder in front of them and they forget all about being weaned. Poor Cricket! Those heifers were bigger than Bonk, and he's pretty big himself now. I can't imagine her having to fend off three of them.
The good news is Bonk is now a steer. At least that went right. And with any luck, the bull managed to breed Cricket in spite of the fact that she was having to fight off those heifers.
But now she's home, and she's been slathered in udder balm. I only got 1-1/4 gallons from her tonight, but it was fine. Perfectly clear and no saltiness, so I guess she dodged the mastitis bullet. I just somehow have to get her empty tomorrow.
~Lannie