getting a dairy cow to make more milk????

[uarelovedbygod]

My son has a jersey mix cow which calved about 5 months ago. He has been milking the cow since then, but only milks in the morning (after overnight separation from the calf). He only milks in the morning so the calf can get the milk the rest of the day. The cow has been faithfully giving at least a gallon every morning. Last month we left for a 5 day vacation and let the cow stay with her calf the whole time we were gone. She was not milked while we were gone. Since we returned home, he has resumed milking her every morning, but now usually only gets 2-3 quarts of milk. Is there a way we can get the cow to pick up her milk production to the previous 1 gallon + level?
Thanks for helping!

[DJ in WA]

A couple ideas.

If that's all you were getting before, seems a calf that old would be taking it all while you were gone, so not getting milked out wouldn't seem an issue.

Who cared for her while she was gone? Was she fed well? If not, might take a bit to recover, and probably won't reach where she was.

I assume you are familiar with milk letdown. Don't know if she might be holding back more since you left. Cows get in a routine, and you interrupted it. Might let the calf nurse for a minute to stimulate letdown, then pull it off before you start milking.

Spring grass boosts production, but that might be alittle late.

Now I'll let the professionals pitch in.

[MARYDVM]

Wean the calf. At 5 months fresh you can get by with once a day milking and not have to share any of the milk.

[BlackWillowFarm]

I think weaning the calf is the best idea. You'll get more milk that way and if you get too much you can always feed it to the calf in a bucket. I start mine out on a bottle and quickly move to bucket feeding them. I have an 8 month steer, a 5 month steer and a 7 month heifer. They get the excess milk. The oldest steer weaned himself from the bucket in the last two weeks and chooses grain over milk. The youngest steer is drinking milk and eating what's left of the grain, the heifer calf chooses to eat her grain first then finishes up with the milk. If you get too much milk from your cow, the calf most likely will drink it. Or the pigs, chickens, dogs, cats........

[Tad]

The demand on her milk supply was down so she adjusted her milk production. Wean then calf and takes it's share.

[janij]

What are you feeding her?

[uarelovedbygod]

Actually, I miscalculated. The calf is 3 months old. Too young to wean?

We feed the cow free choice hay, the remainder of the grass in the pasture, and about 4# a day of 12% feed while she is being milked.

[BlackWillowFarm]

Let's see.....if your calf is 3 months old now it means she was around 2 months when you left them together for your vacation. Tad is probably right that she adjusted her production down because the calf wasn't taking all of the milk she was making.

Have you checked her for mastitis? That would also cause a drop in production and could be she has it if the calf wasn't emptying her out in all four quarters while you were gone.

Her body is programmed to increase milk production to keep up with the demands of her calf. This is a good time to get her back up to speed. You can wean the calf and go to twice or three times a day milking to try and boost her production. You don't say if the calf is a bull or heifer. Personally, I like my heifer calves to have milk for several months because they grow so much better on it. Either way, you could pull the calf and give milk in a bucket. It would take a little training, but you could do it.

If you don't want to wean the calf because you count on it as a relief milker, I'd still go to twice a day milking to try and get the cow to increase her production for you. Instead of leaving them together put the calf somewhere it can't get to the cow and bring it to her to nurse, then separate them again. That way you control how much the calf is eating and get a better idea of what the cow is making.

[janij]

I would also say up the feed and try cracked corn and alfalfa. My 2 dropped at the end of the summer. And I did these two things and got them both up. The calf can be weaned, esp if she is healthy and eating well.

[Chixarecute]

She should be in peak production. I'd also up the protein to 16% in the grain mix.

[birdman1]

I milk on the right side and let the calf go at the left at the same time twice a day it enspires me to milk fast and use 2 hands ;always emty her out good the more you take the more she'll make "Useualy " make sure shes got plenty of good clean water If its cost wise more grain of a higher proten will help bring up production remmber changes tind to be gradual taking a few days

[myersfarm]

you have not said but think you were not taking the milk that week and she was not getting her feed that week...your stuck with what she is making now.....up to you if the calf gets it or you milk it..it will cost more to get the production back up...then it will return