Mastitis or Old Milk?

[Sweetened]

That didn't take long! Yesterday, we spent 6 hours on the road picking up 'Candy', our very first cow. She's in milk, no calf anymore and was the family's milk cow for the past 6 years. She's re-bred, though I don't think that matters. She's a Milking Shorthorn X Holstein.

When we picked her up, she looked great and still does. She's calm but wary of the new situation. She had only been being milked once in the morning. Her back quarters aren't overly well formed as the teets point inward towards each other, making her a challenge to hand milk.

I milked cows for several months as part of my cow share arrangement and I have seen bloody milk from injury and have felt hard quarters that had mastitis. Candy's back left quarter is firm NOT hard. Her milk is of normal consistency, she is not in pain, hot or reddened on that quarter. Last night, without really trying too hard, I milked out half a gallon to see what she'd produce in the evening. Strained it, filtered it, normal looking, tasted amazing, super sweet (so missed raw milk).

This morning, I really worked to milk out that firm teet, which is INCREDIBLY difficult due to the angle (she's been machine milked for the past several years). I worked on her for about an hour, came in with a gallon and a half and, straining it, found lumps and curd-like stuff. Now, I know milk turns 'stringy', with mastitis, but what I saw where I used to milk it was almost like spider webs. The picture below is the full amount of lumpiness from the gallon and a half of milk she produced this morning. Is this just old milk? I don't think the son was putting much effort into milking her and their practices weren't as scrupulously clean as has been imbedded in my practice from my cow share experience.



What do you think and, would you drink this milk or give it to the barn cats?

 

[Azriel]

I would not drink it, and would start treating that quarter. I would say that she is either getting or getting over a case of mastitis.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

I've never heard of anything called "old milk." This would be more of a case of sub-acute mastitis where it's typical you're not going to see the signs of swelling or soreness of the teat or quarter. Acute mastitis is where you get these symptoms. I agree with Azriel; start treating immediately and do NOT use or drink that milk.

 

[Sweetened]

Thanks everyone, sorry for the delay. I have discarded the milk and I'm milking to keep the 3 quarters that are fine and milking out the other quarter, much to her disappointment.

I found out from the owners that they treated her with 'clomid' for mastitis about 48 hours ago now -- that would have been nice to know upon purchase.

 

[Southern by choice]

wow, just wow!

Sorry sweetened that you are having to now deal with this.

 

[Sweetened]

wow, just wow!

Sorry sweetened that you are having to now deal with this.

LOL. This is just the way my life goes. I could not agree more *Fistshake*. That's why I've always said I fly head long into things because I end up in Figure-it-out-now situations. Almost everything about her seems misrepresented.

 

[Azriel]

I hope its going better with your cow. Darn I wish people would be more truthfull. I want a milk cow so bad, but if they are under priced you wonder why, whats wrong with it, and at full price I just can't afford one.

 

[Sweetened]

Hi Azriel, Thanks for the follow-up. Her mastitis is cleared up now, but I'm not sure for how long. I've had her on the milker, but needed to move her from where she was to an outside pen. I couldn't stand to keep her on concrete anymore, and with the sudden warm weather, the shop she was housed in turned to muck really quickly and I needed to change that. Unfortunately, my "halter Broke" "tie lead" cow, is very much... well, not. She's in the goat pen, after an hour of chasing her when she got loose, having to call in a gang of people. She ran people down like a bull which, I was told by the guy who came to help, isn't all that common for a lady cow. I'm pretty sure her back hoof came within inches of my face when she bowled through me and walked over top. She will have to be hand milked from where she is, which should be fun considering. I just hope I can get her sold quickly.

She wasn't under priced, she was priced fair and I worked out a payment deal with the guy. He won't take her back unless I gather up a trailer, figure out how to reload her and spend another 350 in gas to get her back to him. I'm heartbroken over this whole situation. We have decided, once we are rid of her, we will pick up a bottle heifer (usually between $50 and $500 here) in spring and raise her up our way, halter and lead broke and so on. It's 2 years of feeding before you get any payback, but I think it's best for us. You know what to expect at that point and they're raised to you with nothing hidden by former owners. Whatever issues she had would be caused by us.

I have struggled, over the past while, with this whole "registered breeder" thing. I have had people tell me if it's not a 'registered' animal, it's not a quality or healthy animal. I don't believe that. But I'm beginning to see that registered breeders have something to prove, a name to keep, whereas some backyardigan like me, perhaps, doesn't (well, I do, but clearly others don't). The CLRC has started a mixed breed registry, which is nice. People can register mixed animals so they can be tracked for lineage and whatnot same as purebreds, and it, again, creates accountability on the register..er..

I feel like life is filled with valuable lessons if you just look at it. Right now, mines a thousand pound cow laying outside, waiting to find a new home.

 

[woodsie]

Wow - UNBELIEVEABLE! I have been so fortunate to have dealt with primarily the best farm people in my area and have a fantastic first experience with a milk cow. I am so sorry you are having to go through this...its hard enough learning the milking cow stuff without having to deal with a sick and mean cow. Yikes! What part of Canada are you in? I know a few people in BC that I could check with to see if they have a good cow.

Not that I have to tell you now as I am sure you have learned your lesson, always go visit and "test drive" the animal before getting attached. I made a special trip to the dairy and led her out of the barn on the halter and milked her a bit, although I think it would have been better to show up on milking schedule and actually milk her out or watch her being milked out to make sure the volumes, her reaction once she runs out of grain, etc. It seems like a lot to ask but they aren't cheap and you certainly want to find an animal you like as you spend a lot of time with them. I did end up with a short lived relationship with my lovely cow however due to family circumstances but it was sure hard letting go of a "keeper"....I also realized I need hot water in the barn and no weeds in my pasture...things you can read about but don't really appreciate until you've lived through it. I too have decided to raise up a heifer the way I want, even though I had a nice cow, she had feet that were way overgrown and was highly dependent on grain to keep her condition up.

I guess we all live and learn but some of us seem to make it difficult on ourselves...I usually fall into that camp too.

 

[Azriel]

Oh Sweetened, its too bad she is such a brat, my beef cows are better behaved than that. I have a comming 2 year old heifer that I was told was a Shorthorn x Brown Swiss, but I don't know if I belive that is what she is. I'm working with her in the hope she will work out to be my milk cow. She is due with her 1st calf the end of May, so I hope she works out for me.