Udderly dysfunctional… for a calf

A few pics of udders that might have some problems!

these are NOT our cows, but you can see a few pictures of problem udders when cows are bred for increased volumes of milk. A calf would have significant difficulty nursing from one of these udders.  The first udder would be difficult but could be done if she were shown repeatedly, where to go for the milk.

Today’s calves still “search” much higher up, where the udder were traditionally.  That’s why the high udder on our old world jersey is where the calf will located it easily, by instinct. Read the rest of this entry »

How to tell when it “time” to calve…

Yesterday I was saying that Chocolate is close to dropping her calf (i.e. birthing)… so a few other hints that it is getting close.  Her udder (bag) has filled out! She doesn’t have the huge bag of a standard Jersey, or the ground dragging bags of Holsteins. So when you notice her udder… it means something is going on, as well as when the teats lengthen and start to look full.

The temps dropped to the high 20’s last night… so glad our cows tend to deliver in the daytime when the temps have warmed up.  Chocolate’s udder looks fuller today, and the teats are beginning to angle OUT (the better for a newborn calf to find). And even better some of the teats are beginning to show drops of milk… dripping out.

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When the calf is born, and starts looking for a teat, it is so funny to see.  The teats will just be streaming milk.

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