Post by pinellifarms on Jan 2, 2008 10:48:12 GMT -5
Hello,
My name is Michelle and I am in WA state, we have a small hobby farm adn soon to be 7 children.
I am new to all of this. We moved from the city to 12 acres and got some goats, chickens,pigs and a Jersey cow.
We bred her last April and she is due to calve in about two weeks.
Problem is is that I don't know what I am doing.
I am very excited yet very nervous.
I helped my goats deliver last year but lets face it cows are MUCH larger then a goat. LOL.
I am thankful I found this website.
Anyway I have some questions if ya all care to answer. )
1. Do Jerseys deliver 283 days after breeding or is that for angus only?
2. She already has pretty big udders. This is her first calving she is about 2 1/2 years old. She was bred to a small angus AI'd for calving ease.
She is a larger Jersey. Around 900-1000 lbs before breeding.
Is it normal for her udders to be hard already. She is due around the 18th according to the angus chart.
I have to say I am a bit worried about mastitis already, can I take a picture and show you all what they look like? There sort of lumpy too.
She had milk squirt out before she was even bred and noone will believe me. I squirted some milk on a naylors mastitis card because she had one quarter that looked larger then the others and it turned green indicating mastitis. Someone said leave it alone so we did.
She has always had some streams of milk though in all her teats.
WHY?
3. What do I need to have on hand to avoid milk fever and ketosis.
I have Kmpk I think is what its called. Just one tube of it and I didn't know I was suppose to buy a gun for it. Can I just give it to her in grain? Do I just give her molases after she calves?
4. How do you know if a pregnant dairy cow is too skinny or too fat?
5. WHat should she be eating at this point?
She is eating nice green orchard grass hay a few flakes morning and night and she gets two large scoops of grain a day and this goes against my personal opinions about grain but I heard they needed it to avoid milk fever?
She has a mineral with selenium block in there too.
9. Should I give her a BOSE injection NOW? what about worming now? with what? is cydectin ok? or wait until after birth?
I give BOSE to my goats becasue of our low selenium here in WA state.
10. HMMMM anything else I need to know before she calves. I have a bazillion ?? to ask but can't think of them all right now. )
BTW goat kidding went really well last year. I did have to go in and dive in to untangle some trips but all in all 7 goats did beautifully.
Thanks for having this option here for us newbies!! It is so appreciated.
Blessings,
Michelle
wife to wonderful Paul
mama to 6 soon to be 7 homeschooled blessings!!
and farm girl to:
Buttercup-Jersey cow due to calve
5 dairy goats (lamanchas and oberhaslis)
20 chickens
7 cats UGH
1 beagle dog who thinks she is a farm dog!