Dairy Cow Identify and Advice

CowPoke · #1 03/18/15, 10:47 AM

Bought this dairy cow at an auction. The old fella sold his two cows because he can not handle the chores any longer. I forgot to ask him what kind she was. Shes 3 years old and palpated at 7 mths bred. What kind is she? I hope you can see her udder condition in the photos. He did say she was good in all udders.

Provided shes 7 mths bred (and she looks more like 8 mths to me) when can I put orphans on her? Shes pretty gentle so far. Albiet from an auction, shes eating cubes from my hand within 12 hours on my place.
Appreciate any input from you experts, Willow girl and anyone else.

Wanda · #2 03/18/15, 03:27 PM

I would ''guess'' that she is a crossbred cow. If pure my first thought would be milking shorthorn. If she is a good cow it should not matter what the breed is. She looks like she has had good care. Enjoy the cow and the fresh milk that she will provide!

Callieslamb · #3 03/18/15, 04:23 PM

I was going to say milking shorthorn also.

billinwv · #4 03/18/15, 06:03 PM

Time to dry her up now if she isn't. If you are going to let multiple calves nurse, keep them penned and let them nurse 2x per day. Several calves with a cow 24/7 is a good way to ruin her. IMO.

CIW · #5 03/18/15, 07:39 PM

Although her breed is probably of little consequence if she is a good cow. I would make guess that she may be Guernsey/Shorthorn cross.

DaleK · #6 03/18/15, 07:48 PM

Ayrshire to Ayrshire cross somewhere. We've had purebreds marked like that but could be crossed with another breed as well

**gone-a-milkin** · #7 03/18/15, 08:22 PM

That's what I like to call a red cow.

I didn't immediately see shorthorn, but rather Ayrshire or a cross.
Not that it matters too much.

After she calves I would give her a couple days to bond with her calf and/or come into her milk
before grafting spare calves onto her.

You are not going to milk her for the house though?
Either way you will want to feed her good if you expect her to make a lot of milk.

Good luck with her, pretty red cow like that.

willow_girl · #8 03/19/15, 07:48 AM

She's a pretty girl. I have no idea what she is! Enjoy her.

CowPoke · #9 03/19/15, 04:04 PM

Thank you all. Yes, it didnt matter to me what kind she is, I just wanted to know for conversation. No, I dont want to milk her. Ive never milked a cow in my life. lol I am afraid of getting kicked, but I think the owner was milking her. After giving her some corn chops and some sweet feed just to "make friends" with her the day I brought her home from the chaotic auction, her bag swelled up a little over night. I see those deep veins in it. I put this orphan bull calf in with her for company and just to help with getting her used to calves that arent hers here. I havent seen this bull calf try to nurse from her.... I bottle him twice daily and calf manner so he stays full. Im excited to see what kind of baby she has. I didnt get to talk long to the man that unloaded her. Just tried to get hit the high points with him and left him be. I feel lucky to get what info I did from him.

SO main thing I need to know, once she has the calf, will she NEED to be milked? Or can I just let her one calf have it all? I dont want to have to milk her at all.... So, if needed, i can put other calves on her.. Im a beef breeder... No dairy experience at all, other than Dairy Cow judging in highschool.....

**gone-a-milkin** · #10 03/19/15, 05:08 PM

Well yes, she will need to have a lot of the milk removed somehow.
It is impossible to say from here and now how much milk she is going to give.

Little bitty calves generally prefer only 1 or 2 quarters to nurse from.
That leaves the other quarters to swell and possibly become infected.
At the very least the unmilked quarters will dry off, though not immediately.

It is a delicate balance to keep a nurse cows udder in good condition.
Too many calves and they just suck the weight off the cow and the lowest calf may not get enough milk.
Too few demands on the milk supply can end you with an uneven udder and mastitis.
Also, calves will avoid the sick quarters if at all possible.

So you will be playing a lot by ear here, especially since you are afraid to get under her yourself and look.
Perhaps you could work on that at least some.

I find it difficult to believe the calf isn't nursing her (and stealing colostrum from the unborn one).
When you say her udder filled up, I bet that is why. Just a guess.
It is really much better to be SURE the calf isn't nursing her. No good will come from that.

CowPoke · #11 03/19/15, 10:50 PM

She doesnt seem to want to let this calf nurse from her. So, If shes a "dairy cow" and produces milk daily, how could it be colostrum just yet? I know she needs to dry off given shes due to calve in a month. But doesnt the colostrum come at the last minute? and sometimes a day later?

**gone-a-milkin** · #12 03/20/15, 08:24 AM

I was under the impression that this cow is already dry.
She looks dry in the pictures.

It takes several weeks (some studies say up to 6 weeks, others say 4)
for the antibodies to transfer from the cows bloodstream into the udder.
The amount of liquid 'milk' that goes in there to dilute the beneficial proteins ...that can vary and come in later.
But the GOOD STUFF that is so essential for the newborn calf, that gets built up over time.