Haggis, how did Dorsey do?!

Haggis · #21 04/15/05, 09:07 PM

NO sign of milk fever last night and no sign of milk fever all day. I went out to feed at 6 pm and Dorsey was just nosing about the manger. I went out to milk at 8 pm and Dorsey was down for the count.

She tried to get up but it wasn't happening. Herself came running with a tube of calsium gel and we squeazed that down into her gizzard: Dorsey's gizzard. I'm just waiting to see if she makes it.

Now I need to made a big "I should'a" list.

dosthouhavemilk · #22 04/15/05, 10:15 PM

If she is still down I would urge you to get a vet out if you can't do the sub-Q for the Cal-Dex, Calcium Gluconate, whatever you use there. Since she is down for the count it is important she get some serious calcium in her, now. The gel works best before they go down, I believe. We don't use the gel.
My father treats all of our milk fevers sub-Q and he has lost maybe one in the last 20 years.

With our Jersey and Jersey/Norwegian Red calves they get a full bottle of colostrum for each of the first three feedings then we knock it down to four pounds for a couple mroe feedings then knock it down to three pounds and they pretty much stay with three pounds of milk and water to fill the bottle (or when trained to a bucket 3 pounds of water to bring it up to 6 pounds of liquids).
you can overfeed a calf, so keep a close watch on his manure.

Haggis · #23 04/16/05, 10:48 AM

Dorsey appears fiddle fit this morning. She is eating and camein for milking. I'll give her another tube of calcium this evening after she is milked. The calf is doing well and the Grand-Darlings are trying to rub all of the hair off of it.

My first Milking Devon to carry to full term is due in a few weeks and is bagging up something fierce. If she has a live heifer, it will one day become a milk cow, if it's a bull calf, it will be joined with Dorsey's calf to become a working oxen. Herself will be cheated out of her "Chuck" but I imagine both Herself and Chuck will be happier with that course of destiny.

dosthouhavemilk · #24 04/16/05, 12:52 PM

Glad to hear she came through it. Keep an good eye on her though.
Sue went down with milk fever overnight. She's only four years old.

The dry cows at the school are getting way too rich of feed right befoer calving. Just about everyone of them has gone down recently.
Milk Fever is just never a huge concern here since we treat our own. We don't have to deal with a vet...especially if you take into consideration there are three large animal vets for the surrounding three counties or so.

Here's hoping your devon has a heifer...especially after all the heartache you went through with the others.