Post by Jennifer on Aug 28, 2006 22:07:06 GMT -5
Please help an amature cow owner!!
Here's a bit of background... We have 2 cows that we milk twice a day, our lead cow who's 5 and a 2.5 yr old. We needed to dry one up soon (2.5 yr old) so we bought another and brought her home last Tuesday about 10 pm. We kept the new cow seperate overnight and introduced her to the rest of the girls the next day. We milked out the new cow seperate from the other 2 both am and pm on Wednesday only keeping the milk from our original 2 cows and they produced their normal amount. We started milking all three one after the other into the same pail on Thursday (we were told this was exceptable from the man we purchased the machine frome at Hamby... and we check each cows milk individually before she gets the milker on) with the new cow 'in between' our original 2 which made our lead cow get milked last which worked because she stands still no problem for long periods of time.
From Thursday AM's milking to tonight's (mon) milking the total quantity has dropped 2 cups or more at every milking for a total of 1 GAL 12 CUP shortage at tonight's milking. It SEEMS through observation that it's just one cow... our lead cow who normally produces the most (4-4.5 gal total on twice a day milking).
We also noticed on Friday that she didn't eat as much as she normally does (1 hearty flake of alfalfa at each milking w/o grain but she does normally pick through and eat just the parts she likes while the other cows clean it out completely)
I originally thought that she was being moody because she came into heat on Wed (she gets very moody) and because she seems to be the only cow with an issue about the new cow. When the new cow comes close to her she definately acts dominant and cranky.
Our lead cow has also been much dirtier then normal (which is pretty dirty no matter how clean she is when I send her out in the morning she comes in a mess) with what seems to be more fecal matter then usual all around her hind end and down her legs. To complicate things we have (since the new cow came home) a drastic change in weather from dry humid 100 degree days to cool rainy days for many days in a row now which means alot more mud also.
Two more bits of info... here in our local school system there has been a reported case of 'cryptosporidiosis' last friday. I have no children that attend the school but a good friends daughter does attend the school (although a vary different part) and she helped milk while we where gone to pick-up the new cow last tuesday night. Second bit of info is DH has been milking alone since Sat (normally it is me alone or me with him helping... rarely him alone) and the lead cow has never really taken a liking to him although he is very good to her.
OK guys I am so very sorry for probably way too much info but any info you could give would be great! Here's a recap... our lead cow (Momma) seems droopy, not so interested in food, looser then normal stools (although not completely runny), and massive drop in production. She has also had her schedule disrupted, a new cow introduced, been in heat, had lots and lots of rain and DH milking her which she doesn't prefer (also a potential exposure to 'cryptosporidiosis' although from what I have read I'm not sure how she would have caught it)
Could the excess rain have caused enough of increased grass growth that it could be giving her an upset belly? The patures do look a little greener but they were pretty green to start with.
She definately acts like her belly hurts. What do I do???
Here's a bit of background... We have 2 cows that we milk twice a day, our lead cow who's 5 and a 2.5 yr old. We needed to dry one up soon (2.5 yr old) so we bought another and brought her home last Tuesday about 10 pm. We kept the new cow seperate overnight and introduced her to the rest of the girls the next day. We milked out the new cow seperate from the other 2 both am and pm on Wednesday only keeping the milk from our original 2 cows and they produced their normal amount. We started milking all three one after the other into the same pail on Thursday (we were told this was exceptable from the man we purchased the machine frome at Hamby... and we check each cows milk individually before she gets the milker on) with the new cow 'in between' our original 2 which made our lead cow get milked last which worked because she stands still no problem for long periods of time.
From Thursday AM's milking to tonight's (mon) milking the total quantity has dropped 2 cups or more at every milking for a total of 1 GAL 12 CUP shortage at tonight's milking. It SEEMS through observation that it's just one cow... our lead cow who normally produces the most (4-4.5 gal total on twice a day milking).
We also noticed on Friday that she didn't eat as much as she normally does (1 hearty flake of alfalfa at each milking w/o grain but she does normally pick through and eat just the parts she likes while the other cows clean it out completely)
I originally thought that she was being moody because she came into heat on Wed (she gets very moody) and because she seems to be the only cow with an issue about the new cow. When the new cow comes close to her she definately acts dominant and cranky.
Our lead cow has also been much dirtier then normal (which is pretty dirty no matter how clean she is when I send her out in the morning she comes in a mess) with what seems to be more fecal matter then usual all around her hind end and down her legs. To complicate things we have (since the new cow came home) a drastic change in weather from dry humid 100 degree days to cool rainy days for many days in a row now which means alot more mud also.
Two more bits of info... here in our local school system there has been a reported case of 'cryptosporidiosis' last friday. I have no children that attend the school but a good friends daughter does attend the school (although a vary different part) and she helped milk while we where gone to pick-up the new cow last tuesday night. Second bit of info is DH has been milking alone since Sat (normally it is me alone or me with him helping... rarely him alone) and the lead cow has never really taken a liking to him although he is very good to her.
OK guys I am so very sorry for probably way too much info but any info you could give would be great! Here's a recap... our lead cow (Momma) seems droopy, not so interested in food, looser then normal stools (although not completely runny), and massive drop in production. She has also had her schedule disrupted, a new cow introduced, been in heat, had lots and lots of rain and DH milking her which she doesn't prefer (also a potential exposure to 'cryptosporidiosis' although from what I have read I'm not sure how she would have caught it)
Could the excess rain have caused enough of increased grass growth that it could be giving her an upset belly? The patures do look a little greener but they were pretty green to start with.
She definately acts like her belly hurts. What do I do???