# Jersey won't stop producing!



## Myakka Farmer (Mar 19, 2018)

Hi everyone. Our family has a Jersey and in November she had her second calf. We've been milking her successfully twice a day, but due to circumstances had to dry her off about 2 months ago on June. We saw a reduction in milk and she has not had any symptoms that would make us think she has mastitis, but but her udders are still full of milk and even today she was leaking milk. Should we do something or just leave her be?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Resume milking? Throw away the milk at first, maybe three times. 

She is genetically programmed to produce a prodigious amount of milk for about a year.


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## Myakka Farmer (Mar 19, 2018)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Resume milking? Throw away the milk at first, maybe three times.
> 
> She is genetically programmed to produce a prodigious amount of milk for about a year.


So she basically can't turn it off? I'd actually like to resume milking unless there's something else to be worried about.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

My experience is primarily goats. I had a couple that would milk for a couple of years!


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## Myakka Farmer (Mar 19, 2018)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> My experience is primarily goats. I had a couple that would milk for a couple of years!


She is a good milker so maybe she just didn't want to quit. I'm just glad it didn't lead to mastitis. I'll try to get her going again. Thanks for your help.


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## royB (Dec 15, 2004)

Are you sure no one is nursing her? I caught a grown heifer nursing a cow and she was almost 2, about to have her own first calf


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Myakka, that is a bit unusual and I'm asking the same question at royB - is there the chance that another animal is nursing her? 

If she calved in November and you quit milking in June, she had already done a 7-8 month stint and I'm wondering if she is back in calf. If not, her lactation could be prolonged but not to the extent it would appear to be if the milk isn't being taken away from her. So again, is another animal nursing her.

If she is leaking the teats haven't plugged so by all means bring her in and strip her out but test all four quarters for mastitis. You should be able to pick up a mastitis kit from your vet, failing that squirt a reasonable amount of dish detergent (I use Palmolive) into a container and squirt the milk from one quarter only into it. If it curdles she has sub-clinical mastitis and will need to be treated. Repeat this on the remaining three quarters with new detergent. 

If you wish to continue milking her, do so but if she is in calf look at doing it OAD as you don't want to ask too much of your cow - producing milk and growing a calf takes a lot of energy and you are now coming into autumn. If she isn't in calf, carry on for as long as you like. I've milked MT cows for nearly 2 years.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Also, could she be self sucking?


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