[David Lott]

So my wife and I got a dairy cow dropped in our laps a week ago for free. She is an ayershire. Before we got her she had a calf 4 years ago and the people we got her from have not milked her but her calf has been nursing since then. We got her exactly a week ago but have not milked her. My wife tried milking yesterday and got a bit but when we tried to milk today we barely got anything.
Did we dry her out?
This is my first time ever owning a cow and I did not have time to do any research before we got her.
If we did dry her out do we just wait till we can breed her again?

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Four years??

Most dairy cattle are bred to have a calf every year. Having a calf is the stimulus for making milk.

If they told you she was producing milk for home use, they lied.

She was dry already. You didn't do anything wrong.

She's been coming into heat (hormone cycle to prepare her for breeding and pregnancy) regularly all that time. Wait till she's moody and moo-ey. Take her to a bull.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

https://www.roysfarm.com/caring-for-dairy-cows/

 

[Danaus29]

I question the 4 years too. If you could milk a cow for 4 years after she calved you wouldn't need to breed milk cows every year.

 

[geo in mi]

Wait a week or so till the moon is dark, then one night, take her back and tie her to their mailbox. Or buy a new BBQ grill for the hamburger. I hope you didn't pay much for her.

geo

 

[David Lott]

Wait a week or so till the moon is dark, then one night, take her back and tie her to their mailbox. Or buy a new BBQ grill for the hamburger. I hope you didn't pay much for her.

geo

That's just terrible. She was free to us

 

[David Lott]

Four years??

Most dairy cattle are bred to have a calf every year. Having a calf is the stimulus for making milk.

If they told you she was producing milk for home use, they lied.

She was dry already. You didn't do anything wrong.

She's been coming into heat (hormone cycle to prepare her for breeding and pregnancy) regularly all that time. Wait till she's moody and moo-ey. Take her to a bull.

That was my thought.
We were able to get some milk from her in the last couple of days though. Is that normal?

 

[Danaus29]

Free critters are sometimes the most expensive ones.

Learn all you can about dairy cows and calving. Let her get used to you being around. Make sure you are giving her good shelter, minerals, food and water. Once you are set up and she is settled in, get her bred.

Good luck with your new addition.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Not normal. Probably just bacteria filled fluid, not real milk. I wouldn’t drink it.

 

[David Lott]

Free critters are sometimes the most expensive ones.

Learn all you can about dairy cows and calving. Let her get used to you being around. Make sure you are giving her good shelter, minerals, food and water. Once you are set up and she is settled in, get her bred.

Good luck with your new addition.

She went into standing heat about 3 days after we got her so we had a friend of our do AI on her. We will see if she takes.
She is pretty sweet and took to my wife immediately. She tolerates me but is coming around.