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<blockquote data-quote="LauraleesFarm" data-source="post: 775687" data-attributes="member: 14261"><p>Hi there again,</p><p>A nurse cow is a dairy cow that fosters orphan calves, usually 2-5 at a time, to raise them on her milk. </p><p></p><p>From what I have learned in my research while owning nurse cows, GRASS AND HAY make milk, and GRAIN makes body condition. While yes you can influence milk production by increasing grain, the dairy cow being milked needs a minimum amount of high quality grass and hay. Whatever the milk cow/nurse cow wants to eat, you serve. An unhappy cow will not give milk as well as a happy cow. </p><p></p><p>With the heat outside, my two nurse cows (one is brown swiss and one is jersey) have lost some weight recently. The heat is hard on them. High protein feed "can" tend to make them feel hotter. I try to back off of the protein during a big heat wave (over 100 F) .</p><p></p><p>So probably, the heat is a factor. And probably she needs more/better grass/hay. And maybe she is unhappy about something. Those are my thoughts FWIW. I also wonder if her milk production isn't being consumed by the calf. Is the calf good and fat?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LauraleesFarm, post: 775687, member: 14261"] Hi there again, A nurse cow is a dairy cow that fosters orphan calves, usually 2-5 at a time, to raise them on her milk. From what I have learned in my research while owning nurse cows, GRASS AND HAY make milk, and GRAIN makes body condition. While yes you can influence milk production by increasing grain, the dairy cow being milked needs a minimum amount of high quality grass and hay. Whatever the milk cow/nurse cow wants to eat, you serve. An unhappy cow will not give milk as well as a happy cow. With the heat outside, my two nurse cows (one is brown swiss and one is jersey) have lost some weight recently. The heat is hard on them. High protein feed "can" tend to make them feel hotter. I try to back off of the protein during a big heat wave (over 100 F) . So probably, the heat is a factor. And probably she needs more/better grass/hay. And maybe she is unhappy about something. Those are my thoughts FWIW. I also wonder if her milk production isn't being consumed by the calf. Is the calf good and fat? [/QUOTE]
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