How long to milk a cow after calving: when is it better and how many times to milk

Cow is the breadwinner of the family, giving milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheeses and other products that are good for people's he alth. For stable lactation, you need to know exactly how to behave with an animal, how to feed and care for it, treat it if necessary, and most importantly, how long it takes to milk a cow after calving. This is important for the he alth of the cow, and for the offspring, and for the volume of milk yield.

When to start milking a cow after calving

It is believed that the first time a cow should be milked within 2 hours after calving. Milked colostrum is given to the calf. At the first milking, and sometimes for several times, you need to leave some colostrum in the udder. This is done to prevent childbirth paresis.

It is necessary to milk the first-calf heifer especially carefully. A rough or careless attitude can not only affect the level of milk yield at the first milking, but also form a negative attitude towards any touch on the udder. A person who will milk a cow needs to make sure that his hands are warm, and his attitude towards the animal is affectionate and friendly.

You can't leave a cow without milking for a long time after calving, as this will lead to milk stagnation. The animal may suffer from swelling of the udder, which causes him physical suffering. This is reflected in the amount of milk given, in addition, the cow may simply not let a person near a painful udder.

What needs to be done before that?

Before milking for the first time, ensure that the cow is calm and follow these steps:

1. 30-40 minutes after the calf is born, mothers are given a bucket or one and a half clean water. It is slightly s alted so that the thirst disappears, and the cow wants to eat. Feed her first time with high quality fresh hay.
2. After giving birth, the animal needs to be cleaned. She is washed with warm water and soap on her stomach, the area of \u200b\u200bthe hind legs and tail, especially carefully and carefully - the udder. All procedures should be done calmly, without unnerving or irritating the calving female.
3. The old bedding that got dirty during calving, as well as the afterbirth, must be removed, then fresh hay should be laid in a thick layer. It is necessary to ensure that fine dust and dust from dry plants do not hang in the air, because it gets into the milk and pollutes it. Also, there should be no manure in the room. Be sure to ventilate the barn (no drafts!), because the milk absorbs any strong odors.
4. Before milking, especially in first-calf heifers and new-milking cows, the udder must be gently massaged. When washing, it is gently rubbed with a dry towel, and then massaged. In nature, this function is performed by a calf, but in order to obtain a dairy cow, offspring are not allowed to it.

It is necessary to carefully monitor how the cow eats. She should not overeat, especially at first, as this can cause disruption of the intestines. But she should not remain hungry either, as this will affect the quantity and quality of milk given.

Rules for milking a cow at home

Cow milking is a set of methods aimed at increasing milk yield. It includes the following ways:

1. Frequent milking.
2. Excellent care, compliance with hygiene rules.
3. A complete balanced diet.
4. Udder massage.
5. Monitoring the he alth of the animal, taking emergency adequate measures in case of violations or diseases.

The first 10 days the cow is fed most often only hay to prevent possible digestive problems.Then, from about 12-15 days, they begin to distribute it. By this time, the condition of the udder of the animal is normal, it ceases to be hypersensitive, milk is produced stably.

To increase milk yield by 4-6 liters, the animal's diet is increased accordingly. This is done incrementally. If a cow gives 15 liters of milk, her ration is increased to the amounts given to an animal with a milk yield of 19 liters. As soon as the milk yield reaches the currently desired figure, the ration is raised again, for example, based on 23 liters of milk and so on.

At the same time increase the number of milkings. If they started with three, then they raise it to 4 or 5. In the event that the cow begins to give more milk, her ration increases proportionally. Since overeating has a bad effect on the work of the stomach, it can lead to illness and a decrease in milk yield, it is possible to increase not the volume of food eaten, but its ability to “drive” milk.To do this, give more succulent feeds such as turnips and beets, good hay, protein concentrates, feed yeast, or specially processed foods.

To do this, per kilogram of concentrated feed, oatmeal or wheat bran add 30 grams of fresh yeast, which is diluted in 1.5 liters of warm water. The resulting mixture is kept warm for 6 to 9 hours, then given to a dairy cow.

When milking, it is important to completely empty the udder, milking first from both front lobes, then from the two rear lobes to the drop.

How many times a day to milk an animal?

Normal milking of a cow consists of 3 approaches. In the event that the animal is being milked or it is a highly productive individual, then the number of milkings per day can reach 4 or even 5.

If all methods of milking do not lead to a pronounced increase in milk yield, the cow is gradually transferred to the standard number of milkings - 3 during the day. The udder is massaged with hands before the procedure, and the process itself is carried out with a fist.

Proper care and feeding

The animal needs to be provided with a calm environment, cleanliness and careful handling. Fear can affect milk flow, so loud noises, sudden movements, clapping on the body, screaming, and so on are prohibited.

Cleanliness is just as important. This affects several factors at once:

1. Cow he alth status. Dirt and feces contain pathogens, and the animal after calving is weakened and can easily get sick. In addition, the infection can get into the milk.
2. Cleanliness in the room, the cow itself, the milkmaid and equipment will help keep the milk tasty, fresh and he althy. It absorbs any unpleasant odors, so milking should be done in a clean, ventilated barn or outdoors.
3. Feed and their calorie content are calculated according to the cow's milk yield. The more milk she gives and the higher its fat content, the more high-quality and nutritious her food should be.

Compliance with these simple rules allows you to get a large amount of milk and not deplete the herd.

Possible problems and solutions

A cow's he alth can be affected by unbalanced feeding, insufficient food, insufficient calorie content, and too much food.

Feeds should be varied, they need to be supplemented with mineral supplements, calculate the diet by milk production.

Cows after calving have a weakened immune system, so they are especially susceptible to infectious diseases. The state of their he alth must be closely monitored, at the first sign of the sick animal to isolate and immediately call a veterinarian. Such diseases as rabies and pseudorabies, brucellosis, parainfluenza, pasteurellosis, psoroptosis, salmonellosis and others are dangerous. Some are incurable (rabies).

But frequent problems after the birth of a calf are related to the condition of the mammary glands. In the first place in frequency, mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland, accompanied by the appearance of seals, inflammation and severe pain. Depending on the severity of the disease, they are limited to local treatment or they give the cow antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Milking is necessary, but milk and colostrum are not used and the calf is not fed, as it is infected and full of drugs.

For paresis, air is introduced into the udder, and if the placenta did not separate and come out within 6 hours, milking did not help, the cow is fed 5 liters of amniotic fluid or a decoction of onion peel with added sugar. If in doubt, contact your veterinarian.

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