Udder problem in old cow

[BRYANT]

I have an older cow that had a calf yesterday PM. the calf seems to be doing fine and looks to have nursed back 1\4's. The problem is the front two 1\4's are larger than I like to see , not so big that they can't be nursed but very full,so I milked them down this morning. One side looked fine but the other side really did't have milk just some watery with a kind of pinkish tent. What do I need to do if anything this cow always gave lots of milk and raised a good calf.I think there will be plenty of milk without this 1\4
but will the watery stuff hurt the calf IF it trys to nurse it?
Also she will be on the cull list so all I am trying to do is get her to raise this calf should have culled her last year but you know how hard it is to sell one that raises a good calf each year but this will be her last.

 

[TSR]

I have an older cow that had a calf yesterday PM. the calf seems to be doing fine and looks to have nursed back 1\4's. The problem is the front two 1\4's are larger than I like to see , not so big that they can't be nursed but very full,so I milked them down this morning. One side looked fine but the other side really did't have milk just some watery with a kind of pinkish tent. What do I need to do if anything this cow always gave lots of milk and raised a good calf.I think there will be plenty of milk without this 1\4
but will the watery stuff hurt the calf IF it trys to nurse it?
Also she will be on the cull list so all I am trying to do is get her to raise this calf should have culled her last year but you know how hard it is to sell one that raises a good calf each year but this will be her last.

Bryant, If the front teats aren't so big that they can't be nursed and the cow always raises a good calf, I believe I would just keep an eye on her in the future and continue letting her produce. I probably wouldn't retain any females from her. I say all this being pretty quick to cull because of bad udders. The "milk" that you saw is probably nothing to worry about.

 

[mjnetex]

Watery with pinkish tint means she's got mastitis,
you can milk that quarter and treat it, but you may
as well just let her lose that quarter and not worry
about it, won't hurt calf to suck that quarter but
once is watery/pinkish, I don't think they get better,
just worse. Was that quarter sore, did she try to kick
you when you milked that one? If not, if you try to
milk it after it gets worse, she probably would, as it
will get sore. Make sure calf does keep sucking other
three so they don't get mastitis too. I don't think is
likely to spread to other three......anybody out there
with more experience?

 

[mjnetex]

Oh, don't try to get another calf out of her,
her immune system is just getting worse with
age, next time she might lose another quarter, or
two, any the calf doesn't suck, even when
you WEAN her calf she could get mastitis, she could
even get gangrene, definitely don't try for
another calf, esp. since would be in warm weather,
more germs. I had an nine-year-old cow lose one
quarter when her calf was weaned, lose one when the next calf
was weaned, then lose another with
the next (this one was due to the neighbor's bull,
had planned to retire the old girl after she lost two
quarters, she raised the last calf
fine on one quarter). I couldn't keep her from getting
mastitis no matter what I did (gradual weaning, medicine)
because her immune system was weakening with age
(Hereford/Holstein in Texas--not a good idea but she had
two lovely daughters with a Foundation Beefmaster bull, great udders).

 

[rockridgecattle]

Probably the start of mastitis. Keep milking that quarter out and treat. There is an injectable that goes into the bag, a penicillin.
Depending on the severity, you might have to give it 2x a day for a few days, then acouple of days single injection
As well, an anti inflam for the swelling IM in the neck and pencillin in the neck....follow directions and withdrawals before shipping

 

[BRYANT]

Was that quarter sore, did she try to kick
you when you milked that one?

Did'nt seem sore or look feaverish did'nt try to kick much,I had her in shoot and put flank roap on & I have a pretty good working set-up,
calf was nurseing when I came by later today seems to be fine.

I probably wouldn't retain any females from her.

if a cow lived long and did good with no problems why not?
every thing has to ware out sometimes if her calf last as long as her I will be happy.
this was one reason I kept her another year hopeing for a heifer, she is a red white face this calf is a big nice bradford heifer so I will probly keep it if it grows out good. Bred several cows to a full blood Brahman so I could get some replacements and knock on wood I am getting mostly heifers :clap:

 

[TexasBred]

Sometimes a large teat is just waiting for the calf to get around to sucking it...might take a few days. The watery material does sound like mastitis tho...sometimes just having the calf begin nursing those affected quarters will stimulate the cow's immune system to fight any mastitis that may exist. Hopefully soon the calf will work his way around to all 4 quarters.

 

[novatech]

Was that quarter sore, did she try to kick
you when you milked that one?

Did'nt seem sore or look feaverish did'nt try to kick much,I had her in shoot and put flank roap on & I have a pretty good working set-up,
calf was nurseing when I came by later today seems to be fine.

I probably wouldn't retain any females from her.

if a cow lived long and did good with no problems why not?
every thing has to ware out sometimes if her calf last as long as her I will be happy.
this was one reason I kept her another year hopeing for a heifer, she is a red white face this calf is a big nice bradford heifer so I will probly keep it if it grows out good. Bred several cows to a full blood Brahman so I could get some replacements and knock on wood I am getting mostly heifers :clap:

I agree with Texbred.
Brahman calves are notorious for teat selection. They will often work on just 1, the 2, then 3, and finally get them all. I have had it take up to a month.
If the mastitis is pretty well cleared up then milk down the good 3 leaving the problem one for the calf.

 

[TSR]

Was that quarter sore, did she try to kick
you when you milked that one?

Did'nt seem sore or look feaverish did'nt try to kick much,I had her in shoot and put flank roap on & I have a pretty good working set-up,
calf was nurseing when I came by later today seems to be fine.

I probably wouldn't retain any females from her.

if a cow lived long and did good with no problems why not?
every thing has to ware out sometimes if her calf last as long as her I will be happy.
this was one reason I kept her another year hopeing for a heifer, she is a red white face this calf is a big nice bradford heifer so I will probly keep it if it grows out good. Bred several cows to a full blood Brahman so I could get some replacements and knock on wood I am getting mostly heifers :clap:

Well unless she is bred to a bull that is known for producing females with good udders, you increase your odds of having udder problems in her daughters by retaining them. Having said all that only time will tell. I was also under the evidently mistaken impression that the cow wasn't that old. I still maintain that there's probably nothing wrong with her milk since she has just calved.