I Need Blown Teat 101

TiaDragon · #1 05/25/14, 05:47 PM

I would love to hear advice and experiences with blown teats. Mainly, can you continue to breed and milk?

I have experience with dairy goats and have heard that they are definitely not a good thing (never had one myself), but we're looking at a milk cow who seems to be everything we want...except for a blown teat. An ok investment or should I pass and wait?

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 05/25/14, 05:50 PM

Could you please describe what a 'blown teat' is?
I have seen a lot of udders that were injured in various ways,
but your phraseology is not in my scope of reference.

Did she have mastitis? Step on her udder? Get gored by another animal? etc.

topside1 · #3 05/25/14, 07:08 PM

I'd like to see a photo of a blown teat. If it's anything similar to a blown head gasket then I'd pass, to costly to repair. I'm guessing it looks balloonish when compared to the other three. What breed of cow? Why do you need this cow? What will it's purpose be? What's the price? Topside

Jennifer L. · #4 05/26/14, 05:26 PM

I'm guessing you are talking about a cow with a shot quarter from mastitis? I never heard it called blown, either.

If she's a good cow otherwise there's probably nothing wrong with her for a milker. Not as much fun as a good milker, but if you aren't taking her to the fair, so what. However, if this quarter is leaking pus from draining out the sides, etc, then, I'd pass. Reason being she's shedding bacteria and getting it on the other good quarters, and you just know it will get introduced into the teat openings of the good quarters with it going on.

Even that is simply a management issue, but it's a nasty one.

Really, it just depends on how "mean" that quarter is. And also the personality of the cow, ease of handling, does she breed back easily, how well do the other three quarters milk, etc. All of those things have a big effect on what I think of a milker. I've milked some pretty poor cows because they always bred back by 40 days, never kicked, etc. Cows that never gave a whole lot of milk, but you didn't brace yourself when they walked in the parlor door, either.