# how do i increase my milk production



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

I have a jersey cow. Milking since July. her milk production has dropped since the cold weather here in Connecticut. She has a run-in shed, not an actual inclosed barn. I am only getting about 2 gallons of milk a day. She dropped by atleast a gallon of the past 3 weeks. She is getting plenty of hay and 3lbs of grain in morning and 3lbs of grain in evening.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Is she bred? Drinking plenty of water? What kind and quality of hay? What kind of grain. I'm new to milk cows, but I know these things are important for milk goats plus a lot more. So this might help you get answers.


----------



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

when did she freshen? and how long have you had her? are two more questions that help get the best answers.


----------



## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

increase the feed..she is using the feed to heat her body instead of making milk.....Now it might not increse the milk back but stop the dropping ...some times the simple thing is the right answer


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

she freshed this past summer. She is not pregnant. i've had her only about 2 months now. She gets timothy mix hay that I feed my horses and a 16% grain pellet, looks like a sweet feed. she is drinking about 15 gallons of water a day, cause I add two 5 gallons buckets of water in the am and then again in the pm. and she only has a little left. She did come in very underweight, she has put on some weight but the vet saw her last week and wants to see another 150lbs on her. i did milk her by hand the first 3 weeks we had her then was able to get a milking machine.


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

how do I know how much grain to give her. She has asmuch hay as she wants.


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

stupid question... Can i put a horse blanket on her to help?? LOL


----------



## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Check her for mastitis since you just recently switched to machine milking. Sometimes, the machine might not be working just right and can start an infection. Also, 15 gallons a day is not enough water (in my opinion). Cows in lactation need LOTS of water. Here at our place, the colder it gets, the more they drink too. Can't really explain why, but it's true. 
Also, getting some high quality alfalfa might help. How much hay are you feeding her now?


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

she basically is getting as much as she wants. I would say she is eating a bale a day, maybe a 40lb bale. I dont think she has mastitis, i am getting a good flow of milk from all her teets, not sure if that matters or not. As far as the water, not sure how to make her drink more, maybe a salt block. he waterer is never empty but I can tell you she is not drinking much more than 15-20 gallons.Can i buy her some alphalpa cubes. i know i can get that at my local feed store


----------



## oldtimer (Dec 12, 2010)

Re:


> how do i increase my milk production


Buy another cow???????????

Note to self: Every body likes a little, but no body likes a smart one!
OT

PS Just a little dry humor folks


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for the laugh!!


----------



## oldtimer (Dec 12, 2010)

Re:


> how do i increase *my* milk production


Well, I was going to answer with: &#8220;Get pregnant&#8220; ?????????????????!


----------



## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

mindyloo said:


> she basically is getting as much as she wants. I would say she is eating a bale a day, maybe a 40lb bale. I dont think she has mastitis, i am getting a good flow of milk from all her teets, not sure if that matters or not. As far as the water, not sure how to make her drink more, maybe a salt block. he waterer is never empty but I can tell you she is not drinking much more than 15-20 gallons.Can i buy her some alphalpa cubes. i know i can get that at my local feed store


Is she eating all her hay? I like to give enough so that there is a little left by the next time I feed. That way I know she is getting her fill. Cows like fresh hay, so I feed twice a day. 
If she has a fair amount of water left each time you come out to fill it (say a gallon or more is still left) then, she is obviously getting all she wants. 
She does need access to salt though. I use Redmond loose mineral salt in a container hung on the wall of the barn. 
I supplement with alfalfa pellets, but I also soak them.


----------



## momofseven (Oct 10, 2008)

When I added barley to my cows ration (1/2 alfalfa, 1/2 16% feed) she increased a little... but it was only a little that I gave her. How about adding some oats and barley to her grain?


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Well first of all you need to get this cow bred, NOW !!! She will have a fall calf, which is better than no calf, I know some of you don`t like to over winter calves, but who cares. This cow needs to be bred, ASAP. And find some Alfalfa hay and feed her some extra along with the timothy. I don`t like cubes unless you cant find anything else, they are hard and if they are not use to them it will take her a while to get use to them.And you can buy several bales of hay for what one bag will cost you. If your feeding a complete grain mix, buy a bag of cracked corn and give her a couple pounds of that a day. She also needs a good loose salt, and I reccomend "Redmond Salt" it is a trace mineral salt that is mined, so it is organic also. Salt blocks take to long to get enough of it to do good. As far as water, get her the salt and she will drink more water. And my cows do not drink more water in the winter, 20 gallons of water will be about all she will drink till she gets more salt. And yes you can put a blanket on her if you want, it won`t hurt, but you will need to keep it on once you do. And make sure she has a warm place to get in and lay down, cow comfort is a big deal in keeping them healthy. Was your cow use to being milked with a machine before you got her. And once again, this cow needs to be bred, I don`t care what to. > Thanks Marc


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

thanks Marc. I am really not sure if she was useeto a machine. the person I bought her from was not milking her at all and just letting the heard of calves eat off the mother cows in the field. he couldnt tell me when i asked how much milk she was producing. I will get her some crack corn, and alfalfa hay. I will see who I have that lives by me to try to breed her ASAP. i know she is under weight by like 150 pounds. So that was my main concern. I will also make sure she has hay in front of her at all times. Since this is all new to me, and I love having and owning a cow I thank all of you for your advice!!!

Also once she is bred will she continue to produce milk for me?? And I believe I stop milking her a few weeks before she will calf?? correct?? Will being bred make her produce more milk for me? thanks again. a new cow mom


----------



## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Gradually stop milking 2 months before calving. Yes, she will milk after being bred, but no, being bred won't make her give more milk. There's a window for breeding that a cow is most responsive to being bred. As her lactation cycle progresses, she will give less milk, so you could possibly end up with a cow giving NO milk for months while you wait for her to calve if you don't get her bred. Not all cows will decrease milk production, but most do. I have a cow that calved in June that hasn't bred back with 2x attempts and 2 missed heat cycles. I am very concerned and I won't care about a winter calf either if that's what it takes to get her bred.

To increase milk production - add alfalfa to her diet. That's the simplest way that I know. If you end up with cubes - soak them first so they will soften up. The cubes can be so hard a cow can choke on them. (ask me how I know). I put them in the grain manger with some warm water - waited 10 minutes and then put her grain on top. But I have found that the pellets are better 9as well as more convenient than the cubes and alfalfa hay the best for bringing up milk production. You do not have to feed straight alfalfa hay as free choice - that would be over doing it. Just give her a couple flakes of alfalfa hay or buy alfalfa/grass mix hay. If her manure gets runny- she's getting too much protein. (alfalfa) And you might end up finding out that 2 gallons a day is what she is going to produce.

Good luck!


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Two gallons of milk a day is not bad for your cow, can you use more? Just keep milking your cow for as long as it takes. And only dry her up two months before she calves. If she is not milking much at the time just stop milking her at once. If they are not giving much that is the best way far as I`m conserned. And as Callie said she doesn`t need full feed alfalfa, just a few flakes a day. That is what I have ended up doing, we have been cold, and I bought some alfalfa hay last week, and feed only a couple hundred pounds a day to 15 cows plus all the grass hay they want. Don`t worry about breeding her to a beef bull if you have to. Just get her bred. > Marc


----------



## mindyloo (Oct 20, 2010)

thanks everyone for all the great advice. now to find someone to breed her to. UGG Ill kepp you posted and am going to the feed store today. thanks again.


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I have a question:

I feed my cow, a calf starter (says Dairy feed on the bag), it has corn and oats in it besides pellets. She seems to pass the corn and the oats.

Should I have water available to her while I am milking her? (I am down to 45 minute milking time...yahooo.., but then she is gypping me on milk lately too)

She has access to hay and water in the pasture.


----------



## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Karen no...she will start moving around more while you milk.. going from feed to water....but have it close mine milk then go to water


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Karen in Alabam said:


> I have a question:
> 
> I feed my cow, a calf starter (says Dairy feed on the bag), it has corn and oats in it besides pellets. She seems to pass the corn and the oats.
> 
> ...


No need to have water in front of her while you milk.

Cows do not digest whole or even cracked grains well. Can you get a mostly ground feed?? She will use that better and not have such high waste.


----------



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

Thanks, 

will look into ground grains.

We don't have alfalfa hay around here, maybe early fall, but now its just bermuda grass, mixed grass. They have free access to that hay all day long.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

If you can't get alfalfa hay(have you asked at the feed mills about who might grow it in the area??), you might try alfalfa pellets. You want the 100% alfalfa ones, not ones with anything added.


----------



## oldtimer (Dec 12, 2010)

Karen,
As you are in North East Alabama 
I know where you can get alfalfa hay. It is in the large square bales but it may not always be in stock and you may have to order it. It comes in from Oklahoma.
About a week ago he had only 4 bales left.
It&#8217;s near Cleveland TN.

I have a supplier in Cleveland TN that has exactly what you may want to feed.
It&#8217;s all natural products.
Can be picked up and bought by the pound.
I take my 55 gal drums and 5 gal buckets and use the buckets to Â½ fill the drum, for ease of unloading then fill the buckets.
They also have a pre mixed goat feed.

If you have an interest, PM me and I will give you the name and address and directions.
OT


----------

