Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2008 13:20:20 GMT -5
This morning when I went to milk Buttercup I noticed that her right front quarter was a little floppy and her teat was definitely floppy. They are both usually filled with milk. Her 8 mo. old calf is locked away from her at night. I pulled on the teat and got some milk and then noticed a string of milk. I got the strip cup out and tested it and there was a small lump on the screen. Her calf is with her after I milk in the morning until they are separated in the evening. The only thing that has happened recently is that the calf somehow got the gate off and Buttercup came thru and went into the barn and we caught her eating the hen food, grower cal pels, out of the feeder. We don't keep much in it so she may have eaten somewhere between 1/2 gal. to 1 gal. of it. She did this two days ago. She was fine yesterday and it didn't seem to affect her. She had already had her grain that morning and a lot of hay so I thought she was ok. Her calf is not rough on her and there is no damage to her teats.
Could the chicken grain have affected her and caused this mastitis? Her calf can barely wait in the morning until I am done milking before she pins her mother against the barn wall and nurses until the poor cow is limp. Her bag was not warm but her teat felt a little warmer than the others. She was not happy with me pulling on it.
I have asked Carole to lock her in the stanchion later and try to get out whatever may still be in that quarter.
I thought that mastitis caused the quarter to be hard and for it to be difficult to get anything out of it. I was getting milk out of it but I could definitely tell something was wrong as that is her best quarter and it seemed kind of empty.
Any ideas?
Janet
UPDATE: I had Carole check her teat last evening and she couldn't get anything out of it. That is actually a good thing because it means the calf is keeping her empty. I went out this morning to milk, with some trepidation, and with the thought that I would be calling the vet today, and found that her bag was totally back to normal. That quarter was as full as it always is and her teat was back to being expanded also. I was SO RELIEVED. She didn't mind me milking that teat either which was different than yesterday. So anyway....that was my first scare with possible mastitis. I'll sleep better tonight for sure. Thanks for your kind words Mazurzoo.
Janet
Could the chicken grain have affected her and caused this mastitis? Her calf can barely wait in the morning until I am done milking before she pins her mother against the barn wall and nurses until the poor cow is limp. Her bag was not warm but her teat felt a little warmer than the others. She was not happy with me pulling on it.
I have asked Carole to lock her in the stanchion later and try to get out whatever may still be in that quarter.
I thought that mastitis caused the quarter to be hard and for it to be difficult to get anything out of it. I was getting milk out of it but I could definitely tell something was wrong as that is her best quarter and it seemed kind of empty.
Any ideas?
Janet
UPDATE: I had Carole check her teat last evening and she couldn't get anything out of it. That is actually a good thing because it means the calf is keeping her empty. I went out this morning to milk, with some trepidation, and with the thought that I would be calling the vet today, and found that her bag was totally back to normal. That quarter was as full as it always is and her teat was back to being expanded also. I was SO RELIEVED. She didn't mind me milking that teat either which was different than yesterday. So anyway....that was my first scare with possible mastitis. I'll sleep better tonight for sure. Thanks for your kind words Mazurzoo.
Janet