A cow lost milk: what to do and what is the reason, prevention of problems
Keeping a cow in an individual or farm is not only a profitable business, but also a very responsible one. The cow feeds her calves with her milk. A significant part of the most valuable product ends up on the table for people. But what if the cow gradually or suddenly lost milk? Is it possible to restore past milk yields or will I have to send the cow for meat?
Reason for missing
The main condition for fixing the problem is to understand why such a disaster happened. The reasons are varied.
Irrational nutrition
After giving birth, the animal's body must recover. The lactation process itself, although familiar to giving birth cows, also requires a large set of components that are taken with milk several times a day. Uneven feed supply, periods of starvation do not immediately affect milk yield, but the depleted body of the cow will eventually fail.
Experiencing a stressful situation
The life of animals is measured and monotonous. The following unusual events may cause the body to malfunction:
- long haul;
- rough loading onto vehicles and long journey;
- change of owner;
- inept and painful milking;
- unaccustomed food and environment.
Bad conditions in the stall
If the room where the cow spends the night and stays out of grazing is drafty, excessively cold or hot, not enough air, dirty and humid, the animal will inevitably reduce milk production, or even stop milking.Unsanitary conditions cause disease. Burenka does not want to lie down in the mud and costs a lot, does not sleep enough. This exhausts the animal.
Cow too intensive exploitation
If you do not stop milking a cow 1.5-2 months before calving, she will come to childbirth and the next lactation period weakened. It is normal for a cow to give milk 3 times a day. More frequent milkings can hurt her.
Too early insemination negatively affects the he alth of the animal. Older cows may run out of milk long before the next calving.
Udder injury and disease
Injury to the udder can be caused by a blow with a horn or a hoof, a fall, overcoming an obstacle while grazing in a forest or in an area cluttered with debris and branches. In the shed where animals are kept, shovels and boxes must not be left in order to avoid accidents. A severe bruise can lead to forced rejection of the animal.The most common diseases affecting lactation:
- mastitis;
- teat cracks leading to infection spreading deeper into the udder;
- inflammation of the genitourinary system;
- diseases of the digestive tract that interfere with the full absorption of food.
What to do if a cow runs out of milk
React to an empty udder immediately. As soon as the cow has stopped giving milk, a thorough examination of the animal is done, starting with the udder.
Food
If no diseases are detected, the cow does not show signs of weakness or excitement, the cow's diet is radically revised. Most of all, the calorie content of food affects the productivity of dairy cattle.A cow weighing 500 kg per day needs to consume 6300-6700 kilocalories for a he althy state plus 590 kilocalories in order to produce 1 liter of milk. This energy is provided by carbohydrates. A large amount of fiber interferes with the digestibility of food.
Calorie table:
| Type of feed, 1kg | Energy value, kcal |
| corn | 1894.76 |
| barley | 1597.82 |
| potatoes | 438.34 |
| sugar beet | 339.36 |
| 2828 | |
| 197.96 | |
| 155.54 |
Water should always be available.
Comfortable conditions
The barn is maintained at a temperature of at least 15 °C. The floor is always dry. The manure is quickly removed. The walls are lined with dry straw. In winter, the drink is served warm and set up so as not to wet the floor. There are no gaps in the walls.
Troubleshooting other causes
After stress, increase nutrition and show affectionate treatment. It usually goes away in a day or three.
When identifying the above diseases or more alarming symptoms, contact the veterinarian.
How to prevent the problem from occurring
To prevent a possible decrease in milk yield or loss of milk from a cow, it is necessary to take care of the animals constantly, do not leave them unattended for a long time. Every breeder must adhere to the rules:
- Give cows complete feed at the same time.
- Wash hands with soap before milking. Wash the udder with clean water and wipe dry with a towel.
- Check the cow constantly, especially after pasture.
- Prepare the heifer in advance for milking by massaging her nipples.
- Keep the udder clean and dry, immediately treat cracks with iodine or hydrogen peroxide. Seek immediate medical attention if there are no signs of healing.
- Don't ignore pimples and inflammation.
- Before each milking, massage the udder for 1 minute and start milking immediately.
- Get regular veterinary checkups.
For affectionate treatment, the animal will surely thank with increased milk yield.
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