Cow with no milk

[Ky hills]

One of our better cows calved last night. I knew she was getting close but her udder wasn't as filled as usual. Her calf was small. We have since gave it colostrum. I noticed it nursing last night and just figured she had some milk. This is her 6 or 7 calf and have had her since a 5 weight heifer. She always has had a lot of milk and we have never had to intervene in any way with her calves. This time we were suspicious as the calf seemed to be getting weaker and as soon as it started nursing this afternoon it was punching at the teat as though it wasn't getting anything. We got her in the chute to check her udder. No milk, it felt normal in the sense that it didn't have swelling or flatness from previous mastitis. Nothing not even any trace of moisture. We tuned the calf again and separated them will try to see if she has any milk tomorrow. Have never had a situation like this in a cow. Have had a few heifers with not enough milk
Reckon she would have calved a little early and will come to milk? This is one we hate to cull, it's one of my wife's favorites, she's a BWF with a black ring around one eye. My wife calls her Bug Eye.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If the calf is premature, there's a "chance" she could come to her milk. Has the cow acted "off" or anything? Is her stool runny? Any chance she could have Johnes? Has she lost weight? (besides the obvious calving weight loss - LOL)
If everything about her seems normal, I would supplement the calf and leave them together for a few more days to see if she starts producing.

 

[Rydero]

Had one a couple years back that had twins and same type of.thing, no bag and the calf would bunt right away (we took one calf away immediately). My theory was she calved early so we fed the calf but left it with her. It took a long time maybe 10 days but she slowly came into milk. The next year she was completely fine, no problem. Hope it works out for you.

 

[simme]

Some people would say to try a shot of oxytocin. But, never seemed to work for me.

 

[Ky hills]

If the calf is premature, there's a "chance" she could come to her milk. Has the cow acted "off" or anything? Is her stool runny? Any chance she could have Johnes? Has she lost weight? (besides the obvious calving weight loss - LOL)
If everything about her seems normal, I would supplement the calf and leave them together for a few more days to see if she starts producing.

Thanks for the response. I don't know if it's real early or not, but by it being fairly small I figure it's some early. I had notice the cow a few days before she calved looking like her udder was forming but not near full like usual when she calves. An evening later we put out some hay an every cow including her went to eat, then in just few minutes with all others still eating she goes to the bottom of the hill and lays down. We knew something was going on and we got to the barn. 2 days later she has the calf. I don't think it's Johnes sure hope not. Her manure seems normal and is in good shape.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

Some people would say to try a shot of oxytocin. But, never seemed to work for me.

It helped with a situation years ago but you have to follow up daily until the milk starts from the Vet's advice then.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Could pen em up and give mama grain. Sometimes that helps too. Hopefully calf was just early and mama wasnt ready yet.
I've heard about the oxytocin too. Never had occasion to use it

 

[Ky hills]

Well this morning after being separated from the calf over night the cow still doesn't have a drop of milk. She was receiving. I have been feeding our cows around 4 lbs of a 3 way mixed ration, along with hay admittedly not the best, but our cows typically are at the very least average milkers with most being heavy milkers for Herefords and Angus type cows. We tube fed the calf twice yesterday and she seemed stronger this morning. We are continuing to tube feed her and hope she takes a bottle soon or the cow comes to milk.

 

[Hereford2]

Just be careful tubing the calf long term as it can make their throat sore to where they don't want to drink from a bottle, and sometimes they will get lazy to where they don't want to suck because they are getting a full belly. I'd say once the calf has its clostrum in it, skip the morning feeding and the calf should be hungry enough to drink from the bottle that night.

 

[Ky hills]

Just be careful tubing the calf long term as it can make their throat sore to where they don't want to drink from a bottle, and sometimes they will get lazy to where they don't want to suck because they are getting a full belly. I'd say once the calf has its clostrum in it, skip the morning feeding and the calf should be hungry enough to drink from the bottle that night.

Yes, tubing long term isn't desirable, we try to get them on to a bottle as soon as possible, tubed it yesterday morning then last night it nursed the bottle and this morning was already punching the bottle with it's nose.

 

[Hereford2]

That is great! Hopefully the cow will have milk soon...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Good job.

 

[Logan52]

I wrote a post a few weeks ago that sounds very similar to yours. Eight or nine year old cow cow bought at stockyards as a 3 in 1 package. Raised the calf on her fine and she calved about a month after I sold the calf that came with her. The new calf was small and I figured a little early. The cow had no sign of a bag, small tits up close to her body.
Anyway, I had never had a mature cow not have any sign of milk before and thus I posted here for ideas.
The calf must have been getting a little for I never got them up and after about five days I could see some milk in her bag. Both seem OK now but she is definitely not a heavy milker.
I figure older cow in a strange place, pulled hard by a big calf and then calves a little early and slow to come to her milk.
Still odd since the stories are so similar and I live about 50 miles to the SW of you.

 

[gcreekrch]

Thinking you have a bottle calf and a cull cow.

You could try oxytocin for a couple rounds and see if she produces anything. Most times the first indicator they give you means they are done or an ongoing problem.

 

[Ky hills]

Thinking you have a bottle calf and a cull cow.

You could try oxytocin for a couple rounds and see if she produces anything. Most times the first indicator they give you means they are done or an ongoing problem.

That's what we are figuring on too. I agree that is my philosophy too, once they show some kind of issue it usually is just downhill from there and something else to worry with.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I wrote a post a few weeks ago that sounds very similar to yours. Eight or nine year old cow cow bought at stockyards as a 3 in 1 package. Raised the calf on her fine and she calved about a month after I sold the calf that came with her. The new calf was small and I figured a little early. The cow had no sign of a bag, small tits up close to her body.
Anyway, I had never had a mature cow not have any sign of milk before and thus I posted here for ideas.
The calf must have been getting a little for I never got them up and after about five days I could see some milk in her bag. Both seem OK now but she is definitely not a heavy milker.
I figure older cow in a strange place, pulled hard by a big calf and then calves a little early and slow to come to her milk.
Still odd since the stories are so similar and I live about 50 miles to the SW of you.

Difference I see is your cow only had 1 month from nursing her old calf to parturition. She never had a chance to build any colostrum. It is no wonder she didn't have any milk. She just finally dried up! ---- unless I interpreted what you said wrong.