Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: House Cow  (Read 3784 times)

scarlettoara

  • Joined Feb 2013
House Cow
« on: March 19, 2013, 05:23:05 pm »
so whats the theory from the calfs point of view when a house cow gives birth?
our house cow is due to calve shortly and we will be milking her for the first time, and are also expecting her to feed the calf.
i was guessing we would separate them during the day only (maybe 8 hrs) so i can milk once per evening only, then put the calf back with her til morning. she is luckily v placid.
we would like to avoid expensive powdered milk substitute and hard feed for the calf.
how old should the calf be when we start milking, i was thinking a week old?
does he need feeding during the 8 hrs he is away from his mother?
i have heard of crofters feeding the calf diluted milk.
thanks

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: House Cow
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2013, 07:36:46 pm »
SallyintNorth or VSS are your main advice on this - one, other or both will be along soon  :fc:

domsmith

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • sanquhar, dumfries and galloway
    • sunnyside farm
Re: House Cow
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2013, 01:04:37 pm »
What breed is the cow?

i think if she is dairy then the strategy i would used would be different from a beef cow.

my friesian cow was just left with the calf and i got a fair share of the milk, but she would produce upto 20L per day, so plenty to go round.

if its abeef cow, dexter or shetland, then i think a degree of seperation is required which i have never done!

i am sure experts will be along shortly

dominic

scarlettoara

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: House Cow
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2013, 01:31:13 pm »
shes a dexter.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: House Cow
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2013, 01:59:03 pm »
I've no experience with Dexters but I'll tell you how I find things with my Jerseys  :love: :cow:

For the first few days, the cow is producing colostrum / very rich milk, which you may not wish to use for yourself (it won't hurt you but some people don't fancy it.)  If you have other calvers due, or sheep lambing, you may wish to draw some off and freeze it for other newborns.

Keep an eye on her, if the udder seems red, hot, sore, or too turgid, take some milk off to relieve the pressure. 

By about day 4, the milk usually looks 'normal' so then you can start taking some for yourself if you haven't already.

My strategy is to leave calfie(s) with her 100% of the time until there's not enough for me!  My Jerseys are high yielders, so they get a set-on alongside their own calf, and I generally find that there's plenty for me too for at least a month, maybe longer, before I need to take her away from the calves to build some up for me.

My Jerseys get between 1/2 and 1 bucket of cake a day when in full production - if I need more than she's producing, I up the cake and/or up the protein in the cake.  I don't like them having more than 1 bucket a day each, so when she's getting that much and there still isn't enough milk for me, then I start to take her away from the calves for a few hours before milking.

I'll have been caking her in the pen as well as when I milk her, so the calves will have been copying her and have got the taste of cake.

When I take her away from the calves, I put some cake out for the calves.  They only mouth at it at first, but it distracts them from mum leaving, and as they do start to eat it then they look forward to mum being put out and their cake arriving. ;)

If you take her away for only a few hours - maybe three - at first, then calfie gets used to her coming back and being with it for a while, and doesn't gorge itself on her return.  Then, if you need her to be alone for longer to build up whatever litrage you want, gradually increase the time she's away until you are getting what you want.

By a month old, calfie should be fine without mum for 8 hours.  By 6 weeks, 10 hours.  By 8 weeks, 12 hours.

Always have fresh water, hay and/or eating-quality straw and, when mum is away, a bit of cake available.

I wean mine at 4 months - you can wean earlier but I find the calves thrive better if I keep them on for at least 14 weeks.  I like them to be eating a couple of pounds of cake a day when I wean them, then I keep them on the cake - just a scoop or two a day in two feeds - to at least 9 months old.

As you can tell, I love my cows and calves and love talking about them, so please feel free to ask any other questions!  ;D

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

domsmith

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • sanquhar, dumfries and galloway
    • sunnyside farm
Re: House Cow
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2013, 07:14:30 pm »
Bottling and freezing some collostrum is essential, its worth its weight in gold(top).  the amount of calves saved by our Hyacinth was amazing.

dominic

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: House Cow
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2013, 10:45:20 pm »
how old should the calf be when we start milking, i was thinking a week old?

I would seperate them on the morning of the fifth day (doing it for the first time in the morning means you can keep an eye out for disasters during the day), milk the cow in the evening and put the calf back in with the cow overnight.

we would like to avoid expensive powdered milk substitute and hard feed for the calf.

You won't need to worry about milk powder if the calve is on the cow overnight, but it should have access to good quality calf starter pellets. We usually allow a bag of these per calf and then move them on to a growing ration.

does he need feeding during the 8 hrs he is away from his mother?

Initially yes. On the first day, you won't have any milk handy, so just keep them apart for a short time - 4 - 6 hours would be enough. Then subsequently, keep enough of the evening's milking to one side to give the calf a feed during the day while away from the cow (obviously you will need to warm it before giving to the calf). You won't need to do this for long though, probably a month tops.

i have heard of crofters feeding the calf diluted milk.

Yes, we do this. We find it leads to fewer digestive upsets. We give our bucket reared calves feeds two litres of milk per feed (twice a day once they are settled well) and add about half to three quarters of a pint of water.
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

scarlettoara

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: House Cow
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2013, 09:51:10 am »
thanks,
i feel more organised in my head now.  ;D
now will the calf be ok on his own in the stable? i do have a 7 mth calf available for company but would be worried on the size difference.
thanks

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: House Cow
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2013, 10:37:50 am »
Yes, it's not like he's going to be on his own 24/7. Just make sure that it is a safe place for him to be.
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

scarlettoara

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: House Cow
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2013, 02:19:11 pm »
thanks

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS