tit turmoil

[dent_ranch]

i actualy have two questions that i would like some insight on.

*keep in mind these are beef cattle and i know nothing about dairy farming*

1. i have a cow who has a swolen teat. it looks as if it is engorged with milk (and i can feel the milk in there) and that the calf simply isnt suckling, but when i try to milk her, nothing comes out. it seems as if the blockage never got sucked out, so the milk cant flow. if you have any suggestions on what we should do, if anything, do tell.

2. my friend also has a cow with milk problems, but of a different sort. her cow had twins, but one of them died (of unknown causes at the moment). her theory is that, like sheep, when they have twins they give each one a side (im not sure if thats true, ive never had twins before, or sheep for that matter). so, the side of the dead twin is very swolen because the cow wont let the live twin eat from that side. im not sure what to do about it, she says it is getting caught on branches and the like and the flies are getting to it.

thank you

 

[dun]

The first issue needs to have something done. message the teat, roll the teat end in your fingers to break lose any blockage then keep trying to milk them out. Or push the calf to that side and make it suck on them to see if that breaks it lose.

The second issue is BS. Either there is something wrong with the one side or the calf isn;t big enough yet to require what's in there. Not unusual for a calf to start with one side and just nurse that side over and over until it's bigenough to require more. We have one calf that the 2 he selected were the fronts instead of one side. By the time he was a week old he was hitting all 4 regularly.

dun

 

[dent_ranch]

The first issue needs to have something done. message the teat, roll the teat end in your fingers to break lose any blockage then keep trying to milk them out. Or push the calf to that side and make it suck on them to see if that breaks it lose.

The second issue is BS. Either there is something wrong with the one side or the calf isn;t big enough yet to require what's in there. Not unusual for a calf to start with one side and just nurse that side over and over until it's bigenough to require more. We have one calf that the 2 he selected were the fronts instead of one side. By the time he was a week old he was hitting all 4 regularly.

dun

thanks a bunch for the advice

the second cow is fine now. the calf startd eating just like you said. thats probably why you are the guru.

i havent done anything yet with the first cow, because i havent had much of a chance, but i will soon

 

[GMN]

Could have a blocked teat canal, might need to put a teat device up there, to see if there is scar tissue, or it could be a dead quarter, from a previous mastitis flare up.

GMN