Hi ladies!!! I'm a newbie here on the board and to dealing with dairy cows....looking for advice. My Maizy (brown swiss jersey mix) calved to her 2nd calf on fathers day with no issues (baby is doing fine)! I tried to start milking but she would rather die than allow me to milk :(. We're building a stanchion now because of her thrashing around whereas before all I did was tie her up to milk. The first day with the calf she trusted me to be right next to her and baby without any fight it wasn't until we forced her in to where I milk her that she became crazy again. What can I do to calm her and get her to trust me again. We had barely just bonded before the baby since I had her only since Feb. Thanks for any advice- Leanne from Mt.
Have the baby so she can see her. When I first got my cow, I gave her grain when she got into her stall. Also have someone there to brush her. If she is getting a nice scratching on an itchy spot, that gives her something else to think about.
I think Michele has a good point! Is the calf being seperated during milking? Also is there a possibility that she might have mastitis or something that is causing pain during milking?
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 06:27:33 AM
good morning, leanne, what i have learned is what the girls already are saying with a little extra. if mom can see calf she is calmer. i tie at her head so she can see baby without much effort and she can eat and still see calf not crying beside her. then to get milk let down put calf on one teat and you milk the others. once cow knows baby is eating and happy she will usually let down. keeping a family cow site folks may be of help for you also.she will hold up cream and quantity for calf. they do make a kick stop also. when they first calve their hormones are crazy. watch for milk fever and ketosis. i give molasses water to help sugar levels. hoping today is a better milking day for you. if she was a friendly cow before her calf she will settle down again when she knows calf is fed and safe. keep us posted. i love pics and stories of cows and farms. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm farm girl #1014
Welcome Leanne. Congrats on the new calf! What did she have? I have a Red Angus heifer named Mazie. She is up the road being bred to a black angus. I am going to try to milk her when she has her calf. I will need lots of advice too. I have 4 goats I milk and I know that is totally different.
Also I think if you are nice and calm and use a nice calm voice she will be calm. And have plenty of food to keep her busy. You might need to tie her back legs so she can't kick. I wish you luck and be safe!
Has she been milked before? I know you said this is her 2nd calf. She just might need to get back in the routine again. And do you hand milk or machine?
Thanks all!! I have had baby right in her face while trying to milk and tied her back leg back but somehow she always gets free! My father in law and husbanf are making a a better stanchion/milk pen so that I can try her in that. She was onry when I first got her but she slowly got better...I think we ticked her off by trying to milk. Her back hind quarters seem to be doing okay...maybe edema was the issue...my father in law suggested I just let the calf eat from her right now till she calms down some otherwise she'll hurt me or herself since she's so crazy. We did milk her but dried her up mar 30th. Oh and baby is mainly jersey..mama is brown swiss jersey mix and dad was a jersey bull!
hi leanne, congatulatons on the new calf! i am new to the calf/milking business so not sure what help i will be. we are milking for the first time. butter bucket is ok whil ei milk as long as baby is either right next to her side or actually sucking. she has never been milked before and i had never milked a cow. we now tie her but hubby is gonna make a swinging gate to put her between wall and gate so she cant swing around while milking. tonight she was the hardest since calving last saturday. i hope things are going smoother for you now. peace connie in alaska
An update on miss Maizy. Well her bag is not so swollen anymore..pretty sure edema was the issue. Yesterday she allowed me to touch her bag without much sass but today she was a butt! I tried cleaning her udder so I could atleast put some bag balm on since it was a little scaley. She tried kicking me! I hope the huys hurry on this stanchion because I am sick of buying milk when I know its sitting right there in my field! Sassafrass is getting big and strong...she's certainly got her legs about her and boy is she quick!
newbie-cow calved 6/20!
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 10:45:19 PM
