Calf Watch...Guess with me....

[farmerjan]

cjc yes I would milk her out at the next milking and everyone after that unless or until you put calves on her. Is her calf staying with her all the time now? If so, the calf won't suffer if you milk her out at milking. And she may try to withhold her milk since she will want the calf to get it.
What I do with one of my young cows, I keep the calf away from her, bring her in to her "spot", clip her neck chain to the chain there at her section so she has to stay in the her section ( it is about 1 1/2 ft long so she has moving room) give her her grain, bring her calf in and get it on the teat on the side opposite I am gonna milk and once it is nursing, sit on the other side, and milk. She was alot calmer with the calf there. Then after the calf started getting a littler bigger, about 2-3 weeks I guess, I would not let the calf in until I had 3 quarters milked out and then I let the calf in to drink the full quarter. Reason was the calf was getting rambunctious and the cow would move and then the bucket would get tipped over and it really wasn't the cows fault.
If you restrain her in a stall/stanchion or something, I would just let a couple of the other calves go on her for awhile. If you leave her calf with her then it will get enough. OR if you keep her calf separate, you can let her calf in to nurse, wait a couple of minutes so you are pretty sure it is getting enough, then let in a couple more to finish her up. There are as many ways to do it as there are cows and a persons own desire to do it.
I would say that if she is out of decent milk stock you should expect her to make in the neighborhood of 20-30 lbs a milking oops; about 2 1/2 to 4 gallons. Yes 2-4 gallons a milking. I used to get 1 1/2 gal once a day from one young cow and there were 3 calves on her as she was only a 3-teat cow. I have another that will easily milk 3 gal a milking with her calf on her all the time. She's a grain hog and will let me milk her right out in the field if she's got some grain to eat.
The month old calves will really work on her udder once they figure out it has milk unless they are shy and she can kick them first. Mine I can put her in a spot against the wall on one side. tie her and when the calf goes on her, twist her tail so she is thinking about the tail rather than the calf. I have one all I have to do is stand behind her and crack her once with a stick and tell her that's enough and the next time all I have to do is get a little loud with "Lara that's enough". She raises about 5 per lactation as I will start some new ones on her, let them nurse a few minutes,then put the older ones in with her and in 2 weeks or so I can pull the older ones off and wean or sell and the younger ones are okay. I usually leave her own calf with them, and they learn to go nurse when her calf is nursing and usually she will let them even out in the field. She could do more but I don't have the time to fool with them that much. Maybe once I retire....
Some prefer to feed calves and some hate calves and prefer to be milked. I remind the kicky ones that this is not a democracy, this is a dictatorship and if they don't like their job they can always have a " big mac attack". Sometimes you really have to get after them. And sad but true, the bigger the pet, the more of a b**ch they seem to be.

 

[TAH]

Congrats!!
Sorry it was a bull but at least it is healthy and cute. He is adorable!1

 

[farmerjan]

Re reading my post, a couple of things I forget. Yes the milk will usually get white quicker with a heifer, they don't often have colostrum for more than a day so no problem. Second her calf does not need as much milk as you think so don't be afraid of short changing him. If he is with her all the time, he will get plenty. If you take him away, one quarter is more than enough for him to have. Better a little hungry and no scours than to get too much and get scours. Jersey calves will dehydrate in a minute since they are so much smaller than a beef calf or even holsteins, so too much milk and scours can be a real problem. If he stays with her then he probably won't get scours as he will drink a little, more often, instead of a lot twice a day. If she is truly to be a nurse cow then you should get the calves on her and not have to deal with the milking unless you want it for the house.
I'm not surprised about the kicking, she is sore, and doesn't want you to mess with her and wants her calf to nurse and like I said, the bigger the pet usually the more difficult they are in the milking stall. See it alot with show cattle too. The only way to stop it is to make sure they know you are boss and that this is their job. Some get over it quick, some can try your patience.

 

[cjc]

Well one of my bottle calves FINALLY decided to nurse on my jersey. Our Jersey hates it. I tied her to a pole but she kicks him as much as she possibly can. Luckily he is a hearty guy and doesn't seem to mind it haha. I have 3 calves all one month old and this was the calf I thought I won't put with my Jersey. Reasoning was he is the most aggressive. Aggressive in the sense he is a crazy bucking head butting fun loving guy. He's the only one that has any interest in nursing on her and he seriously cannot get enough. I find him mooing at her paddock every chance he gets. He really wants to live with her and her calf but he's a pretty big calf so I worry he will dominate the new little Jersey bull calf. I have been letting my Angus calf spend time with the Jersey for an hour in the morning. I think today we will bump it up to morning and night. Hopefully soon she will stop trying to kill him and actually let him nurse! Doubt it but I hope so!

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Well one of my bottle calves FINALLY decided to nurse on my jersey. Our Jersey hates it. I tied her to a pole but she kicks him as much as she possibly can. Luckily he is a hearty guy and doesn't seem to mind it haha. I have 3 calves all one month old and this was the calf I thought I won't put with my Jersey. Reasoning was he is the most aggressive. Aggressive in the sense he is a crazy bucking head butting fun loving guy. He's the only one that has any interest in nursing on her and he seriously cannot get enough. I find him mooing at her paddock every chance he gets. He really wants to live with her and her calf but he's a pretty big calf so I worry he will dominate the new little Jersey bull calf. I have been letting my Angus calf spend time with the Jersey for an hour in the morning. I think today we will bump it up to morning and night. Hopefully soon she will stop trying to kill him and actually let him nurse! Doubt it but I hope so!

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It took my Saanen a few days to fully accept a "new" kid. One of the other doe's bucklings tried to nurse all the does. She also accepted a new doeling. Both took a few days. Even though she only gave birth to one kid, she had triplets!

 

[cjc]

@Green Acres Farm wow that's a damn good goat! Were the new babies she took on newborns? I just wonder if the fact mine is already a month old is making her kick him so much.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

@Green Acres Farm wow that's a damn good goat! Were the new babies she took on newborns? I just wonder if the fact mine is already a month old is making her kick him so much.

Nope! Around a month or less for the buck and almost 2 months for the doeling. She wasn't a super attentive mother, but was gentle with the littles and let them all nurse.

 

[cjc]

Nope! Around a month or less for the buck and almost 2 months for the doeling. She wasn't a super attentive mother, but was gentle with the littles and let them all nurse.

Wow that's a good goat you have! I hope my jersey will turn a leaf haha. I bribe her. In the picture I attached you will see her eating alfalfa. She eats grain too quickly so I give her a leaf of alfalfa and she seems to be more accepting of the idea. But when I hear the crack of her hoof against his side I just cringe! I think holy crap that's got to hurt. But he just goes right back at her!

 

[farmerjan]

That aggressive calf is just what you needed to go on her. The butting will hurt a bit since she is still a little sore and swollen from being fresh but it will get easier. As long as he keeps on, let him. I would definitely get him up to twice a day, and NO OTHER MILK. He needs to have only her milk in his system so that he smells right to her even if she isn't too keen on it. Keep making sure her jersey calf gets enough, but if he is with her all the time he will get all he needs unless she kicks him still too. When he hits about 2-3 weeks old and isn't scouring or anything, I would see if you can turn the angus out with them for a few hours (like during the day) and see if he learns to go nurse when her calf does. I would still consider the hobbles .....

 

[cjc]

Well I just left them together! I put this calf that is nursing and the Jersey and her calf all together. I saw the Jersey calf nurse for a good 20 minutes so I know he has a full belly. The Angus and Jersey calf get along well and Mama seems to be cautious of not kicking her baby in the battle. I am hoping it will get her used to him. The Angus was on her for a good 30 minutes today at lunch. She did kick him a few times but he is getting better at dodging her kicks! Every time she gets mad I just grab the alfalfa and like "LOOK LUCY YUM!" haha, then she's like alright...I do love this stuff and it takes her mind off the calf nursing.

Here is a funny picture. The Angus calf can only nurse from the back or she goes nuts. He's been wearing a few poop hats