# Sudden drop in milk production



## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

I'm fishing for ideas here. I also have my veterinarian thinking on this one. We're all sort of stumped.

My Dexter cow freshened 4 1/2 weeks ago. Calf is nursing fine, as far as we can tell. I've been milking twice a day, without fail, from the very beginning, sharing with the calf. We never separated the two and he waits patiently until we're done (very polite little guy!). They get free-feed pasture AND a feeder with good-quality grass hay. On the stand the cow gets a mixture of alfalfa pellets, 20% protein range cubes, and a pelleted 12% sweet feed.

Last year we didn't milk longer than 3 weeks as we had an emergency that took us away for a week - we decided to leave the calf on her and just wait until the next year to milk her out instead of hunting down someone to milk for us. Then we had been getting the same - about 1/2 a gallon daily while sharing with the calf. The first freshening, she LOST her calf (breech) and we got all of it - 1 1/4 gallons a day with a once-daily milking. Just to give you a background on production "norm" for her.

As of Sunday night (4 weeks fresh), her evening milking dropped to near-nothing, giving me only 1/2 a cup. I thought perhaps she was in heat and it would pass if I kept going (which I have, twice a day without fail, milking her out completely). The next morning we got 3 cups - slightly less than the normal 5 cups (and another 3 or 4 normally in the evening). It has NOT picked up, the amounts are getting smaller and smaller to where last night we got 1/4 cup. We put out free-feed alfalfa pellets last night, thinking it was a nutrition problem and not enough alfalfa (alfalfa makes milk! Ask my goats!) This morning barely over 1 cup - and the calf seemed to really attack her, too, this morning, which is unusual, and tells me HE isn't getting as much as he needs either!

She is eating fine. She acts fine, drinks fine, stools are normal, urinates fine.
I'm bringing home dewormer tonight (I work at the vet clinic and my boss "on it" - he wanted to think on this one a bit). It occured to me this morning that I had forgotten to deworm her when she had her calf.

ANYONE have any other ideas? No respiratory issues, no bloat going on. Everything seems fine and dandy except that she suddenly dropped to near-nothing in milk production. Brainstorm time!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Do you have any other young cattle running with her? We have seen other calves robbing milk from our beef cows.


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

No. It's her, the calf, and a 6 month old ram lamb that I have to keep separate from the rest of the critters (he gets to breed *next* year, not this year). She is not fond of the lamb, but the lamb and calf play together.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

your not going to like this.....but if when she lost her calf and you milked 1 1/4 gallon once a day milking....to me that means she would milk at the most 1 3/4 gallons on 2 times a day milking.......and now you calf at 4 weeks old is drinking those 1 3/4 gallons...your calf is waiting till you finish because he is full not a gentleman......I bet since your milking at the same time twice a day your calf is sucking a hour before you milk ...go out and check see if you can catch him sucking right before you normally milk


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

We thought of that, and considered that he might be going through a growth spurt. But if he nipped it all before I milked, why would he be ferociously attacking her immediately afterward again, when he never did that before? Not discounting it, by any means, just wondering...


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

same reason when one calf starts sucking in a field all the others find there mother and start.....the milk sound makes them hungry......put calf up for 1/2 a day put calf were he can just touch but not suck cow and milk see how much you get...3/4 gallon what you should be able to milk if she does not hold back


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

So you think a growth spurt? Again - this is brand new. Never had a problem until suddenly early this week. If he's taking it all, then he obviously needs it, but how long will this last? He's nowhere near ready to wean yet - he needs at LEAST 4 - 8 more weeks until I pull him off. IF I pull him off...haven't decided yet.

Thought about separating them completely and bottling him, and if she really IS stopping with the milk, we might have to even resort to milk replacer.

I'll lock him up tonight and see what happens in the morning. I know he's nibbling hay and alfalfa pellets so he won't *starve* in one night.  It'll definitely be worth a shot - sure can't HURT!

Still looking to see if anyone else has other opinions or ideas.  I'll also let everyone know what the vet comes up with, if it's anything different.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I would lock the calf up and bottle feed it for a day or two.


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## MARYDVM (Jun 7, 2004)

I have a Dexter X Mini Jersey that produces 2 to 2 1/2 gallons a day. Right at 1 month fresh is when her calf starts drinking it all, and if I want any I need to pen up the calf for the night. That's also when she begins holding back the cream for her calf. If your cow has been dropping in cream percentage, the calf may have learned what's waiting for him when you finish trying to milk her.


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Another thought to throw in the mix. Might be a combination of things.

I once thought my cow was drying up until the spring grasses came, and her production ramped up again.

Don't know if it works in reverse - has your pasture gone away?


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

With the rains we've had the last few weeks the pasture is actually coming BACK again.

Separated the boy out last night, this morning we got 12 ounces of milk. The vet said more carbs. Free-feed the alfalfa pellets, free-feed the hay, pasture during the day, and nothing but grain on the stand - as much as she wants to eat.

We'll give it a try.


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Does she have access to plenty of water as well?


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

Yep - sorry, forgot to mention that. Automatic waterer that gets cleaned out regularly, so it's good, clean water. And I've seen the little one trying his hand at drinking from it, too.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Have you taken her temperature?


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## Calfkeeper (Feb 1, 2006)

Do you have any oak trees around there? Here in the fall we lose production when we have a large acorn crop; the cows eat the acorns, and this causes a drop in production. Usually they act off their other feed though; does she actually eat her other feed? 
I hope you get it figured out, soon.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

I'd probably get a bag of mr and feed the calf until I figured out what was going on. If you only got 12 oz in the morning that means that's all he would've gotten. Calves go down fast when they aren't getting enough milk.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Just occurred to me to ask if there's any way the calf could've nursed from the pen you had him in. I've had it happen where mama would stand real close and let them nurse while they were locked up.


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

Sorry - was gone for the weekend from my computer. No, he can't reach the cow through the double fence - can't even really *touch* her - just see her. The pasture is only pasture and no trees, so no acorns (the oak tree is in the front yard and we picked up the acorns and fed them all to the pigs last month).

The feeding setup appears to be working. The calf has been in good spirits and bouncing around like only a month-old calf can do, the entire time. This morning, after a weekend of the feeding arrangement noted in previous posts, per my veterinarian's suggestion, her milk production went up to almost a quart. SIGNIFICANT improvement over the few squirts and 1/2 cups that I was getting previously.

I'm going to go with not enough carbs and/or alfalfa previously. I'll keep you all posted on her progress this week!


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

now that you have the production up.....figure what that is costing per gallon of milk....If the cost is to high might be time for a different cow


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

I don't remember if this has been addressed, but cows are completely able to hold back their milk for their calves. Next time you milk, when you think you have gotten it all, let the calf out to nurse for a minute. Then try to milk again to see if that caused her to let down. 

We had an old Jersey we share milked (means leaving calf on cow but milking some) and we had to put a halter on the calf in the morning and let it get a few sips to get her to let down the rest of the way.


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