Poor Milk Producer

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Anonymous

I have just started raising Simmental's and my first calf is a couple of months old. It is the mothers first calf and the calf was born about two weeks early.The Mother is not producing much milk, but the calf is growing slowly.

Is the mother not producing milk because the calf was born early or will the mother always be a low milk producer.

I would like to know the answer to this question so I can make the decision to keep the mother or not.



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That is the perpetual question. Do you know anything about the heifers parentage? The daughter of our heaviest milker didn't milk much as a heifer, but we gave her another chance. She has great calves, they just grow slower then the others. Her second calf was growing slowly until she discovered that her grandma qould feed her. Obviously this girl just isn't going to milk. We'll be weaning and preg checking next week, she is going to grow wheels.

dun

> I have just started raising
> Simmental's and my first calf is a
> couple of months old. It is the
> mothers first calf and the calf
> was born about two weeks early.The
> Mother is not producing much milk,
> but the calf is growing slowly.

> Is the mother not producing milk
> because the calf was born early or
> will the mother always be a low
> milk producer.

> I would like to know the answer to
> this question so I can make the
> decision to keep the mother or
> not.
 
> I have just started raising
> Simmental's and my first calf is a
> couple of months old. It is the
> mothers first calf and the calf
> was born about two weeks early.The
> Mother is not producing much milk,
> but the calf is growing slowly.

> Is the mother not producing milk
> because the calf was born early or
> will the mother always be a low
> milk producer.

> I would like to know the answer to
> this question so I can make the
> decision to keep the mother or
> not. Simmentals are usually very good milkers. I have had heifers not perform that well on their first calf but are excellent the second time around. I would give her a chance,maybe give her some feed to help her along.



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> That is the perpetual question. Do
> you know anything about the
> heifers parentage? The daughter of
> our heaviest milker didn't milk
> much as a heifer, but we gave her
> another chance. She has great
> calves, they just grow slower then
> the others. Her second calf was
> growing slowly until she
> discovered that her grandma qould
> feed her. Obviously this girl just
> isn't going to milk. We'll be
> weaning and preg checking next
> week, she is going to grow wheels.

> dun

Dun,and whoever, Three questions. Do you have a set "breeding season" where you put the bulls in with the girls? And how long afterwards do you start preg checking?And finally, do you do it yourself or get the Vet? Thanks

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We breed to calve March through mid-April. We preg check at fall work up late Sept. through early Oct., whatever works out weather wise. The vet sleeves for us. We worm, wean and vaccinate at the same time. Culling follows on open cows, or in this case this cow that doesn't milk well.

dun

> Dun,and whoever, Three questions.
> Do you have a set "breeding
> season" where you put the
> bulls in with the girls? And how
> long afterwards do you start preg
> checking?And finally, do you do it
> yourself or get the Vet? Thanks
 
> We breed to calve March through
> mid-April. We preg check at fall
> work up late Sept. through early
> Oct., whatever works out weather
> wise. The vet sleeves for us. We
> worm, wean and vaccinate at the
> same time. Culling follows on open
> cows, or in this case this cow
> that doesn't milk well.

> dun

Thanks Dun, do you use a 60 or a 90 day breeding period?

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It's more like 45 days. Each cow or heifer gets two bites at the apple. If they don't settle in two heats they would be shipped to someone that uses a bull.

dun

> Thanks Dun, do you use a 60 or a
> 90 day breeding period?
 
Simmentals are usually some of the better milking breeds of beef. Calving two weeks early will definitly affect milk production early on. Usually the cow will take a while to build up on the amount of milk produced, and even then, the quantity of milk will not be there like it should. I'd say keep her another year and see what happens then.

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