# Hard Udder 2 weeks to calve - emergency?



## Alison (Feb 19, 2016)

Hi -

My heifer has less than 2 weeks to calving date.  Tonight her udder is really hard, but the teats are soft.  I squeezed one a little and it looked like Maybe blood.  No milk.  I read somewhere not to milk her, because you don't want to lose collostrum and the blood might be just broken blood vessels because of all the pressure.  

She's getting alfalfa/grass twice a day and about 4 cups of COB and alfalfa pellets in the evening.  Is her diet too rich??

What should I do?


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 20, 2016)

Yeah, you shouldn't squeeze her teats, not until she calves.  

She might calve a little early if her udder is that hard, but I don't think it's an emergency. Is she a dairy or beef cow? Our Simmental/Brown Swiss cow had 'strawberry milk' for a few weeks after she freshened, due to a blood vessel bursting in her udder. It cleared upon a few weeks. 

Here is a (hopefully) helpful link: http://familycow.proboards.com/thread/75433/swollen-udder-giving-blood 

What is COB?


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## Alison (Feb 20, 2016)

COB is a premixed corn, oat, barley blend.

She's an angus cross I think.  I put some Shea butter/olive oil/ tea tree and peppermint oil slave on her udder this morning.


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 20, 2016)

I don't know how much you are feeding her, but if she's a beef cow (with no dairy in her) then she doesn't need any feed. Alfalfa pellets are fine, but the COB isn't necessary (although I'm sure she enjoys it).

You should massage her udder with the shea butter/olive oil/tea tree/peppermint oil salve again tonight.


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