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Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Grueller wrote: »
    No I understood that heifers were naturally sealed. Ya they are springing hard and dropping milk as you say.

    It can often be the calving pen where they pick it up, use a powdered disinfectant or lime on the straw may help.


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    stanflt wrote: »
    Had my first case of milk fever this am- not bad for 110 calvings- lifted her out of the cubicles to a straw bedded shed this morning- gave her another 2 bottles in the vein this evening and she was up after milking
    Great satisfaction

    Just be careful on the rate into the vein. 2 bottles is a bit much. Vet here wont give more than one in the vein.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,011 Mod ✭✭✭✭greysides


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Just be careful on the rate into the vein. 2 bottles is a bit much. Vet here wont give more than one in the vein.

    I'd agree unless the cow is absolutely flat out. Make sure the contents of the bottle are at blood temperature too!

    The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert

    The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It's to promote critical thinking.

    Adam Grant



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,687 ✭✭✭straight


    Didn't get milk fever in years. Possibly related to different minerals in different parts of the country. 25% of my cows calved in the last 4 days. Its around this time of the year I usually start to question my career choice. Perhaps milking through would have kept me more in the routine.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,453 ✭✭✭stanflt


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Just be careful on the rate into the vein. 2 bottles is a bit much. Vet here wont give more than one in the vein.

    Cow weighs about 750kgs so 2 bottles wouldn’t be a worry

    I always heat up the bottles in warm water even if only giving under the skin


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  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    straight wrote: »
    Didn't get milk fever in years. Possibly related to different minerals in different parts of the country. 25% of my cows calved in the last 4 days. Its around this time of the year I usually start to question my career choice. Perhaps milking through would have kept me more in the routine.

    Walking up to the cow shed at 6.20am this morning in a blizzard made me question what I'm at. You know the feeling when you can't breathe. ...everyone else still in bed


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,037 ✭✭✭cosatron


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Walking up to the cow shed at 6.20am this morning in a blizzard made me question what I'm at. You know the feeling when you can't breathe. ...everyone else still in bed

    I've a 10 min walk to the yard aswell and it's pure torture some mornings especially when it's raining horizontally


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,033 ✭✭✭Injuryprone


    Grueller wrote: »
    No I understood that heifers were naturally sealed. Ya they are springing hard and dropping milk as you say.

    My hoof parer is flat out sealing heifers every back end with the roll over crate.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Walking up to the cow shed at 6.20am this morning in a blizzard made me question what I'm at. You know the feeling when you can't breathe. ...everyone else still in bed
    How is the new shed preforming. Did you have any snow blowing in.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,721 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Walking up to the cow shed at 6.20am this morning in a blizzard made me question what I'm at. You know the feeling when you can't breathe. ...everyone else still in bed

    If it's a choice between that and sitting thru countless Zoom meetings with civil servant types passing the time but convinced they're doing important work, I'll take the cold, wet, early morning every time.

    I'm half-way between these 2 worlds and for me, getting cold and wet is an honest price to pay for being your own boss.

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,687 ✭✭✭straight


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Walking up to the cow shed at 6.20am this morning in a blizzard made me question what I'm at. You know the feeling when you can't breathe. ...everyone else still in bed

    2 calves in the cubicles yesterday morning, autowasher acting up, calving camera giving trouble, calves popping everywhere. The day doesn't be long passing. All healthy out so far thank god so long may that continue. Hope to get to watch the rugby tomorrow.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,232 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    Six weeks or so of doing the bare minimum getting fat and weak it feels great to be back hard at it again. I don't know how the other types of farmers can do it all year round.

    Tidying up for the Bord Bia thing I found the Bovikalc bolus gun I forgot about. Had meant to order a few boxes of them and will now reading this. Very handy to give to a cow you think might be vulnerable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    straight wrote: »
    Didn't get milk fever in years. Possibly related to different minerals in different parts of the country. 25% of my cows calved in the last 4 days. Its around this time of the year I usually start to question my career choice. Perhaps milking through would have kept me more in the routine.

    About 25% here the last 5days ha. Absolutely shattered now. Using whatever part time labour is needed, I'll have a 2nd person in milking for the rest of feb anyways. I milked through, but fairly sure this will be the last year I'll bother, the 6k litres I supplied for the whole of Jan, alongside holding onto what largely aren't very profitable late calving cows, nay life is too short.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,232 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    It is a slog. Best thing we did was stop that and push calving a month later to Feb 10th.

    Saying that, 6k litres is you doing your bit to flatten the supply curve.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,684 ✭✭✭older by the day


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Just be careful on the rate into the vein. 2 bottles is a bit much. Vet here wont give more than one in the vein.

    Is it in the milk vein that most farmers use?


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Timmaay wrote: »
    About 25% here the last 5days ha. Absolutely shattered now. Using whatever part time labour is needed, I'll have a 2nd person in milking for the rest of feb anyways. I milked through, but fairly sure this will be the last year I'll bother, the 6k litres I supplied for the whole of Jan, alongside holding onto what largely aren't very profitable late calving cows, nay life is too short.

    You say that every year


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Is it in the milk vein that most farmers use?

    I use the milk vein. Might go for the neck if there's no risk of getting a head butt


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Delayed breeding last year as well given Feb was so bad, this year is turning out worse weather wise has hardly stopped raining since thurs and lashing now again. Main draw back was there seemed to be a good share of cows in heat the week i waited to start along with a few repeats so it actually pushed more cows out than I would have liked. Next week will see me busier. Ended up milking on anyway with empties and late calvers, between Dec, Jan and early Feb there was about 30 k litres there. I didn't think they'd milk that well, in hindsight if I had bought 10 fresh calvers last autumn I would have hit the winter bonus targets which along with selling the last 7/ 8 late calvers would have covered the cost of purchase and ussd them to tidy up the calving spread a bit. Anyhow time has passed now


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,305 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Reggie. wrote: »
    Sure that lads only a cowboy

    He's getting where we all should be heading though..
    How easier is life and management when you don't have to worry about cal mag bottles and buying and dusting silage and adding minerals to water, when your mineral requirements are met from the forage.
    All you have to worry about then is which cow had which calf. :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    He's getting where we all should be heading though..
    How easier is life and management when you don't have to worry about cal mag bottles and buying and dusting silage and adding minerals to water, when your mineral requirements are met from the forage.
    All you have to worry about then is which cow had which calf. :pac:

    Would normally get a few cases of milk fever in the autumn calvers here. Very rare in springtime


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  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Base price wrote: »
    How is the new shed preforming. Did you have any snow blowing in.

    It's a great job. Was a bit blowing in one side. I didnt put anything above the concrete walls at the sides. It's grand 95% of the time


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,583 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    He's getting where we all should be heading though..
    How easier is life and management when you don't have to worry about cal mag bottles and buying and dusting silage and adding minerals to water, when your mineral requirements are met from the forage.
    All you have to worry about then is which cow had which calf. :pac:

    If you have iron and molybdenum issues all bets are off, cows get done here every six months with colesicure, along with adlib access to calsea blocks year round that they go through like smarties,


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    whelan2 wrote: »
    You say that every year

    I'm gonna build another shed this year also finally lol.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,204 ✭✭✭Tonynewholland


    whelan2 wrote: »
    I use the milk vein. Might go for the neck if there's no risk of getting a head butt

    Just tie her head to the back leg


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,453 ✭✭✭JustJoe7240


    Would only use a milk vein as a last resort due to riak of infection.Would tie the head back to the leg is she's a bit cranky.


  • Registered Users Posts: 302 ✭✭raindodger


    How were your fat and protein percentages for this collection? With 20% water these should be on the floor!!

    protein back 3.80 to 2.90 bf 4.80 to 3.80 kerry supplier think only fined excess on collection but i presume a yellow card for rest of year.
    On the phone straight away just as well i met the answering machine gave a chance to cool down (was having one of those days)
    said he would keep eye on future collections in case of leak in plate cooler


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,756 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    Grueller wrote: »
    No I understood that heifers were naturally sealed. Ya they are springing hard and dropping milk as you say.

    They are, until they aren't, if you know what I mean, anyway, that ship has sailed, and it was only for comparitive reasons I asked.
    I've had this problem before, any animals dripping milk are wide open to infection. In my experience, the best preventative is milking them the minute you see milk dropping, even it is days before they calve. It does no harm at all, just keep some cows biestings for the calves.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,122 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    They are, until they aren't, if you know what I mean, anyway, that ship has sailed, and it was only for comparitive reasons I asked.
    I've had this problem before, any animals dripping milk are wide open to infection. In my experience, the best preventative is milking them the minute you see milk dropping, even it is days before they calve. It does no harm at all, just keep some cows biestings for the calves.

    Spraying withteat.dip.for.a.week before.calving helps too


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Are DNA samples fast to come back? Have two cows calved one had twins and there are 2 bulls and heifer all black with white socks. Dunno which one had the twins


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  • Registered Users Posts: 29,357 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Are DNA samples fast to come back? Have two cows calved one had twins and there are 2 bulls and heifer all black with white socks. Dunno which one had the twins

    Less than a week. The samples I sent for the first 2 bull calves were sire verified within a few days


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