Newbie question...

[TexasGulfCoast]

I have a cow with a 5 week old calf that seems healthy, however in the last few days the cow has appeared to stop producing milk!? She was doing well prior and the udder doesn't appear abnormal/infected. Is the unusual? I am new to all this and really don't have anyone around here to get advice from. I ended up with the cows three years ago and have gone through a serious learning curve and have actually enjoyed it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[millstreaminn]

I guess it's possible that your cow has gone dry but at 5 weeks? Is it possible that the calf is just nursing the cow dry? Is the calf hungry and trying to nurse all the time? If it was mine, I would get some milk replacer and see if the calf is hungry. I might just be the calves appetite is more than the cow can produce. I also would think of culling the cow. JMHO

 

[novatech]

Some cows do not have very large udders. The size of the udder does not depict the amount of milk the cow is giving.
this is true especially in brahman and brahman cross cows. They start off looking like milk cows when they first calve and later shrink up to almost nothing but still give plenty of milk.
I would be looking at the condition of the calf. That is all that you need to be concerned with as far as milk production.

 

[TheBullLady]

Why do you think the cow is not producing any milk?

 

[msscamp]

I have a cow with a 5 week old calf that seems healthy, however in the last few days the cow has appeared to stop producing milk!? She was doing well prior and the udder doesn't appear abnormal/infected. Is the unusual? I am new to all this and really don't have anyone around here to get advice from. I ended up with the cows three years ago and have gone through a serious learning curve and have actually enjoyed it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

How often are you seeing this cow? It could be a very simple thing of you're seeing her after her calf has nursed her out. As novatech said, the calf is your best indication of whether she is producing enough milk. Does the calf have hollows in front of his hip bones? When you see him nurse, is he going from tit to tit to tit? Is he bunting a lot? Is he growing? If the answers are no, no, no, and yes, the cow is producing enough milk and doing her job.

 

[CattleHand]

Take the calf in and hand feed him with a bottle and see how hungry he is. I agree, perhaps the calf is just sucking the cow before you see him.

If the calf's health starts to fall get some suplement milk in him and also an egg that tends to help alot.