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Post by jessica on Sept 30, 2007 8:43:51 GMT -5
I have a cow we bought in April that came with a 5 month old calf at her side. She had been bred back and was to calf again in Nov.(aprox) We weaned the calf and started milking her with the intent of drying off in Sept. In mid July she started cycling so we assumed she must have lost the baby. We put her in with the bull then and again in Aug when she cycled a second time and that took. My question is should she be dryed off now or can she be milked till 2 months prior to the birth of her calf?
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Post by Olga on Sept 30, 2007 9:28:58 GMT -5
As long as she is keeping in good condition, keep milking her. Cows that are more toward the dairy type tend to put on weight when they are both open and dry. When a cow gets overweight, she has trouble settling - because of fat deposits on the ovaries, etc. I milked Maxine for 12 months and she didn't want to dry up! But I knew she needed a 2 months rest and to allow her make colostrum.
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Post by liz on Sept 30, 2007 9:32:14 GMT -5
Hi Jessica; Technically you can milk a cow pretty much as long as she is giving milk but at some point the milk changes and the ph is so different that cheesemaking becomes impossible without the addition of chemicals, (calcium chloride) and it aquires a bit of a 'salty' or off taste, probably goes with the higher ph. You 'should' dry her off at least two months before she calves so that the energy that she uses to make milk goes into producing the calf and it gives her udder a much needed rest so less potential problems with mastitis etc. Liz
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Post by liz on Sept 30, 2007 9:40:50 GMT -5
oops  sorry Kim not Jessica, just read your intro!! |
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Post by jessica on Sept 30, 2007 9:44:32 GMT -5
Thank you ladies. This is all so new to us but we are having too much fun. I have just ventured into making milk products. We have done butter,sour cream yogurt amd cottage cheese. My family loves it.
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Post by fuzzy on Oct 8, 2007 10:33:37 GMT -5
For the healthof the cow and the udder it is not a good idea to milk a cow for more than the usual 10 months or 305 days. She should be dry for at least 2 months befor calving a longer dry period will give the cow and the udder time to recover and heal before it is time to produce milk again.
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sorry Kim not Jessica, just read your intro!!