How milk OAD and minimize issues

Forgottenben

New Member
Hello. My wife and I are considering trasnsitioning to OAD milking from tad. Currently we milk 20 cows direct to customers and we’re getting worn out. With selling directly to customers we have to calve year round.
My main concern is early lactation, and how to make sure the cows aren’t prone to mastitis, what do people do in the first few weeks after calving?
Thanks
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
Several spring calvers will milk oad for first 3 weeks or so to take pressure off and then start tad. Cows wont give you any problem.

Your milk will be incredibly creamy not all people may like it.

In your situation though it will make life a lot easier.

Start it tomorrow to get pressure off for xmas.
 
Several spring calvers will milk oad for first 3 weeks or so to take pressure off and then start tad. Cows wont give you any problem.

Your milk will be incredibly creamy not all people may like it.

In your situation though it will make life a lot easier.

Start it tomorrow to get pressure off for xmas.
yeap crack on we only milk OAD for the first three weeks after calving. don't forget you will produce less milk and you may need more cows depending on your demand @frederick is right the milk will taste different.you may need to standardise.
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
Hello. My wife and I are considering trasnsitioning to OAD milking from tad. Currently we milk 20 cows direct to customers and we’re getting worn out. With selling directly to customers we have to calve year round.
My main concern is early lactation, and how to make sure the cows aren’t prone to mastitis, what do people do in the first few weeks after calving?
Thanks

Leave the calves on.
 

Forgottenben

New Member
For how long do I keep the calves on? We don’t keep our calves. We sell em back to a farmer and buy em back when they’re ready to calve. We have limited land
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
For how long do I keep the calves on? We don’t keep our calves. We sell em back to a farmer and buy em back when they’re ready to calve. We have limited land

A bit more info would be helpful. What are your cows producing? How much milk do you need? How inefficient is your milking set up? Are you dumping any milk now?

I have used calves as milk production regulators and as a way to make milking optional. Basically they stayed with the cow full time the first 1-2 months, then they were separated and spent 2-12 hours with mom, or all day if milk wasn't needed.
 

Forgottenben

New Member
Our cows are currently giving right about 4 gallons a day(I’m in America). I’m not pushing their production much.
I’m currently using all the milk. If there is excess it gets separated into cream which is sold and skim is fed to pigs to sell at market.
Our system is ineffective but improving. We’re installing a pipeline in a month or two.
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
Our cows are currently giving right about 4 gallons a day(I’m in America). I’m not pushing their production much.
I’m currently using all the milk. If there is excess it gets separated into cream which is sold and skim is fed to pigs to sell at market.
Our system is ineffective but improving. We’re installing a pipeline in a month or two.

I don't think OAD will help you, nor will calves. Unless you are ok with less milk, because that's what you will get. The problem seems that you and your wife are burnt out. Getting your chores streamlined and giving yourselves some away time may be a solution. Where bouts you at ?
 

Forgottenben

New Member
I would be fine with less milk. We’ve tried getting a replacement Milker with no success.
I live in Tennessee, USA.
We’re trying to streamline everything we can. The fundamentals concept that I could maybe push my morning milking back half an hour and then have complete freedom potential during the rest of the day if I wanted. I don’t mind morning milking, but dread that evening milking. Getting tougher with kids as well.
I find myself saving a lot of energy in reserve for that evening milking. If I didn’t have it, I feel I could really push myself a lot harder and get tons done during the day.
I just want to make sure I start with a solid plan.
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
I would be fine with less milk. We’ve tried getting a replacement Milker with no success.
I live in Tennessee, USA.
We’re trying to streamline everything we can. The fundamentals concept that I could maybe push my morning milking back half an hour and then have complete freedom potential during the rest of the day if I wanted. I don’t mind morning milking, but dread that evening milking. Getting tougher with kids as well.
I find myself saving a lot of energy in reserve for that evening milking. If I didn’t have it, I feel I could really push myself a lot harder and get tons done during the day.
I just want to make sure I start with a solid plan.

I see. I can relate with the evening milking, always hated it. I don't have any experience on OAD without calves, but I don't think you will have too much of a transition at your production level. You will get less milk. What is your current milking interval?
 

Forgottenben

New Member
Currently we milk 12/12. I was going to transition by milking 14/10, then 16/8, etc.
We also plan to start feeding them high quality alfalfa to boost production when we transition. Hopefully that will help to offset some of the losses. We also plan to purchase some more cows and mob graze to get better use of our land.
Any recommendations on how long I should leave calves on to help prevent issues with edema or mastitis? Thanks
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
You could milk 8:16 and probably keep the same production, if that helps any. The 12:12 is a very high production American thing, doesn't gain you much on a 4 gallon cow.

Can't comment on How long to leave the calves on. Should you go that route. It's what works for you. Never seen a cow with calf on have mastitis, couldn't say on edema. When that calf gets around 2 months old though, it's unbelievable how much they can drink.
 

bovine

Member
Location
North
Any recommendations on how long I should leave calves on to help prevent issues with edema or mastitis? Thanks

Yes, get them off ASAP, tube the calf and milk out the cow properly. Letting calves suckle is a recipe for disaster. You get variable colostrum intakes and the thorough milking out is proven to reduce mastitis risk.

I've seen lots of beef cows with mastitis.....
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
Yes, get them off ASAP, tube the calf and milk out the cow properly. Letting calves suckle is a recipe for disaster. You get variable colostrum intakes and the thorough milking out is proven to reduce mastitis risk.

I've seen lots of beef cows with mastitis.....

Done it both ways, depends on what you have. If the calf and cow are healthy and functioning well, why step in and mess around? It may not be proper or whatever, but it can work very well.
 

pappuller

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
M6 Hard shoulder
@Forgottenben if you are milking by hand, maybe these would help rather than investing in a pipeline
Screenshot_20171210-094306.png
 

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