milk continues to drip

[lancemart]

It is a little over a week now that my Holstein calfed. We are milking her out everyday, but are not getting very much milk. We milk her until nothing is left, same time every afternoon. The rest of the day her calf is feeding off her. We notice that her back teats are always leaking quite a bit of milk, when her offspring is feeding, when we go to milk her because she looks like she is full of milk we are not getting very much. Today only about one gallon, the other days about a gallon and a half.
Is this normal?

 

[milkmaid]

Whether it's normal or not is dependent upon what you're feeding her, how much the calf is drinking, and her genetics. Figure you're getting 1 1/2 gallons a day, calf taking 1 gallon... that's 2 1/2 gallons per day. Personally I'd be expecting a little closer to 4 for a fresh holstein at a week in milk, but that's dependent upon what you're feeding. What's she getting to eat?

It's hard to tell on fresh heifers - visually - if they're done being milked. Can't really put it into words for you either. It's just something you learn.

As a general rule though, she shouldn't be leaking when just standing there -- however, if she's being milked, prepped for milking, or the calf is nursing -- some cows do leak under those circumstances.

 

[hillsdown]

I agree with MM. Since you aren't giving her the same as a "dairy" cow for ration she will be down a bit. But everyday she should get a higher production and peak at the two to two and a half months. Also milking skills have a lot to do with how much you get, once you get better at hand milking you should notice more milk.

As far as the leaking it is normal for all the reasons stated above.

Now where is that pic promised of your new heifer??????

 

[backhoeboogie]

Lance, If all you need is a gallon for the calf and a gallon and a half for you, leave her be. That calf will be increasing its ration in no time. If you are going to put another calf on her, and you still want milk, you'd better listen to the experts above about feed.

edit:
Are you milking her twice a day or once? I am not sure I understood that part. You said something like, "same time every afternoon..." A calf that young is not going to be taking much milk on its own. If I were you, I'd milk her out twice a day or get another calf. I'm not sure if MM caught that part. She'll tell you the same. Once a day is not good for a milk cow.

 

[bigbull338]

that is his problem.from what he is saying i take it he is milking her once a day insted of 2x.an if he is doing the 1x a day milking he needs to milk her 2x a day.he isnt getting her milked out.an that could cause her to get mastitis.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Sounds like he is letting the calf run out with the cow all the time. Needs to put the calf up turn the cow into the calf when he milks twice a day like everbody says.

 

[milkmaid]

edit:
Are you milking her twice a day or once? I am not sure I understood that part. You said something like, "same time every afternoon..." A calf that young is not going to be taking much milk on its own. If I were you, I'd milk her out twice a day or get another calf. I'm not sure if MM caught that part. She'll tell you the same. Once a day is not good for a milk cow.

Agreed. I didn't catch that the first time around.

 

[lancemart]

Sounds like he is letting the calf run out with the cow all the time. Needs to put the calf up turn the cow into the calf when he milks twice a day like everbody says.

I am milking her once a day and the calf is running with her all the time. I have another job, that is the problem. I am feeding round bales of hay and just a little grain to get them to come up to the fence. You are saying I should take the calf away except for twice a day when she has to feed? Is that correct?

 

[bigbull338]

lance we are saying you need to milk her twice a day.an pen the calf off of the cow at nite.milk her in the morning.then put calf with her.milk her at nite an pen the calf off till morning again.

 

[TexasBred]

And you're definitely NOT getting those two back quarters milk completely out or I don't think they would be dripping.

 

[milkmaid]

The problem with pulling the calf off the cow and allowing it limited access twice a day... is that hungry calves are very likely to gorge themselves and the next thing you know is you'll be treating scours. In order to avoid that, you'd then have to figure out how much she's giving from one side, and milk her out just enough that there's approx half a gallon per feeding for the calf. On the other hand, not only will the calf will self-regulate how much she drinks at any given time if she has the opportunity to drink all day long, but calves can handle more milk in any given day if they can have it "little and often."

I'd be inclined to leave the two together (and add an extra calf!), but you MUST make sure that cow is milked out completely twice a day.

Lance, not to be harsh, but I think you didn't realize what you were getting yourself into when you decided to calve out a holstein heifer. I have no idea what the genetics of your heifer are, but there are fresh heifers out there that will -- with good feed -- reach 80-90lbs or better (1 gallon = 8.8lbs) when they peak around 30-45 days in milk. I have an 8 y/o holstein nurse cow at home that I send to the neighbors dairy for a few months when she freshens, because she gives twice as much as 4 calves can handle -- and I have never fed more than 10lbs of grain/day.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have an 8 y/o holstein nurse cow at home that I send to the neighbors dairy for a few months when she freshens, because she gives twice as much as 4 calves can handle -- and I have never fed more than 10lbs of grain/day.

My holstein jersey cross had 4 calves on her. She still had to milk her out each feeding until the calves were a little older. Listen to MM.

Lance, take that milk you are getting from her and put it into the bottle of an orphan. Feed that orphan a few feedings like that to give the calf the cow's scent. It helps. Get a sponge and put milk on the calf's body. Let it dry. The cow will probably be more accepting of the orphan calf if you do this. If you don't have a headgate, while you are milking the cow with your head against the rib cage, her head in the feed bucket, have someone else slowly and gently slip the orphan calf in from behind and hook it up to the teat. Be prepared to move if she gets upset.

I buy split calves off of aged pairs at the sale barn and prefer them about a week old. You could get some dairy bull calves. This will reduce the time you spend milking and it would help empty the udder, which will help the cow. After about a week you can run both calves with the cow full time if you'd like. You'll still need to milk her out with only two calves. I'd probably go with three calves myself. After you see how much she can handle, you'll be better able to judge. When the calves get older, you can always reduce the numbers by sending one to the sale. You can wean them all and start over with another crop of calves.