Bought a Jersey Today!

Tam319 · #1 03/11/07, 10:56 PM

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share the news that we brought our new Jersey home today! We had one stop left on our "cow tour". It was a Jersey dairy about 2 hr from us. This girl is 6 yo registered Jersey. She is very quiet and sweet. They were selling her as she's one of their lower producing cows but she will be fine for our needs (and more!). She is bred and due to calve this week. We went to meet her yesterday and picked her up tonight! She is halter broke and hopped into the trailer with more ease than some of our horses. LOL She is settling into her new pen (right in front of my front yard LOL...what a serene picture she will make!) I'm so happy to be starting our cow adventure off with this gal and looking forward to many days of learning and interesting experiences ahead.

Oh yes, and PRAYING FOR A HEIFER CALF! LOL

Any tips on getting a commercial dairy cow acclimatized to the quiet, small farm lifestyle? Her breeder told me it was fine to switch her to hay from her previous ration (hay/silage) and slowly introduce grain. Any tips there to avoid problems?

Thanks for letting me share,

sammyd · #2 03/11/07, 11:19 PM

If she's due to calve this week she should all ready be on the grain. Not much but some to get her steamed up for lactation.
If her old home milked in stalls instead of a parlor you should be OK as far as her acclimating to her new home and routine.

Up North · #3 03/11/07, 11:53 PM

Tam319- Congratulations. Do you have Calcium products on hand in case she comes down with milk Fever?...If not get thee to vet office or farm supply and buy some!
I would encourage you to read a recent thread titled "A Milk Fever Case" by UpNorth....Just in case

Haggis · #4 03/12/07, 07:05 AM

Once you have the grain/feed/milk fever issues in line, as mentioned above, start bringing her into your milk stall at milking times, morning and evening, to get her into a routine. The more comfortable she is when you begin milking, the easy it will be for her, and you, after she calves.

I frequently read where folks are saying "She (their cow) won't let her milk down" when they are beginning with a new cow, in a new location, and just after she calves. A comfortable cow will release oxytocin into her bloodstream at milking times if she is content with the proceedings, thus releasing her milk, but an unhappy, uncomfortable cow will release adrenaline into her bloodstream which will stop her milk as a ---- stops a river.

I separate calf from cow and bring the calf in to the milk stall at milking time to tie near the cows head; the cow will smell her calf and down comes the milk. At this point you can take what you want of the milk, or, take all of the milk then let the calf have the cow for the next twelve hours for nursing. Many old cottagers and some today, will separate the cow from calf, and at the twice a day milking times the calf gets one or two quarters and the cottager takes two or three quarters.

The main thing is to get your cow into a routine so she knows what's happening.

jerzeygurl · #5 03/12/07, 08:59 AM

in addition to milk fever you might research udder edema(caked bag) feeding grain helps stave off milk fever but may cause caked bag which is swelling of the udderskin, which feels like the bag is full even after milking( feels kinda like paper mache over a water balloon) the udder can split from that, vet can prescribe diurhetic(sp)

Tam319 · #6 03/12/07, 10:32 AM

Thanks for the info everyone! About how many lb of grain should I be working towards feeding her? I have her on free choice good quality grass/timothy hay and have alfalfa square bales to give her a bit of that each day as well.

Thanks,

wr · #7 03/12/07, 10:48 AM

Tam, I'm very happy to hear you got a Jersey and that she's nice and quiet.

michiganfarmer · #8 03/12/07, 11:05 AM

Id go easy on the grain at first. Mabey start her on 1/2 lb twicw a day during milking. To much grain to fast can cause upset stomach, and throw her off her feed. A ittle grain during milking will also help her want to come into the milking stall too. I only grain them when its milking time. We usually gave a pound of grain(roller milled shelled corn) for every 15 lb of milk production. We also adjusted that for body condition too. If she is fat, giver her a little less. She will milk the fat off her body. If she is a little thin, giver a little more.

A cc of oxytocin 10 minutes before milking will make her let her milke down, and will help get rid of adema in her udder too

linn · #9 03/12/07, 01:58 PM

Tam319,
I am so glad you found your cow. She must be pretty gentle if she loaded that easily. We have never fed our cows silage, so other members are better equiped to advise you on that. I just wanted to say congratulations and best wishes. What about some pictures?

Tam319 · #10 03/12/07, 03:29 PM

Thank you for the kinds words everyone! I spoke with my vet today and got two bottles of calcium drench to have on hand. She recommended giving one bottle 12 hr prior to calving and one bottle 12 hours post calving as a preventative. Thank you all for the "heads up". I will have to get some picturehs. Jersey's are kind of funny looking creatures, aren't they? All angular, hips and big eyes. LOL

Thanks!

HazyDay · #11 03/12/07, 03:52 PM

whats her hair like on her head (poll or right below it?) Thats one way my family does it, and most times it's 80% true! Hair up girl and hair down boy (Im not sure if thats it. It sounds right ANY ONE ELSE USE THIS??)

Tam319 · #12 03/12/07, 04:24 PM

I can pretty much guess with 100% accuracy that she's going to have a boy with my stellar luck

sycamore · #13 03/12/07, 08:13 PM

Um, the hair up hair down, thing? Ours has hair down and has had 2 hiefers, maybe this time it'll be a boy!!
So glad you found a sweety.

Tam319 · #14 03/12/07, 08:36 PM

OK, I am totally in love with my cow. LMAO What the heck has happened to me? I made the decision to get her based solely on her "stats" and the fact that I wanted fresh milk for my family and other critters. It was all based on practicality and there was no 'lovey dovey' happy cow thoughts in my mind.

I get her home and WA-POW...it hits me that I am in love with a cow. She's a humble and dowdy looking lil thing. Its blizzarding here today and she doesn't want to leave her shelter. But when I go outside to do chores she braves the snowbanks to amble along with me, stops and rests her head against me and chews her cud contentedly when I pet her and talk with her. Oh my goodness. Who knew that cows were so freakishly addictive?? LOL I had a lot of anxiety and worries about this whole project, but now that she's home I have to say I am feeling a lot more relaxed and confident that this is all going to be ok. LOL

jerzeygurl · #15 03/12/07, 10:11 PM

old mamma in my avatar will let me sit on her or lay my head on her belly when she is laying down. she has sinus issues and likes her brow ridge and nose areas scratched. lol

Judy in IN · #16 03/12/07, 10:55 PM

OH YEAH! Might as well give those horses away! You're being taken over by a beautiful lady!

Having said that, where are the PICTURES!!!

prairiegirl · #17 03/12/07, 11:09 PM

I'm so glad you got a sweet one. I'll be watching for pictures and waiting to hear about the calf.

prairiegirl

linn · #18 03/13/07, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tam319

OK, I am totally in love with my cow. LMAO What the heck has happened to me? LOL

Tam319, it's called the family cow syndrome. Nobody is satisfied with just one.

jerzeygurl · #19 03/13/07, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linn

Tam319, it's called the family cow syndrome. Nobody is satisfied with just one.

I could be quite profitable if I would actually let some of them go

gonna have to sell at least one more baby

and probably a couple mammas too

TulleyJohnMyers · #20 03/14/07, 06:13 AM

TAM all i can say is set down and take your tempeture.......hope you don't have jersey fever...that happened to me and now i have 35 jersey cows and calfs