Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Sorry for the slightly graphic photos, let me preface this by saying I'm looking for advice not criticism please, I can usually take criticism on the chin but I'm really upset about this. I've been trying not to post this on here but she reduced me to tears tonight whilst milking (probably not helped as my gran died last night) and I need some advice on what to do.
Anyway 7 days ago I had a cow come into the parlour with a cut teat, she's one of my absolute best (10,000 litres, 5% fat, 4% protein, 100scc, in-calf first service on contract to cogent and is stunning to look at) so am gutted to say the least. She's gone from doing 25 litres down to 12ish if she let's it down.
I don't know how it happened, I'm assuming a cow must have stood on her teat, they're not overstocked and at the time there was 80 cows with access to 136 cubicles, I'm religious about putting sand in the cubicles every other Friday, I rake cubicles 3 times a day and push sh!t off 5 times a day minimum so I'm not sure this can be put down as my fault.
I also don't know what to do, i have to pick the scab off in order to get milk out which isn't ideal as it doesn't help the teat heal itself, but at the same time I don't want her to get mastitis from not being milked out properly, even then I have to spend 5 minutes milking her by hand. Needless to say the teat is very sore for her and she spends all the time kicking and trying to get me/the cluster off which upsets every other cow in the parlour and causes the normally spotless pit to look like the slurry pit. Any suggestions?
My ideas:
A) Do I stop milking this quarter and carry on milking the other 3? If I do this will this quarter heal for her next lactation?
B) do I carry on as I am, milking by machine and then by hand (she stomped on my hand and caught it between her hoof and the kick bar tonight and yes it bloody hurt)
C) do I phone the vet? I haven't until now because I'm not sure there's anything they can do and the last thing I want is for them to come out, look at her and tell me there's nothing they can do and then charge me £50 for the privilege
D) do I dry her off completely? She's due at the beginning of April so would be a couple of months early but I'm not fussed about losing the milk now if it will sort her out for when she calves. The only thing with this option is I'm not sure how well she would take to being tubed, given how sore it is for her?
Any other suggestions?
The first pic is from tonight and the other 2 from 4 days ago
Thanks all
Anyway 7 days ago I had a cow come into the parlour with a cut teat, she's one of my absolute best (10,000 litres, 5% fat, 4% protein, 100scc, in-calf first service on contract to cogent and is stunning to look at) so am gutted to say the least. She's gone from doing 25 litres down to 12ish if she let's it down.
I don't know how it happened, I'm assuming a cow must have stood on her teat, they're not overstocked and at the time there was 80 cows with access to 136 cubicles, I'm religious about putting sand in the cubicles every other Friday, I rake cubicles 3 times a day and push sh!t off 5 times a day minimum so I'm not sure this can be put down as my fault.
I also don't know what to do, i have to pick the scab off in order to get milk out which isn't ideal as it doesn't help the teat heal itself, but at the same time I don't want her to get mastitis from not being milked out properly, even then I have to spend 5 minutes milking her by hand. Needless to say the teat is very sore for her and she spends all the time kicking and trying to get me/the cluster off which upsets every other cow in the parlour and causes the normally spotless pit to look like the slurry pit. Any suggestions?
My ideas:
A) Do I stop milking this quarter and carry on milking the other 3? If I do this will this quarter heal for her next lactation?
B) do I carry on as I am, milking by machine and then by hand (she stomped on my hand and caught it between her hoof and the kick bar tonight and yes it bloody hurt)
C) do I phone the vet? I haven't until now because I'm not sure there's anything they can do and the last thing I want is for them to come out, look at her and tell me there's nothing they can do and then charge me £50 for the privilege
D) do I dry her off completely? She's due at the beginning of April so would be a couple of months early but I'm not fussed about losing the milk now if it will sort her out for when she calves. The only thing with this option is I'm not sure how well she would take to being tubed, given how sore it is for her?
Any other suggestions?
The first pic is from tonight and the other 2 from 4 days ago
Thanks all