Jersey cow just had a heifer, how long do I wait?

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

You said you want to keep her production up, was she dried off before she had this calf? Typically cows reach peak milk about 2 months after calving then production falls off until they are dried off in preparation for freshening.

Jim

 

[msitework]

I put two other calves with her & she accepted both of them with no problem. The three of them don't seem to be drinking all of the milk she produces, I don't know how much exactly but her bag is huge. This is her first calf, but she is a great mother. She tends to all three babies without a problem so far. We'll keep a close eye on her & the babies in case we need to pull one, but I thought that if they didn't drink all the milk her production would suffer. She is a Jersey, not a beef cow so she produces a lot more milk. After she is done raising the calfs I would like to learn how to milk her. I just bought a holstein heifer today also, so I can't wait till she's old enough. How long do I have to wait to breed her again, she just had the calf. Should I breed her to another Jersey or a beef bull?
Thanks,
Monty

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
I don't know. If a calf drinks 2 quarts of milk at a time I know my lead doe could make enough for it to survive with some supplement for bottle feeding. My doe, Lilah, milked 2 gallons of milk a day - 2 full gallons not scant gallons and had a baby she would let suckle if I turned them out together. She milked for 2 years straight and through a second kidding without ever drying off. I finally threw in the towel and decided she needed a break and dried her off the hard way this last fall because she needed a break and needed to put on weight for the winter.

Now I don't know anything about a goat letting a calf suck but I do know that milking the goat and feeding the calf is a good thing to do if you have to.

 

[beefy]

i would breed her to a beef bull unless you just really want another dairy heifer and have good enough luck to get heifers born when you want heifers lol. she should raise the three just fine, just watch her condition. being a heifer, she may or may not come back in to heat on time, but normal postpartum interval for cattle is ~45-55 days. just make sure the calves are sucking all the quarters equally so you dont wind up with mastitis problems if they are not getting all the milk.

lots of people raise calves on goats milk.

 

[hazelton farms]

When I took my heifer to be bred on Sunday I asked the same question of the holstein farmer that bred her for me. He said to wait till day 85 after she gives birth to start to AI her again. She should be bred by 100 days and if it gets more than 150-165 days beyond when she gave birth, you will start to have serious problems getting her bred at all.
He said they (dairy cows) are meant to give birth once a year.

Stacy

 

[wynedot55]

im a retired dairymen.an i strongly dissagree with the info your friend has given you.if you are AIing her.its best to wait 60 days after calving to start watching her for heats.an AI her on the 1st standing heat.if she goes beyond 150 days an is still open.then she needs tobe put with a bull for 30 to 60 days.just because she is open at 150 days that doesnt mean she wont breed.it just means she hasnt settled yet.

 

[hazelton farms]

Quote:
He didn't say she WON'T breed, he said it would get harder to breed her from there, something about how their reproductive system works. He also said he tries more aggressively to breed from that point, such as using two straws the next time, and four the time after that and finally, using an angus if four straws doesn't work. He spent a lot of time explaining things to us.

I guess I'd ask the people you use to breed your heifer what their opinion is on how long to wait to rebreed her since the opinions seem to vary by a few heat cycles. And I guess whatever is most convienent for you?

Stacy

 

[wynedot55]

well heres the deal.if a cow hasnt settled by 150 days.its clear that she wont settle to AI.an she needs tobe put with a bull.some cows breed in their own time not ours.example ive got a cow that calved in feb 2007.i bought her in may 2007.the ranch held all their cows open because they knew they was selling the herd.an they didnt want to AI 220hd in 90 days.an i held her open 60 more days.turned her out with the bull 7-1-2007 an she appartly settled on her 1st heat.since she is springing now.an will prolly calve in the next week or so.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
I don't know. If a calf drinks 2 quarts of milk at a time I know my lead doe could make enough for it to survive with some supplement for bottle feeding. My doe, Lilah, milked 2 gallons of milk a day - 2 full gallons not scant gallons and had a baby she would let suckle if I turned them out together. She milked for 2 years straight and through a second kidding without ever drying off. I finally threw in the towel and decided she needed a break and dried her off the hard way this last fall because she needed a break and needed to put on weight for the winter.

Now I don't know anything about a goat letting a calf suck but I do know that milking the goat and feeding the calf is a good thing to do if you have to.

The problem comes in with feeding full time. Large calf will put down 3 gallons + in a day which is more than your best goat produces.

 

[MissPrissy]

I can understand that. However most people with goats have more than one. That is a no brainer. We all know goats do better in herds. In an operation with cows, calving and raising goats on the side I can't see where there would be a shortage of milk to feed out a calf. My two best milkers do make enough to feed out a calf. If a calf needs 3+ gallons 2 of my does could produce more than enough and I have 4 more waiting in the wings to milk out if there is a need for more.

It the same as milking out the goats to help feed and grow out pigs. You do what you have to do to make them all survive.