Bad Udder

[Oldtimer]

This spring I had a second calf heifer that bagged up some- then the bag went down- about three weeks later she bagged up good, but only in the back two udders and then calved. She has no milk in the front two udders. I'm pretty sure the front udders are probably ruined and she should hit the road this fall, but wondering if Anybody else had any experience with this.

 

[dun]

She probably doesn't need any more then 1 udder. Three quarters are usually adequat to raise a pretty good sized calf, usually referred to as a 3 titter. With only 2 quarters it starts getting kind of marginal, referred to as a goat. I've seen this happen with some dairy heifers and the next freshening come in with all four quarters working. When it happens other then on heifers they're usually stuck with only the 2 or 3 at later freshenings.
If she is a really great heifer, I'ld be tempted to give her another calving to see how it works out. But if the grass is marginal I would probably ship her.

dun

This spring I had a second calf heifer that bagged up some- then the bag went down- about three weeks later she bagged up good, but only in the back two udders and then calved. She has no milk in the front two udders. I'm pretty sure the front udders are probably ruined and she should hit the road this fall, but wondering if Anybody else had any experience with this.

 

[Oldtimer]

She probably doesn't need any more then 1 udder. Three quarters are usually adequat to raise a pretty good sized calf, usually referred to as a 3 titter. With only 2 quarters it starts getting kind of marginal, referred to as a goat. I've seen this happen with some dairy heifers and the next freshening come in with all four quarters working. When it happens other then on heifers they're usually stuck with only the 2 or 3 at later freshenings.
If she is a really great heifer, I'ld be tempted to give her another calving to see how it works out. But if the grass is marginal I would probably ship her.

dun

This spring I had a second calf heifer that bagged up some- then the bag went down- about three weeks later she bagged up good, but only in the back two udders and then calved. She has no milk in the front two udders. I'm pretty sure the front udders are probably ruined and she should hit the road this fall, but wondering if Anybody else had any experience with this.

Dun- Thats kind of what I was thinking. I wouldn't even have noticed her, but she was a purebred angus that I was kind of watching to see how she developed- I was wondering if anyone had ever seen those udders come back- Will see what the calf looks like in the fall.

 

[dun]

Unless it's a systemic problem, i.e., low grade infection, subclinical mastitis or something of the sort you'ld be surprised at how they will somethimes compensate production from a quarter or two and produce nearly the same amount from just two or three quarters. One of the local dairys alwasy whines about the goat he has. His milker fights tooth and nail to keep her every year when she freshens and he wants to unload her because he "Don't want no d... goats". Problem is she milks in the 80-90 lb a day range. Sorry looking rag that you wouldn't think would produce a drop, but when she leaves the barn her udder is just hanging like an empty old glove. A perfect example of "pretty is as pretty does"

dun

She probably doesn't need any more then 1 udder. Three quarters are usually adequat to raise a pretty good sized calf, usually referred to as a 3 titter. With only 2 quarters it starts getting kind of marginal, referred to as a goat. I've seen this happen with some dairy heifers and the next freshening come in with all four quarters working. When it happens other then on heifers they're usually stuck with only the 2 or 3 at later freshenings.
If she is a really great heifer, I'ld be tempted to give her another calving to see how it works out. But if the grass is marginal I would probably ship her.

dun

This spring I had a second calf heifer that bagged up some- then the bag went down- about three weeks later she bagged up good, but only in the back two udders and then calved. She has no milk in the front two udders. I'm pretty sure the front udders are probably ruined and she should hit the road this fall, but wondering if Anybody else had any experience with this.

Dun- Thats kind of what I was thinking. I wouldn't even have noticed her, but she was a purebred angus that I was kind of watching to see how she developed- I was wondering if anyone had ever seen those udders come back- Will see what the calf looks like in the fall.

 

[certherfbeef]

Just wondering if there was other calves in the field that could have been snitching milk from her before she calved. I have one cow that will let any calf nurse. Just a thought

 

[Jake]

you would still be able to tell that the front quarters were live and producing milk. I took it as the front to quarters were not contributing at all and did not fill with milk. That wouldn't be caused by robbing calves.