Post by currentwave on Dec 23, 2015 15:21:41 GMT -5
I'm so excited to be here, in such a wonderful forum group.
We were given a jersey in milk, so my daughter and I kind of fell into all things cow and we are still trying to learn and catch up
I had Tally AI back in Sep. and based on her lack of heat since I believe she's with calf (proper term?).
Winter is here and along with the lack of green grass her milk production has dropped off to about 2+ gallons a day. This is fine as I do not need full production from her at this time. So I've been researching the steps for drying her off, and we have her down to milking once a day and getting just under 2 gallons. I have cut off her barley, and most of her alfalfa to decrease her production. In addition she is looking thin to us, but is not 'to thin' according to others who are experienced dairy people (I confess, bones protruding scares me).
Normally I feed her kelp, molasses, peas, alfalfa/grass pellets, and a little soaked barley along with her hay. My questions are:
(1) She isn't due until near the end of June, so could we get her down to about a gallon or less a day and continue milking while still keeping her health and weight in the very good range? What about the health and develop of the calf? I want to go back to her usual feed, but I don't want her milk production to go up, and I don't want her or the calf to have any thing lacking.
(2) Would we be able to keep her milk production low while feeding her normally like we do and keep her in health good - or is this impossible?
(3) What additional food-stuffs would you recommend for her during this time? We are raising her organic and natural, so I avoid GMO, packaged feeds, synthetic vitamins. We did give her veggies in the summer, but that too is gone now.
Thank you for all your wisdom and help,
Katie
Ooops I forgot - and a salt lick with selenium
We were given a jersey in milk, so my daughter and I kind of fell into all things cow and we are still trying to learn and catch up
I had Tally AI back in Sep. and based on her lack of heat since I believe she's with calf (proper term?).
Winter is here and along with the lack of green grass her milk production has dropped off to about 2+ gallons a day. This is fine as I do not need full production from her at this time. So I've been researching the steps for drying her off, and we have her down to milking once a day and getting just under 2 gallons. I have cut off her barley, and most of her alfalfa to decrease her production. In addition she is looking thin to us, but is not 'to thin' according to others who are experienced dairy people (I confess, bones protruding scares me).
Normally I feed her kelp, molasses, peas, alfalfa/grass pellets, and a little soaked barley along with her hay. My questions are:
(1) She isn't due until near the end of June, so could we get her down to about a gallon or less a day and continue milking while still keeping her health and weight in the very good range? What about the health and develop of the calf? I want to go back to her usual feed, but I don't want her milk production to go up, and I don't want her or the calf to have any thing lacking.
(2) Would we be able to keep her milk production low while feeding her normally like we do and keep her in health good - or is this impossible?
(3) What additional food-stuffs would you recommend for her during this time? We are raising her organic and natural, so I avoid GMO, packaged feeds, synthetic vitamins. We did give her veggies in the summer, but that too is gone now.
Thank you for all your wisdom and help,
Katie
Ooops I forgot - and a salt lick with selenium