To much milk

johnspeehs

Member
Location
Co Antrim
What does everyone do about cows that are fresh calved with too much milk? I usually just leave them alone but do people strip them out? I think that could be a hazardous job with some of mine.
 

johnspeehs

Member
Location
Co Antrim
Control diet, I feed hay or rough silage until the calf is sucking all 4 teats.

It's a waste of time stripping out unless you're going to do it for weeks.

Thats what I do usually, just looked at a wee cow tonight calved on monday with a small calf and she looked pretty hefted. I just wouldn't have the time to start milking cows every day.
 

Davy_g

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Down
I have mine on straw and a bit of hay in the weeks before calving. For the milkiest of them I just keep them on straw till the calf can cope with the milk.
The odd time I go over to silage too soon and have to ease a side or quarter that becomes too painful to suck.
Managing diet is easiest. Believe it or not too much milk is a curse but still not as bad as no milk.
 

Treecreeper

Member
Livestock Farmer
I've never even thought about stripping out, certainly wouldn't want to break the seal whilst housed and the calf not sucking any other than its favourite teat. Bigger risk of mastitis that not doing so imo.
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
We just control the diet, barley straw, nice hay & mag buckets.
Always get the odd one that goes proper tight, must admit I do milk her off on whichever quarter (useful to freeze in case of emergency) and put the calf on that quarter once I've softened it up.
I've a little old Simmental fresian cross, needs drawing off every year only a couple of times. But her calf is always in the top 3 when they come too go finished so I forgive her.
If any of them are a bit flighty and need drawing I put them on just barley straw for scouser of days first. 9/10 will ease off themselves, not worth the broken arm!! ?
 

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