Mandie's Jersey Journey

[animalfarm]

You have a full jersey right? You need to pre-emptively treat her for milk fever within 12 hr. of the calf being born. This means 100-ml subcutaneous shot (under the neck skin) of a calcium solution you can get at the feed store or vet. If you chose not to do this, watch her very closely for a full 3 weeks after giving birth. Milk fever kills fast, within hours, but if treated with- in 2 hrs of it starting, the cow can be saved. The cure will be instant, but requires a vet.

If your cow goes down any time after birth and doesn't look like normal relaxing, or starts shivering/acting weak/listless call the vet. Don't wait!!!

Bribe your cow with a treat and tie her with rope halter to where ever you want her to stand for milking. You don't need a stanchion, most cows don't like their heads clamped and will fight to get loose, but something with sides to keep her from moving away from you will make your life easier while you are learning.

She will fight you as she has a calf and doesn't want you. There is a contraption called "cow can't kick" which is a clamp that fits over her back just in front of the hip bones. When you tighten the screw to close the clamp (sounds/looks like medieval torture device but really isn't) it prevents the cow from kicking and you can then safely teach her to milk without trauma to either of you. Try to keep the calf where mamma can see it and not stress out. After a few days when the edema in the udder has subsided, you won't need the device and the cow will accept both you and the calf. The device can be ordered on-line and is well worth the money for the little time you will actually use it. Keep it, because next year, the cow will try to keep you out of the picture again.

Good info. Is that only pertinent to jerseys-- about the milk fever?

I am searching for semen or a bull for my dexter right now so I will be experiencing this next spring/summer.

Jerseys #1, Holstein #2. Any of the dairy breeds that produce mass quantities of milk. Although beef cows can have the problem, it is rare as they don't suffer the huge draw on blood calcium that the dairy breeds do. Milk fever is caused from too much calcium being drawn from the bloodstream because the cow has not yet adapted enough to draw it from the bones when it is needed. That is why you give the shot to dairy cows before they start producing milk, right after birthing. It can save their lives if you aren't around and they choose to drop in the middle of the night or when you just popped out to go to the feed store.

If you have a dexter its all good news. They fall in the low risk category. The risk would be much lower with the dexter mamma/daddy jersey cross as well but I would probably want to keep a good eye on it until I knew for sure what kind of output she has. I have a belted galloway/jersey heifer that I have to wait another year before breeding but I am hoping to avoid a lot of these types of problems with her and still get a reasonable supply of milk.

 

[animalfarm]

Just want to add...if she isn't due right away, this is the best time to train her. Tie her in the milking spot; think about dry and out of the wind and sun year round for your comfort as well as hers. Give her a bit of grain or something to reward her for being there. Only give treats for the 2x day that you want to milk her in the future and only in that spot. The first lesson is for her, is to be waiting for you to get your hinnny out there and cows do have internal clocks that go off on the dot. (this translates into don't train her for milking at 5 am if you want to sleep in on the week ends. She won't let you.

Do not do any bad things (shots ect..) in the milking spot. You want her to only think happy thoughts there. She does not get a treat any where else but in the milking area at milking time.

Do play with her any where any time but no treats. Cows love to have their itchy bits scratched. Start with the head and neck. If she happens to walk past you, try to reach out and scratch her on the top of the tail head firmly. Major feel good itchy spot that a cow can't do for herself. That will eventually get you permission to fool around with more and more of the back end. Soon you can scratch the butt bones (tain't that nice) and then she's hooked for life and you will get to the belly, udder and legs pretty much without a fuss after that.

Once you can rub the belly and udder you need only do it during the milking area routine 2x a day. You only need to spend a minute or so doing any part of this. She will be bugging you for more before you know it. It doesn't matter if you miss sessions here and there; it won't slow things up at all.

You will still need the advice on milking when she gives birth, as the calf changes everything but it isn't a total do over.

Cow collars are available and are handy thing to have them wear so you don't have to worry about getting a halter on if she has horns.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Good info animalfarm, but I'm going to respectfully disagree about treating for milk fever before she even has a problem. I have milked lots of cows and birthed even more than that, and we only had to treat for milk fever every now and then. The Holsteins were worse than the Jerseys, and I imagine this is a pet Jersey and not being "pushed" so it's likely she won't have any issues. It doesn't hurt to have it on hand though and be prepared. But it's good you gave her signs to look for...."wild" eyes, being uncoordinated, not getting up, being "out of it", etc.

 

[mandieg4]

Thanks for all the help! She let me rub all over her this morning, everywhere but her teats. But even when I tried to touch her teats she just stepped away from me, she didn't try to kick at me. This evening was a different story, she didn't want anything to do with me or the feed. Watching her this afternoon she didn't seem to be able to get comfortable, up and down in the stall, didn't really want to go outside where it was cooler even, only if I went into the stall and she wanted to get away from me. After giving birth four times myself, I sorta feel sorry for the gal. I imagine she probably doesn't feel too great at the moment. My luck she'll give birth tomorrow while I'm at work. The only day I'm away from home and she'll choose that day to spit the baby out.

 

[mandieg4]

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

aaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

congrats she's adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gettinaclue]

 

[Wifezilla]

Congratulations!!!

 

[framing fowl]

Look at those soft brown eyes! Congrats! Looks like mama and baby are doing just fine!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Jersey calves are the cutest! Congratulations!!!