HELP can I reverse the drying up process?

[dandelionretreat]

I am new to owning a cow. I just got her yesterday. She calved about 2 weeks ago and the calf died about a week ago. The previous owners are not interested in cows for dairy purposes. She still has liquid in her udder but I need to know if I can bring her back into milk production? I have had dairy goats for 10 yrs so not new to milking but new to this scenario. I am milking her a few times a day to get her body to think she has a baby. Is this even possible? Thanks!!

 

[dun]

That's a pretty long time to expect to get her back into milk. But frequent milkings may bring her back into some milk, just not as much as she should have. She'll need good hay and grain to get her producing very much

 

[dandelionretreat]

I do not expect any sort of huge reward, just want to make sure I am not embarking on a completely futile endeavor! I would be thrilled with anything. I have been giving grain and alfalfa along with grass, not a lot, just introducing it for her as she has been at pasture all winter. Thanks!!

 

[Nesikep]

What he said.. she won't milk the same as if she had never started drying up, but she might produce a little bit.. Whatever amount you're getting now is probably about as good as it'll get, perhaps a little improvement, but nothing spectactular.. What kind of cow is it?

 

[dandelionretreat]

Thanks. Using my experience with goats I am thinking she is past the point? What I am milking out is rather clear, but a bit foamy? She is half Holstein and half Angus. I am thinking the calf she had likely died more than a week ago, maybe 2 weeks? Thanks!!!

 

[Nesikep]

Probably not much hope there.. sorry

 

[dandelionretreat]

Well today I did get obviously white liquid, not clear, from one teat!!! Almost full/real milk!

 

[dandelionretreat]

Update. I built a stanchion, and she is very patient in there! All 4 quarters now giving white liquid, far more milk than clear. I milked into a pot today, not completely milking her out since it is new for her and I do not want to push it. Got over 1/2 a gallon. I think there is hope!

 

[Nesikep]

Well, seems like there is hope after all.. don't be afraid to milk her out completely, it'll help the process, and certainly won't hurt anything

 

[regolith]

You sound like a very lucky guy.
The clear liquid is a pretty good indication of a cow that isn't lactating... she must have had enough calving hormones still hanging around that she's come back into milk. I wouldn't expect much.
Milk her out properly each time. She replaces what gets taken each day, so it helps her production to milk regularly and completely.

 

[dandelionretreat]

Thanks! I am pretty thrilled about the progress. The liquid that was coming out originally foamed as it hit the ground so maybe that indicated there was more in there? or the possibility of more. As she has never been milked out (her being new to a stanchion and being milked in general) I was working up to it. Milked twice yesterday as much as I could, almost milking her out, and got a gallon of very golden milk. This am it was a bit whiter!

 

[GMN]

Does she have mastitis?

 

[farmerjan]

How is the milking coming? Just saw this thread so don't know how you have progressed. The more often you milk the more her hormones will be stimulated to produce, up to a point. If you can get a gal to 2 gal a day that would be pretty good since she is half angus, and the length of time until she got milked after losing the calf. Get her bred back and then next time milk her out everytime. There have been studies done on dairy cows that show that 4 x day milking the first 60-90 days will give an increased output of 22% or so over the length of the lactation, even when going back to 2x day after 90 days, compared to the normal 2x day. I have a couple of farms that milk 3x day and they get in the neighborhood of 15% increase over 2x.

 

[regolith]

I'd forgotten this thread.

I had one lost her calf just a few days after being dried off - calf was either mummified or stripped by predators within the day, she would have been about six months pregnant.
Three weeks later, I'd noticed her failure to dry down and was completely fed up of buying pasteurised milk while the herd was dry - and decided to start milking her. Got about two litres to start with, she got up to around five litres a week or two later.
She's gone now. Feels like I culled my own mother but I need to allocate feed to productive cows, and while a nice young cow, she wasn't going to pay for her costs until her next calf if I'd kept her.

 

[Katpau]

We have two cows that had still born calves. The first lost her calf on the night between February 15th &16th and the other sometime between the night of February 22nd and the morning of the 23rd. On the morning of February 29th we found a new calf in the first calf heifer pasture who was being cleaned through the fence by a yearling heifer. We located her mother up on the hill and she had prolapsed and died while giving birth the night before. We took it home, got colostrum in him, and the following day we caught the cow that had lost her calf a week earlier. We milked her and got what we could, then fed the calf again. We put the cow in the chute and put the calf on her a few times a day for the next two days. By yesterday she was feeding it and protecting it. I'm not sure how much milk she has now, so we are also offering 1/2 bottle morning and evening. He takes it then runs back to her to nurse.

Yesterday, we went down in the evening to feed, and there was a calf down near the feed barn, untagged, all alone, crying, and obviously unfed. Her tummy was very empty. We had tagged a calf for every cow that had given birth, and the 11 remaining cows to calve in that pasture were all still PG. I guess one of the cows that calved in that pasture in the last couple days must have had a twin we didn't see. The calf was apparently abandoned and she must have followed the herd down when we came to feed hay. Its umbilical was already dry, so it could have been a day or two old. She was so hungry that she sucked anything that got close. She tried to get to the cow that had brought down a new calf that morning, but that one had no time for her and pushed her about 20 feet. We got colostrum in her, although she was likely a little old for the full effect. This morning we caught the cow that calved on the 16th (17 days ago) and put her in the chute. She still had milk, so we put the calf on her. She was pretty good and let it nurse for half an hour. We gave the calf 1/2 a bottle after to be sure it was enough and she took that too. This evening we repeated the process. To my surprise after we let the cow out, the calf went after her again and she let it nurse without pushing it away.

I wish I knew just how much milk the cows are producing. I had always assumed 4 or 5 days was about tops for grafting, but our friend is a Vet who has raised cattle his whole life, and he felt they would come back into their milk. Even if they don't have as much milk as they would have, the calves are still better off with a mother and a more normal life. I'll keep offering a bottle as long as there tummies don't look full.

 

[farmerjan]

The calves will bring the cows back into their milk although after being without for over 2 weeks she might very well not come back as good as if she was only a couple of days out. One thing we have done with dairy cows is to give them oxy shots for a few days or a week, also to get them to come into their milk.
Used it on a sow for a week and she finally came into her milk.
If you want to try the oxy shot it can't hurt. But the cow might not want to come in for you after a couple of them. Usually we would do it for a week or so. But I think that the calves working on the cows will do as much good. If they will come to you for a bottle to round out the amount they are getting, then I'd do a bottle a day to make sure they are getting enough. I agree that living a "normal life" with the herd is better than a bottle calf.
Good for you to get the cows to take the calves. That's a good sign of cows that are good, gentle , easy to work with cows. You are to be commended for having cows like that.

 

[Katpau]

Thank you Jan
The Cow that was 7 days from calving and her grafted calf were let out into a larger pasture with other cows today. Her calf still comes up to check us out but looks in good shape and doesn't ask for the bottle. The other calf on the cow that was 17 days from calving is still in a small area, but the calf looks really good and the cow has fully accepted her. She still follows me around nudging and looking for milk, so I still give her a half bottle AM & PM. Her tummy doesn't look any different than the other calves of the same age on their dams. I'm not really sure she needs the extra. I believe she was unfed for several days after the cow abandoned her for her twin. I wonder if that makes her more paranoid about eating, so she takes everything she can get whenever she can. I think she really likes the fact that the bottle is so easy. She can take it down in seconds. She will usually go to Mom and butt her furiously after she empties the bottle. I can just imagine her thinking "Why is your milk so slow"? She doesn't cry at us or really act hungry until I go in the pen and pet her. Then she starts searching my coat for a nipple. When we first milked each of these two cows, the one that was further from calving actually milked much easier, so I kind of think she has enough milk.

 

[farmerjan]

Sounds like you have it down pat......
One reason that the calf that was the twin, and on the cow that was 17 days out, keeps following you around for the milk is that you are imprinted on her more as the source of her milk. Sure, it is easier in the bottle, but you were the first thing that gave her milk without "kicking her or running her off" like the other cows did when she tried to find a meal. So she associates you with being her "mother" so to speak. Nothing wrong with that and it will hopefully keep her a little more friendly too.
I still think that it is really great that the cows took those calves so well after being without a calf for a week, and 2 weeks....
Congrats on a great outcome from a less than good start for both.

 

[Katpau]

It surprised me too. I've never had a failure grafting a calf, but I have had it take close to two weeks, and most take at least 3 to 4 days. The two weeks was on a cow that had lost a 3 week old calf to navel ill and had a bottle calf (twin) of about the same age substituted. I do cover them generously with that orphan-no-more calf claim powder. I don't know why or even if it works, but I use it. I think it must help, although I certainly had my doubts when I first opened the bottle and looked at that brown powder. I think the trick to being successful is persistence. I keep them together in a pen about 24 feet by 12 feet, and run the cow into the chute several times a day and put the calf on. I leave the calf sucking for 30 minutes or more each time, or until they quit on their own and lie down. If necessary, I will tie one of the cows feet back, so she can't kick. Often, after a few feedings, the cow will begin to gently talk to the calf while it feeds. You know you're on the road to success when you hear that.