# TINY teats Help ASAP!!



## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

Hi all
Help and advice asap would be wonderful. 

My first calf heifer, she is 1/2 jersey and 1/2 brown swiss had her calf today around noon. Her udder has been HUGE for 2 weeks and super tight. Teats are super small and short.

Now that she has calved, I had to get as much as I could out of the front teats just so they were soft enough so the calf could latch on. The back ones are even shorter, I can barely squeeze them with my thumb and finger. 

I don't have a milking machine and I have no idea how to get the milk out of those back quarters. The front I think will be ok, but I am very concerned about milk fever, mastitis, etc with those back ones. Calf can't latch on to the back at all and I can't get much milk out. 

What would you do??


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## Chaty (Apr 4, 2008)

YOu be surprised what a calf can do to those back teats. My Jersey was the same way and we finally had to get a machine but if you let the calf at them they can figure it out pretty quick!


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## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

He's had almost 24 hours. Cant seem to latch on unless we milk them out first, and then those back two.....we'll see. 

Thanks for your response.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Give him a few days and keep on milking her out for him. I bet he'll get stronger and figure it out. Once they latch on, they dont' forget where or how to do it, but he may need help if she's moving around a lot; heifers tend to do that. Don't give up on them yet.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I normally don't reccomend this system as it can cause damage. 
http://www.henrymilker.com/productimage.php?product_id=29 
But something like this will help to pull out the milk and in large her teats. Get a 60 cc surynge. The pumper is only a break bleeder. Easy to make.


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## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

I just can barely get a hold on those back ones to get them milked out enough between her kicking from it hurting and her inexperience. Think I might have found a neighbor with a milker that I can borrow for a couple days!!


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## opportunity (Mar 31, 2012)

Do you have a way to restrain her head and then tie one let forward and up. We have been using a horse hobble and a nylon haulter to hold up a leg and milk out the back of our jersey it has been getting to full. We also got her a second calf to raise and it has helped but we still must restrain her for him to eat. This is day three with the new calf though so she might start liking him soon. As for milking i can get two fingers on her to start with but it gets better the calfs seem to need a little help with it but they are young like yorus. Last year her teats were smaller but her calf seemed to be able to do it just fine. hopefully this is a one year thing for you to.


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## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks Opportunity! 

I used the milker on her and that help quite a bit. I will have that for a couple days, which hopefully will make it so that I can milk her by hand.

I can restrain her, I haven't ever tied up a leg before. What if they lose balance on the other back foot? 

I might need to get another calf for her just to keep her in check.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

One of the results of mechanized dairying. When all cows were hand milked teat size was characteristic that was considered in breeding. Now it doesn't matter.


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## BobbyB (Apr 6, 2009)

bruce2288 said:


> One of the results of mechanized dairying. When all cows were hand milked teat size was characteristic that was considered in breeding. Now it doesn't matter.


Very true and there is also a lesson in this. You can tell a lot about a heifers teats when she is just weaning age. If they are short and tight then, there wont be any growth spurts . If they are are of decent length, then you should be good to go for hand milking. 

I had a Jersey heifer I bought from a dairy to show when in High School. She was a 2 finger milker and it was a pain in the rump. That was when I started paying attention.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Well, now it's gone overboard to the extent that sometimes the milkers can't even hold on, especially if the cow moves in the stanchion. 

When looking for a bull, I check to see whether he will shorten the teat or lengthen it.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Judy in IN said:


> When looking for a bull, I check to see whether he will shorten the teat or lengthen it.


Judy's right. Even better, they say look at the bull's dam.


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## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

I didn't know you could tell on a heifer at weaning age! Good to know. 

This is ridiculous! The milker I borrowed does work decently on her. I just don't have $1200 to buy one. :/


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Have you tried Craigslist? It's a bad time of year for milkers. If you were closer, you could borrow one of mine.

How far are you from Omaha? http://omaha.craigslist.org/grd/3514581312.html
* I am having to sell my cow due to my child's new milk protein allergy. I am also selling my two milk machines. They both have all working parts, the DeLaval has brand new inflations and hose. Both have pulsators and inflations.
I bought the Dairyland Porta Vac and never used it. It is brand new still in box with bubble wrap. 
Surge-250.00
DeLaval-275.00
Porta Vac- 500.00 plus shipping and insurance on all. 

*
This is over on the Family Cow Forum:


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