Cow milking herself!

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:47 pm

Looked in the barn today at my last batch of calvers and one due to calve shortly was "sitting down" and bending back to drink her own milk! Her udder is still reasonably full so I hope there will be enough colostrum left. I've never seen this before, does it mean anything? Should I do anything?

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:06 pm

Why not put a spiked nose ring in her. It should work and you can't have her doing that once the calf is born.

Stephanie

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:41 pm

You could tie her by the neck till she calves.
One of my old long since deceased clients had an Ayrshire herd, all tied in byres, none dehorned. The horns, he said, were like a woman's hair, her crowning glory. Anyway, he would always have a cow tied up at calving, in case she ate her cleaning. When pushed on "Did you ever have one that did?" the loud reply was "NO, BUT I KNEW A MAN WHO DID"

Duncan

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:07 pm

I was told by my Dad to always remove the cleanse if I could as cows often choose to eat it and can be unfortunate enough to choke to death on it. However we calved 125 a year back then and you couldn't always be there at the right moment, so some did eat it but I always panicked if I arrived in the calving pen to see it being gulped down. Nasty slippery, stuff to handle anyway!

Stephanie

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:33 pm

As I sometimes do I only posted the first part of the story. For many years I scoffed at old Iain's idea of the cow choking, since I had assumed that nature would mitigate against such things. Sadly Iain was gone a few years before I attended a hereford cross cow calving, got the calf delivered, went outside the pen to clean myself up, and heard a weird and fearful noise, and yes the cow was choking on the cleaning. The farmer, his wife and myself rushed back into the pen and had a very anxious time getting hold of the cow and a rally hard struggle to pull the cleansing free and save the cow.
And just last year I had the horror of finding one of my own North Ronaldsay ewes dead with a throat full of cleansing only half an hour after lambing.

We live and learn.

Duncan

Louise Badcock · Post by **Louise Badcock** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:11 pm

As regards the original question I sometimes caught my old Della doing this self sucking thing while lying down. As she raised 15 calves I was not too bothered!
Louise

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:50 am

Apparently in some countries, the afterbirth is considered a delicacy. I don't know how it's cooked, maybe a bit of garlic and herbs. Must give it a go sometime.

Anyhow, her udder still looks to have enough for about 3 calves so I'll just leave her to it for now. I calve in open barns or outdoors and rarely find a cleansing.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1244274879

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:50 pm

Clive, you bring to mind another old Bute farmer story "My mother used to mak puddins wi the beestie milk (colostrum) but I canna just mind what she did wi the cleanins"

Duncan

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:21 pm

Duncan, we always had egg custard made with colostrum - but of course there was no need for the eggs. It is actually in my humble opinion better tasting than an ordinary egg custard, a more delicate flavour somehow and no need to strain the eggs and milk either!

It was never the first day after calving that we took it - I think the second and third day were best.

Stephanie

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:56 am

In all the years of Dad milking a dairy herd of 120 cows, I never heard of him speaking of a cow choking on her afterbirth. I've seen plenty of cows just leave it and concentrate on licking their calves clean. I've also heard a theory that they won't bother eating it, if they have sufficient minerals in their diet. Perhaps a salt-lick is good insurance?

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:23 am

Cleaning up could be an evolutionary thing, where no nutrient was wasted, and no evidence to attract predators.
I've never heard of choking before but certainly not worth the risk. We remove it rather than leave it for dogs & foxes.
I agree with Stephanie. A weaner aid ring is a good idea for the self-sucking cow. She should be concentrating on eating grass or chewing her cud.
Margaret

catomell · Post by **catomell** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:45 am

I am now worrying - we calve outdoors, and generally let the girls get on with it. To my knowledge, they all eat their afterbirth, but I have not had one choke?? Perhaps I am a particularly bad Dexter owner. I was under the impression that they ate the atferbirth as a way of replacing nutrients and energy that was lost during parturition. I have also never been told to remove it, but rather to study it to ensure that it is all out!

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:45 pm

It is indeed normal for many mammals to eat placenta, and it is unusual for any bad consequences. Do not worry, things like choking whilst possible occur very very rarely. Sorry if I have scared anyone else with my tales, they were just posted to show that things can go wrong sometimes.

Duncan

LISA · Post by **LISA** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:09 pm

I have always positively ENCOURAGED our cows to eat thier placenta,as do all the dairy farmers around us (maybe its a regional thing) Although will probably look on with worry now!
When I had my first son,the midwife told me many cultures also eat the placenta with the whole family joining in (thank goodness for being British!!!) She also said the most popular sandwich request from ladies after giving birth was ham,probably the NHS closest thing to placenta!
Yummy!!!

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 6:52 am

We've had cows that eat the afterbirth and those that don't, if they don't and I see it as Margaret said I remove it so as not to encourage dingos. A couple of months back didn't see one left in the paddock until I saw a wedgetail eagle pair, eating it...

I remember years ago when my brother now 40 was a child and he saw a cow eating the afterbirth and said to my Mum 'yuck that's terrible', Mum said well it's only like that in cows in people it's the father that eats it. :laugh: We've laughed about this for many years, especially the look on his face!

Vicki