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Post by quiverfulldexters on Apr 15, 2012 9:53:25 GMT -5
I am wondering how much milk my Dexter cow should be giving me? She had her first calf 1-1/2 weeks ago. I lock the calf away at night and hand milk the cow in the morning, then let the calf back on for the rest of the day.
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Post by theburrowfarm on Apr 15, 2012 10:49:29 GMT -5
It will vary depending between beef or milk lines.OAD milking anywhere between 3/4 gallon to 2 gallons your take assuming the calf takes 1 gallon a day.You can raise the output by feeding a good quality ration.
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Post by kansasdexters on Apr 15, 2012 16:37:42 GMT -5
First calf heifers typically don't produce as much milk as cows in the 2nd or 3rd lactation. If the calf is taking approximately a gallon of milk a day (that's about 10 pounds), you will be lucky to get a quart or two (2.5 to 5 additional pounds), especially if you're only milking her once a day. In the first lactation, the cow's body and udder are still developing and her production output will take some time to increase. Milking her twice a day, making sure that she has plenty to eat and drink will help; but there is a limit to what a two-year old heifer can produce. Remember, she is still not at her mature size and weight.
If your 2-year old Dexter heifer weighs 500 pounds and she makes 1.5 gallons of milk a day (that's about 15 pounds of milk a day), then she is producing 3% of her body weight in milk every day! That's really a substantial amount of production for a first time calver. Realize that her production will increase as the calf grows and as her udder matures and her own body matures.
Patti
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Post by northstar on Apr 15, 2012 20:32:53 GMT -5
I'm milking my heifer, first lactation, once a day. Her calf is 3 months old. At first, I was only separating them for 4-6 hours, because it was so cold, I didn't want the calf to go without warm milk for too long. Now they are separated 10 hours from 8a to 6p and I'm getting 3/4 gallon. It doesn't vary by much. We don't have any pasture yet, and she is almost 4 years old, so she's full grown. I have no idea of her background, but she looks beefier than some I've seen.
Marsha
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Post by jneail on Apr 16, 2012 15:20:24 GMT -5
My not quite 4 year old had her second calf 2 1/2 weeks ago. I was told by her previous owner she gave 1/2 a gallon a day, once a day, without the calf. I've left her calf on 24/7 and milked 2x a day since she was born. I was getting consistently 3 quarts a milking (1 1/2 gallons a day), but it's dropped lately to a little over a quart per milking. We're in a bit of a transition now- if I milk at the right time in the morning when the calf hasn't nursed in a while, I can get 1 gallon, but won't get any milk for the evening milking. My "goal" is to pull the calf for part of the time and get at least a gallon once a day share-milking, once I'm sure the calf can take all of the milk in the "on" time.
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Post by quiverfulldexters on Apr 17, 2012 7:53:36 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info. It gives me an idea of what to expect. I do have another question though. How do you know if your cow has milk or beef lines?
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Post by theburrowfarm on Apr 17, 2012 12:00:32 GMT -5
look at a picture of Herefords and then look at a picture of Holsteins .If she looks more like the Herefords she carries beefier traits.If she looks like a Holstein milkier traits.Some breed Dexters for milkiness others beefiness .Some prefer dual purpose and try to balance the two.
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Post by cddexter on Apr 17, 2012 20:42:00 GMT -5
A commercial Dexter dairy in England used to feed 10 lbs of grain per gallon produced. Remember the heifer is still developing, plus she is feeding a calf, too. You want a cow that 'milks off its back', or in other words, will lean itself down to produce the milk. This will be a dairy line. If the cow is only producing a little milk and is gaining weight, it is more likely to be on the beef side of the equation.
Don't be confused by dwarfism, which gives you a beefier look to the animal because the muscle is bunched up on shortened bones.
More milky lines are Lucifer, Saturn, Galaxy, Magician, and the Ramblers (all of them). Some of the Woodmagic cows were very milky, too, but they are a long way back now. All those bulls are actually dual purpose, in that they will produce offspring with good udders and a fair quantity of milk, AND put muscle on, too.
cheers, c.
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Post by quiverfulldexters on Apr 18, 2012 16:26:55 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info everybody!
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Post by Star Creek Dexters on Apr 29, 2012 6:51:41 GMT -5
Quiver, if you cow is not giving you much milk after separating, you can let your calf nurse for about 20-30 sec, then separate again, and your cow will let down her milk. I have a couple Dexters that let down no problem for me, and I have a couple that absolutely refuse to let down without a calf.
If you get a halter on your calf, it's a great time to have her tide to a post for halter training where Mom can see.
My first timers give any where from 1/2-1 gallon a day. That usually doubles at second calving.
Good luck!
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Post by northstar on Apr 29, 2012 19:54:22 GMT -5
I've been wanting to ask this question, and it seems to go along with this thread. I milk about a quart, then there's no more until I let the calf on her for less than a minute, and milk another 1/2 gallon. What happens when the calf is weaned and I no longer have her to prime the pump? I've thought about getting a dairy bull calf to put on her, but if she doesn't accept him, I'd have a cow that might not let down her milk and a bottle baby.
Thanks,
Marsha
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Post by Star Creek Dexters on Apr 29, 2012 21:09:32 GMT -5
It will take up to a week for her to let down for you after you wean the calf, but after a few days, it becomes necessary for her to let her milk down for comfort. You, essentially, become her calf. Many first time calvers that have problems with letting down their milk without putting their calf on them, will learn after weaning to let down for you, then in the next lactation they, many times, will give you their milk without the calf needing to be put on.
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Post by northstar on Apr 29, 2012 22:04:07 GMT -5
Thank you, I've been dreading weaning for that reason.
Marsha
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Post by jneail on Apr 30, 2012 10:04:05 GMT -5
You wont want to hear from me regarding weaning, but I'll share anyhow. I've only tried once, and I'm a newbie, so maybe other factors come into play here, too.
I got my cows last year- a 12 year old cow with a 6 year old calf and 2- 3 year olds. I milked the older cow, but she would not let down for me and so I had to use her calf to "start" her. And re-start her....
I tried to wean the calf around 9 months, as she was a lot of trouble to deal with, especially if she or mama were in heat. I separated them, although they could still see and hear each other, they were a good distance apart. Over the course of 2 weeks I milked 2x a day and kept getting less and less milk- the cow would NOT let down for me. I finally put the calf back on so that she wouldn't completely dry up. Both readily took to that arrangement, and the calf, now 17 months, is STILL nursing (I just got my bull, so hopefully both will be bred soon and mama will kick her off. Otherwise, I'll be trying to separate or use some weaning device). I gave up milking her in the fall since I didn't have a good place to milk in the cold. I tried to milk again this spring, but the "calf" is rough enough on her teats that she'll kick at me trying to milk, even though she wont do it to the calf. I had another cow freshen, so I'm milking her instead.
All that to say, I think some cows will never accept you as the calf, and in the case of a cow who is not a production animal, they would rather dry up than give up the milk to you. They may not get uncomfortable enough to decide to let you have the milk. I also had hoped to graft on a calf so it would be easier to share milk, but she would not accept the calf.
Hoping your results will be better!
Janice
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