Very little cream on jerseys milk

tinafi · #1 09/20/11, 02:04 PM

We milk a first calf jersey every morning and then put her calf and one other calf on her to take the rest. We separate cow and calfs at night. She gets alfalfa about 10 lbs and app. 6 lbs of a corn, cottonseed hull feed 2x per day, access to grass all day. Lots of fresh water She is maintaining weight. When we first brought her home the amount of cream on her milk was perfect. It really is down to nothing now. We have tried upping her alfalfa intake with pellets, to no avail. Any recommendations would be most helpful. Thank you

tinknal · #2 09/20/11, 08:18 PM

Strange as it sounds, cows need fiber to produce cream. On top of everything else she is getting I would give her free choice grass hay.

tinknal · #3 09/20/11, 08:20 PM

Oops, see she is on grass. At what stage of lactation is she and how much is she producing? Might want to back off on the feed so she eats more grass.

tinafi · #4 09/20/11, 08:29 PM

She calved in July. Along with good grass she has access to round bales, just because we are storing them in the pasture for now.

tinafi · #5 09/20/11, 08:32 PM

Forgot the producing part. Two gallons when my hubby is home to help milk, one when it is just me and I don't milk everyday anymore. The bull calves are fat as can be

myersfarm · #6 09/20/11, 10:01 PM

Sounds like the cow is holding back a little and the cream is the last to come out........the calf is getting the cream......also if you do not take it she will get to were she don't make it....so your production is down also

tinafi · #7 09/20/11, 10:20 PM

She has two calves on her. So should I try to milk her dry every morning that I milk? I had no idea she could hold back cream. Obviously this isn't consciously done but physiologically how does that work?

springvalley · #8 09/20/11, 11:13 PM

I would have to agree with myersfarm, I think your cow is holding back. My cows only get grass pasture and about 5 lbs. of grain a day and also have a round bale in afeeder in there yard. We don`t push our cows, and we have a very high butterfat count on our cows. They run around a 6 % butterfat or more, thats purdy good as 3.5% is standard to average. So if you want more cream I would milk out two quarters for yourself, and leave two for the calve in the morning. If you are only milking all quarters partly then your leaving the cream for the calves, no wonder they are fat. > Thanks Marc

myersfarm · #9 09/20/11, 11:42 PM

do not know how it works ..but it does....unless cream rises in the udder like it does in the jar..LOL LOL

DJ in WA · #10 09/21/11, 01:05 AM

Yes, cream comes in the part after letdown occurs. If you want more cream, let the calves take the first part, and you get the rest. I put a halter and lead rope on a calf and let it nurse, then pull it out of reach of the cow and tie it up. Then take your milk.

Gaea Star · #11 09/21/11, 02:31 AM

It's my understanding that most of the cream in the milk is in the last half of the milking. I am not entirely sure of this but I have read it in other threads.

eruehr · #12 09/21/11, 05:25 AM

Try filling a pint jar of milk with the very first milk and then fill one with the very last milk out of any given quarter and let it stand in the fridge overnight - you'll be amazed. I don't know how they do it. I think they like to keep us on our toes and keep it from becoming too easy! So - yes - the calves have been drinking your cream. If I've got a calf I'm letting nurse the cow I usually try to put it on her first and then pull it off after a few minutes. That way the calf gets the thinner milk (still plenty for the calf!) and I can make sure that all four quarters get milked completely dry.

livinzoo · #13 09/21/11, 05:40 PM

It is the same with humans the fore-milk is waterier and the hind-mlk is fattier.