DRYING UP A COW

[milkmaid]

LOL...so you work with a 10 year old? Yeah, that could get interesting. I'm technically the lead milker on the 3rd shift, and have been told by the boss that it's my responsibility to get after people and make sure they're doing their job. Out of 13 employees, I commonly work with 5 of them. The boss isn't out there that much...I end up taking most of my orders from the herd manager. He's a good guy with a kind heart, so that's not a big issue.

Yep it can be interesting. But he can be good help, and if nothing else, he's good company. =) Boss also has a 15 y/o son who is very good help...but he conveniently manages to find a lot of after-school activities. LOL. Neither one of them really like the cows - which I can't even begin to comprehend. I'd trade places with them in a heartbeat. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Just dried up 18 this morning using Quartermaster and Orbesol, along with a shot of Triangle 9.

If I remember right...Triangle 9 is a vaccine and Quartermaster is a intramammary prescription antibiotic. Orbesol - isn't that a teat sealant?

Just checked into Predef, out of curiosity. http://pbs.naccvp.com/view_label.php?u= ... um=1049045 It's a prescription drug labeled for treatment of bovine ketosis, musculoskeletal conditions, shock, infections, allergic reactions...etc. Not labeled for drying off cows, and does state it can cause abortion in third-trimester cows.

Now Salix, on the other hand -
http://pbs.naccvp.com/view_label.php?u= ... um=1106081 Is..."Salix™ is an effective diuretic possessing a wide therapeutic range. Pharmacologically it promotes the rapid removal of abnormally retained extracellular fluids. The rationale for the efficacious use of diuretic therapy is determined by the clinical pathology producing the edema. Salix™ is indicated for the treatment of edema (pulmonary congestion, ascites) associated with cardiac insufficiency and acute noninflammatory tissue edema.

Cattle:
Salix™ is indicated for the treatment of physiological parturient edema of the mammary gland and associated structures.

The administration of Salix™ is not recommended during the second trimester of pregnancy."

From what I can tell from various postings...for beef cows, at weaning time, calves are pulled, cows preg checked and put out to pasture. No intramammary treatments like Tomorrow to prevent dry-cow mastitis, etc. Dairy cows are usually treated with something like Tomorrow, teat sealant put on, and cows are moved to the dry-cow herd. So yes, it is much different. :lol:

Looks like neither Salix or Predef are really safe for drying off cows prior to calving, but may be OK after calving if needed.

Your comment:

"Looks like neither Salix or Predef are really safe for drying off cows prior to calving, but may be OK after calving if needed."

Is bang on - never use it to dry down a bred cow - in this case the cow have calved within hours - so definitely was not bred.

Remember - we simply wanted to reduce the milk flow - we did not want to stop it completely. We use it in combination as per veterinarian directions.

Regards

Bez'

 

[dun]

Do folks that sell their cows like that do it because they're planning to get out of the cattle business/dairying, or need money...or do they keep their young stock and just start fresh afterwards...or what?

All of the above. Some sell there cows one day and buy a new herd the next, others just retire, others take avacation until the heifers start to freshen.
When we tagged the cows for the program it really upset me to see young cows with really nice udders and feet heading to slaughter. The guy that was supervising said it bothered him the first year but now he just doesn't look at the cows as they come through.
As far as I can tell all it does is put the smaller dairys out of business so that the mega dairys can expand even more.
Around here the average dairy is around milking 60-75 head, a few up to 100 or so. There are a couple milking 200 head but only a couple.

dun

 

[Medic24]

We took that buy out back in the either late 80's or early 90's, when they were face branding the cows... that was the worst part of it for us.....we knew it hurt them to the point of agony, but were unable to do do anything about it.

Shortly thereafter, I assume after a large number of complaints, i had heard thet the s.o.p. for the face branding was changed.

We too were distressed knowing that some great milkers were going to McDonalds.

 

[dun]

We took that buy out back in the either late 80's or early 90's, when they were face branding the cows... that was the worst part of it for us.....we knew it hurt them to the point of agony, but were unable to do do anything about it.

Shortly thereafter, I assume after a large number of complaints, i had heard thet the s.o.p. for the face branding was changed.

We too were distressed knowing that some great milkers were going to McDonalds.

That was probably the whole herd dairy buyout that was a federal program, this is (more or less) the private sector. But it's the same kind of deal. My old mentor sold out in that deal but he was in his 80s or early 90s and the city had grown up and completely surrounded his dairy. He had a couple of hundred acres right smack in the middle of town.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Back to the hard tight udder. First, you need to make sure she doesn't have mastitis. Unusual for a Hereford to have TOO much milk at weaning time. (not nice, I know, but generally speaking, that's the truth!)
Anyway, I am not a dairy person (I was going to say dairyman but had MM in mind ) - anyway, I am surprised noone has recommended Tomorrow. It comes in small tubes that you squeeze the creamy med into each teat. There is TODAY for mastitis treatment -- hmmm - having "typed" that, I think now that TOMORROW is also an antibiotic, but it is used at dry up time. Is it just stronger antibiotic - or does it have something for dyring up the udder???

 

[born2run]

Back to the hard tight udder. First, you need to make sure she doesn't have mastitis. Unusual for a Hereford to have TOO much milk at weaning time. (not nice, I know, but generally speaking, that's the truth!)
Anyway, I am not a dairy person (I was going to say dairyman but had MM in mind ) - anyway, I am surprised noone has recommended Tomorrow. It comes in small tubes that you squeeze the creamy med into each teat. There is TODAY for mastitis treatment -- hmmm - having "typed" that, I think now that TOMORROW is also an antibiotic, but it is used at dry up time. Is it just stronger antibiotic - or does it have something for dyring up the udder???

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe Tomorrow is essentially the same as Quartermaster, etc. "Today" is different in that it targets specifically "staph" infections, vs. "Tomorrow" that targets "strep" and "staph". I'd be lead to believe that Tomorrow also has a drying agent in as well.