really thin Jersey..pictures

[copperhead46]

This is the Jersey cow I bought last week and I am kinda worried about her weight. She is nursing two calves, but I'm feeding her about nine pounds of feed twice a day. I'm feeding 12% calf creep and a 14% sweet feed mixed with a cup of cottonseed meal. She has free access to a good, round bale of hay and I'm not taking any milk from her, just letting the calves nurse twice a day. Francismilker told me that she might just be one of those cows who "milk off their back". I haven't wormed her yet, maybe I should. Thoughts from anyone ??

[Ernie]

She's got two calves so the load's going to be a lot more on her as it is. Looks like she's got access to pasture, you're feeding her hay as well, plus some bought feed. While she's thin, her head is up and she doesn't have that starved cow posture you sometimes see. Plus those two calves look pretty healthy to me. If the mother is starving her milk will have no nutrition in it and the calves will be starving as well.

I think she's fine. Some of them just drop the weight like crazy when nursing. I only really worry about dry lot cattle in that condition. In Oklahoma in about 2-3 more weeks she'll have more grass to eat than she'll know what to do with.

[copperhead46]

You're right about the two calves, they are 27 days old and really big and healthy. I'm just waiting for the grass to green up, it's starting to show some color.
P.J.

[Trisha in WA]

I would not call her "really" skinny. Yes, she is a little thin and could use some extra weight, but like others said, spring grass is on it's way. Are you planning to leave both calves on her for the duration or do you plan to wean them and milk her?

[Madsaw]

From what I can see, she is not that all bad. Seen alot worse over the years. Do you happen to know how young she is? I would guess she is on the younger side and still maturing.
Bob

[Jay]

Get her some alfalfa. Even a few flakes a day until the grass greens up should help her.

[65284]

I agree with the other two posters. She's a little thin but that tends to be the nature of dairy cattle. Nursing two calves will make most any cow thin especially this time of year when grass is still "washy". I would just continue what you are doing as far as feeding, and worming won't hurt.

[Oakshire_Farm]

My oldest Jersey is like that She has 24 hour acess to good feed as well as grain twice a day while she is being milked. I don't know if it that she was bred by a dairy farm for higher milk quantity or that she is getting older, she is aprox 8.

Not to hi-jakc this thread but what is a aprox age that jerseys live to??? I think I am going to rebreed her in about 6 months and after that calf she can just live out her days I have 3 of her daughters now.

[Karin L]

Copperhead, looks like she's doing a good job nursing those two calves. I'd say she's a bit thin, but not too thin to say that she's not helping those two calves grow like weeds (like I'm very sure they are). So I wouldn't worry about her. Like Ernie said, she's got the feed that she needs and is using it to help make those two little monsters grow well.

[Ronney]

I would be concerned. From her horns, size, build and what I can see of her udder, I would say she is a very young cow, possibly even a first calver? She has two big Friesian calves on her that are less than a month old and she's already being pulled down. Good grass growth is still some weeks away and when it does come through she is still going to be hard put to gain condition as well as feed two calves that will be demanding more. It's not what she looks like now that is important, it's what she's going to look like in 6 weeks time.

Dairy cows notoriously milk off their back hence their smaller bone structure and stature in comparison to a beef cow. That notwithstanding, there is still a limit as to how far that is allowed to go before it begins to compromise the health of the cow.

Oakshire, an 8 year old cow is relatively young and with good care you should have another 3-4 years out of her and possibly longer. I am milking 12 and 13 year old cows and expect my 12 year old to drop within the next couple of days.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[Cliff]

That's a lot of concentrate. I read something recently where concentrate type feeds hamper the digestion of the regular hay/grass cows need, supposedly calorie for calorie. The rumen has to get very acidic digesting all the concentrate, and the hay/grass don't digest well in that environment. So, tons and tons of food intake and cow still ends up hungry.

I'd pull her off concentrates and replace them with alfalfa pellets. Then get her some good quality pref. square bale hay for a while and let her eat her fill of it if you plan to keep the two calves on her.

Make the change from concentrates to alfalfa pellets slowly so her system can adjust. She will be very acidotic at present unless you have baking soda out for her at all times.

I've done this before with cows in the same type situation, they always improve with the removal of the concentrates and addition of plenty of easily digestable food. Spring grass should really help too, but remember, much of it is wasted if she's acidotic from too much grain.

I'd keep an eye on her udder, she is a delicate young looking girl, and those holstein steers can really tear an udder up as they grow.

[topside1]

Your Jersey thin or not is taking great care of those two boys...big Holsteins..Topside

[Welshmom]

A couple things:
Just remember, she is a Jersey, and you have put not one but two Holsteins on her. They are a bigger calf than a Jersey. And, be careful with the Spring grass - remember that first grass is mostly water, and she will still need supplementation in order to get the protein she needs. It may be easier or harder to keep her in condition if she is filling up on lush grass, depending on what kind of grass you have, etc. Ronney made a very good point, think about what she will look like in 6 weeks. I'd think about starting to supplement or creep feed those calves soon. Other than that, to me her condition doesn't look "alarming", but I believe she is on the edge of real concern. If she continues to get drawn down, then I think you and she have a real issue.

[copperhead46]

Thanks everyone, I feel a little better about her. She is young, just a three year old. I don't let the calves stay on her for very liong, as soon as they start punching on her I pull them off. I sure don't want her udder ruined. I will get some alfalfa pellets and add to her feed, at least till the grass gets here. I want to pull these calves off in a few weeks and and get a couple more for her to raise this summer. She is due to freshen in September, so I figure she can raise two more and then let her rest.
The calves are already eating calf creep, as soon as I pull them off of her they go to a feeder and start on the pellets, so I won't leave them on her for too long.
Thanks again for the info..............
P.J.