What to do if a cow has calved but there is no milk and what means to treat

Subtleties from experienced livestock breeders

When choosing an animal breed to keep, you must seek the advice of experienced farmers. How many liters of milk a cow supplies per day is influenced by the appearance of the heifer and her anthropometric indicators. Cows with the best volume of milk produced by their owner will please:

• an elongated body with depressions on the sides of the abdomen.
• small head and long legs;
• folded skin and thin neck;
• oblique ribs and a flat back;
• smooth clean udder.

Having decided to buy a cow in the first year of life, you need to determine how many shortcomings it has that may affect its performance indicator

Special attention is paid to the appearance of the animal. A heifer will not produce large volumes of milk if the animal has:

• flabby complexion and rough skin;
• narrow head;
• small udder.
• The temperament of the animal is also important. Only a calm cow will not cause problems in maintenance and will please you with milk yield.

Pay attention to the atmosphere and massage

It is of great importance that the animal stay in a comfortable and calm environment. Often, in a stall, a cow is tied, including her tail, to limit movement during milking, although some experienced milkmaids do without this. The milking procedure itself begins with washing the udder with warm water, and continues with massage. The importance of the latter should not be underestimated: it helps prevent mastitis and enhance milk production.

The duration of the massage should not be more than 30 seconds, since from the beginning of the preparatory measures the hormone oxytocin is released into the animal’s brain. It affects muscle tissue, allowing you to prevent nipples from pinching and increasing milk flow. Its maximum occurs after the first 45 seconds, so it is important to start milking within one minute.

At the end of the process, the cow should be milked. This is necessary to reduce the threat of inflammation of her udder. A housewife who has done the simple steps described above can safely count on a favorable milking outcome.

No milk after calving

It happens that the calf is taken away from the cow right away, and milking occurs with varying degrees of success. As a result, the process does not proceed, there is little or no milk.

• It is necessary to exclude diseases or infections in which the product disappears. Carry out correct treatment if the disease is detected.
• In heifers that have calved for the first time, the milking process is especially important. If the farmer did not take it seriously, milked it rarely and left the milk, then the milking went wrong.
• The night break in milking should not last longer than ten hours. Sometimes thirty minutes is enough to lose a liter or two of milk.
• Milk may disappear if you pinch the udder or nipples. You need to milk with your fist, with the first drops in a separate cup. Confident, smooth, firm, but not too sudden movements cause the cow to not hold milk.

Eight or ten days later, you can drink milk after the cow calves. Housewives can learn about the disappearance of colostrum by the fact that the milk has stopped curdling when heated. Some owners boil colostrum for personal use, but drinking it raw is unacceptable.

Several ways to milk a cow

Most often, milk is extracted from the udder by pinching. This method requires less skill. Cover the nipple from above with the thumb and index finger and move the fingers down. In this case, milk is squeezed out of the nipple canal into the milk pan. This is a rather traumatic way of milking; it often causes pain in the animal. In addition, with such milking, the length of the nipples can stretch up to 20 centimeters over time.

When milking with a fist, damage to the nipples usually does not occur, but the movements here are more complex. Two nipples are clamped into a fist from above. The thumb and index fingers are located highest, the little finger is located near the sphincter (obturator) of the nipple. The hands remain motionless, only the fingers move. First, the thumb and index finger are squeezed, then the middle and ring fingers in turn. The milk is squeezed out from top to bottom from the nipple canals. When the fist relaxes, new portions of milk from the udder enter the nipple canal.

After milking, all lobes of the empty udder are massaged again, after which you need to finish milking the cow - these will be the fattest portions of milk. Now you need to wipe the nipples with a clean towel and lubricate them with Vaseline oil or another composition that the veterinarian may recommend.

Farming often uses machine milking. To do this, electricity needs to be installed in the barn. The heifer is gradually accustomed to the milking machine. For 2-3 days they do not put milking cups on her, but simply turn on the vacuum pump. Only after this can you try machine milking.

When milk stops coming from the udder, the cow is milked. Otherwise, she may be at risk of inflammation. However, you should not manually milk cows after the machine, otherwise the udder will get used to not giving all the milk to the machine. It is better to press the pulsator-collector with your hand down and forward (towards the front legs of the animal), and with the other hand do a final massage of the udder (all its parts). This will allow the remaining milk to be milked out.

Traditional ways of providing assistance

The absence of cud in a cow indicates problems with digestion. Often the disease can be triggered by very serious reasons. There are situations when there is no time to wait for the veterinarian to arrive - the animal needs to be saved, otherwise it may die. Therefore, you need to be prepared for any possible situation. A person is capable of providing first aid until a specialist arrives.

People started raising cows a very long time ago. In those days there were no veterinarians or medicines, but since livestock was the main source of food, it was protected and valued. Therefore, people unwittingly learned to help animals with the help of improvised means and scavenged materials.

To this day, traditional methods of treating cows are popular among breeders, especially on personal lands with a small number of livestock. The recipes have been proven over time and there is no doubt about their effectiveness.

• Starvation diet for a cow. She only needs to be given plenty of water throughout the day.
• Hellebore tincture stimulates the digestive system. Every 30 minutes, the cow is given half a liter of water with 10-15 ml of hellebore.
• Add tinctures of wormwood, St. John's wort and chamomile to your drink. An effective bloating reliever.
• Stimulation of organ function with mineral hydrochloride water (approximately 2 liters).
• Cucumber pickle (sometimes cabbage or tomato pickle) is also good if the cow does not have cud. 0.5 liters 3 times a day.
• Sometimes a cow is given a few liters of freshly milked milk to drink to get the gastrointestinal tract working.
• You can drink 150 ml of vodka, which normalizes the functioning of the stomach. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to cause poisoning.
• Acetic essence in an amount of 40 ml, diluted in 2 liters of water with the addition of 500 grams of sugar, restores protein functions in the body.
• Sometimes, in the absence of belching, vodka with garlic is used. 2 tablets of no-shpa and a little vegetable oil are placed in the cow's mouth. After this, pour the tincture of vodka and garlic into the throat in the proportion of 2 cloves per 0.2 liter of liquid. The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is restored in approximately 4-5 hours.
• To start a cow's stomach, you can prepare the following solution: 50 ml of alcohol, 100 grams of live yeast, 0.2 kg of granulated sugar and 1 liter of water.

Traditional methods of treatment must be used carefully. You can't give a cow everything at once. You need to choose the most optimal treatment. If it doesn't help, then you need to try something else. Some time should pass between doses (at least an hour).

Of the tinctures containing alcohol, you need to choose only one, since an excess of alcohol will cause poisoning of the body.

During the period of illness, it is important to carefully monitor the sick individual. If the folk remedies used did not bring the desired effect, and the animal still does not regurgitate food for chewing, you need to seek the help of a specialist

The cow may need surgery if the cause of the lack of cud is a foreign object in the digestive tract.

Rule six: don’t rush into first calving time

Of course, every owner wants his heifer to quickly turn into a full-fledged cow. But, nevertheless, you should not rush with the first insemination. You won’t get much milk from a cow that is too young and poorly developed. For each breed, optimal parameters for the development of animals for the first calving have been established. For the most popular black-and-white breed, the live weight of the first heifer should be about 500 kg. Accordingly, during the insemination period (usually at the age of 17-18 months), the cow should weigh about 370 kg. However, you should not overexpose the heifer either. Cows that calve for the first time after the age of three years do not have any advantage over animals that calve at the age of 25-28 months.

I hope my advice will help you, dear cow owners, to always have milk in abundance, using all the reserves of your animals.

M.P. Grin.

Read other articles on this topic here.

Home » Articles » Veterinary medicine and animal husbandry » Cattle breeding » Why does the fat content of milk fall?

Why does the fat content of milk decrease?

Veterinary and animal husbandry No. 10 (May) 2013

With the onset of summer, the problem arises: how to maintain the fat content of milk at a stable level - above 3.6% of the base fat content? I will try to identify the weak points of this issue, guided by the developments of foreign practitioners and personal experience. As you search for the reasons for low milk fat on your farm, consistently pay attention to these weak points and you will certainly find the answer. At the same time, the solution to the problem is often complex and depends on the animal housing system. Let's look at them in order.

When kept in stalls all year round, the fat content of milk can be reduced by the following factors:

1 Low fiber intake.

Minimum NDF (neutral detergent fiber) – 1.1–1.2% of live weight.

2 Low roughage intake.

Roughage should be included in the diet in an amount of no less than 1.4% of live weight. In most situations, forage takes up at least 40–45% of the diet by dry matter.

3 Large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates (sugars).

4 Excess fat or oil in the diet (rapeseed cake, for example).

5 Protein deficiency.

Lack of crude protein and digestible protein may reduce dry matter intake and fiber digestibility. This problem most often occurs when feeding large quantities of silage or poor quality haylage.

6 Sulfur deficiency.

It is observed in diets containing a lot of silage and poor haylage.

7 Energy deficiency.

This problem is typical at the beginning of lactation.

8 Poor feed supply.

Regardless of the type of system used, the feed portion must be in front of the cows for at least 20 hours per day. Leftover food should be cleaned out daily.

9 Rumen acidosis. The use of Greenline Dairy buffer additive will help solve this problem.

10 Season of the year (May-August).

11 Stage of lactation.

A cow's fat test is likely to be lowest at peak production and highest toward the end of lactation. If the herd's milk fat test is low at the end of lactation after 250 days. (3.5%), diet composition and feeding management strategy should be carefully examined.

12 Genetics.

In many regions, producers are paid for skim milk, or for milk protein. If the fat test was ignored in the breeding program, then it is possible that the animals have a genetic tendency to have low fat content in milk (Table 1. Fat and protein content in milk by breed) (Table 1).

13 High somatic cell count.

14 Problems with milking equipment.

Freezing or shaking milk in a common tank lowers the fat test. This problem is indicated by lumps of milk fat that are visible when the reservoir is emptied. Excessive milk flow fluctuations in the pipeline or a malfunctioning pump can reduce fat due to milk churning.

15 Preparation and selection of samples for research.

Milk samples must be collected and processed correctly for testing to produce accurate results. Before sampling, the tank must be shaken for at least 5 minutes. Samples must be stored below 20ºC, which usually requires ice or refrigeration.

16 Other factors.

Milk fat content in milk samples from individual cows and even herds can fluctuate greatly on a daily basis. Introducing a good preservative (propionic acid) into the feed mixture will help prevent the breakdown of fats and sugars, the rancidity of fats on the feeding table and will maintain the fat content of milk at a high level.

With a pasture housing system, it is quite difficult to organize proper feeding of cows from the point of view of the milk producer. Let's look at just a few important factors that you should pay attention to when grazing dairy cows (Table 2).

With any system, adding a buffer additive to concentrates will increase the fat content of milk to 0.2%. n

All aspects of this multi-vector issue cannot be reflected in a short article. If you have a problem or are interested in the article, call: (8 029) 747 11 51.

• Table 1. Fat and protein content in milk depending on breed

• Table 2. Factors influencing the composition of milk in a pasture system

Note: “+” is a positive influence, “–” is a negative influence, “0” is no effect and “?” – the influence is unknown.

Literature.

1. Jodie A. Pennington, Extension Dairy Specialist - University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Division of Agriculture (FSA4014-PD-3–06R public ation). 08/27/2008.
2. JW

The cow has salted milk

A salty taste may occur during colostrum production or in older cows.

Important! It is this taste that indicates the animal’s old age – this is normal. If the cow is young, then the salty taste can be a sign of dangerous diseases:

If the cow is young, then the salty taste can be a sign of dangerous diseases:

1. Tuberculosis of the udder. This is a very complex disease that only a veterinarian can diagnose. After diagnosis, he begins long-term treatment with antibiotics.
2. Mastitis is another dangerous disease that requires immediate treatment.
3. Kidney problems. After the two previous options have been excluded, an examination of the digestive organs, in particular the kidneys, is carried out.

How to get rid of bitter taste?

In almost all cases, the bitter taste can be removed on your own or with the help of veterinarians. But for this it is necessary to determine the exact reason and only then do something. The only factor that cannot be cured is congenital diseases that affect the quality of milk. The rest can be resolved, but the question is how long it will take to correct the situation.

The acidity in the stomach has increased. You can buy slime at the pharmacy, which contains soda and one tsp. should be added to the feed daily. Vitamin deficiency It is necessary to review the heifer's diet and add more vitamins to it, you can also administer the required dose intramuscularly. Colds It is necessary to visit a veterinarian, and only he will prescribe the correct treatment. Worms Twice a year - the beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn, the animal should be given antiparasitic tablets. If worms do appear, then it is the job of veterinarians to prescribe medicine. Poor hygiene The room where the animal is located must be ventilated, cleaned daily, and the cow should be washed and the milking parts washed before milking. Poor feeding Grain and hay should be of high quality, without various additives. It is necessary to add a little beets, molasses and tops to the diet daily.

A cow's milk can taste bitter for many reasons, and an accurate diagnosis can be made by a doctor. Although in some situations, such as improper feeding or care, the owner himself must understand this and change the situation. If the disease is not noticed in a timely manner and is not cured, it will develop into a chronic form and then the cow will have to be culled

It is important to periodically take blood and urine tests for prevention, as well as give anthelmintic medications.

Is it possible to drink milk with blood?

Both people and calves should not drink this milk. It contains pathogens, and its chemical composition changes for the worse. It reduces the content of casein, calcium, lactose and increases the proportion of chlorides and globulin.

Of course, boiling kills pathogenic microbes, but this will not improve its quality. The milk of a sick cow is not consumed, as is the milk of a cow undergoing treatment, since it also contains antibiotics.

During this period, it is necessary to milk the cow well so that all the bloody clots come out. Otherwise, they may stick to the mucous membrane and interfere with the release of milk. You should definitely contact a veterinarian and have the animal examined and treated.

Did you know? Men from the Ethiopian Bodi tribe drink milk with the blood of cows to gain weight for the New Year. They celebrate this holiday in June, and the winner receives honor and recognition from the tribe for the whole year. Cows here are considered nurses; they are not killed, but only a vein is cut, the blood is drained and covered with clay.

Mastitis is the most common cause of agalactia

Mastitis is an inflammation of an animal's udder. They first started talking about him in France at the end of the 89s. Mastitis has different forms of neglect. The most serious of them is hemorrhagic. An animal with diseases should be placed separately from the rest of the herd and provided with warm, dry bedding, given less succulent feed, and drafts should be avoided.

When inflammation of the udder occurs, curdled formations, mucus and even blood may be observed in the cow's milk. This occurs when bacteria appear in the product, which accelerate the souring process.

In the initial stages of the disease, milk yield decreases. It is not recommended for a person to drink mastitis milk. Usually it is given to young animals.

Mastitis must be treated at an early stage. The veterinarian prescribes drug treatment, which includes external ointments, creams, painkillers and antibiotics. If a cow is prescribed a course of antibiotic treatment, her milk becomes unsuitable for consumption, even by calves.

Important! When treating mastitis, only manual milking is indicated. The frequency of milking is every 2 hours.

For primary signs of mastitis, treatment with improvised means is acceptable.

Calving problems

For new farmers, the most common questions that arise are about fertilization and reproduction. If the main goal is breeding, then the animal is prepared for this from birth, and is provided with special maintenance and care. On forums and agricultural websites you can often find questions about what to do: the cow has calved, but there is no milk. The reasons can be very different - from abnormal nipple structure to inflammation of the udder (mastitis).

Usually, if all rules and regulations are followed, such problems do not arise. Conscientious owners must provide the animal with comfortable conditions before and after birth:

1. How do you know when a cow will calve? This can be seen from several signs: she tries to retire, to get away from the herd. Therefore, it is best if the cow is given a separate stall, cleaned and covered with fresh bedding.
2. The place where the cow will calve must be dry and free of foreign objects.
3. If she is in a large room with automatic manure removal devices, care must be taken that the animal does not walk along the aisle, otherwise the calf may get caught in such a scraper.
4. Provide a balanced diet and plenty of fluids, in addition to this, owners often add multivitamins and microelements to the regular diet.

Every farmer must understand that childbirth is extremely stressful for an animal, so a cow requires increased attention and care.

Rule four: optimal startup duration

From personal practice, all cow owners know that milk yield begins to gradually decrease from approximately the 6th month of pregnancy. From this time on, the milk-forming tissue of the udder is gradually replaced by connective tissue. At the beginning of the dry period, this process intensifies sharply, and adipose tissue grows along with connective tissue. The cow stops giving milk, gets tired, she “goes to rest.” The normal duration of “maternity leave” is 45-60 days. Many owners, of course, would like it to be shorter. However, if you strive for this, you will lose. It is known that during a dry period of up to 20 days, milk yield is 20% lower than when starting a normal duration. If the dry period lasts 21-40 days, then there will still be 11% less milk. But if a cow is neglected for more than 60 days, this is also bad. In this case, don’t expect much milk. Most often, heredity is to blame for a long startup. And if your cow turns out to be such a slacker for several years in a row, it is still advisable to exchange it for a better one.

Folk remedies for drinking

The occurrence of complications after calving is directly related to the cow’s diet during the dry period. The birth proceeds normally, the placenta is separated on time, if the animal was given daily exercise and was not constantly in a cramped stall where it is impossible to move.

Along with a proper diet, the cow should receive all the necessary vitamins and mineral salts. Sometimes complications begin to appear a few days after calving. To prevent any pathologies from occurring, the farmsteaders feed the calving animals with solutions. What to feed a cow after calving:

• give a bucket of salt water: 150 g per 10 l; this will replenish the body with minerals;
• 10 liters of brine, cucumber, tomato, cabbage; experts say that this is a good remedy for feeding animals after calving, but the marinade is not suitable with vinegar, pepper and seasonings; use brine, which is obtained through natural fermentation; the most mineral salts are in cabbage brine;
• sugar is added to salty drinks: 1.5 kg, per 10 l; sweet water will increase blood sugar levels;
• sweet water is often given separately; in this case, up to 3 kg of sugar is diluted in 10 liters of water;
• a good energy drink would be sweet tea with milk;
• 2 hours after calving it is necessary to feed the calf; he is brought to the udder; he begins to suck; innate reflex; there is no need to teach the calf; the remaining colostrum is milked and given to the cow; Colostrum contains a lot of nutrients, calcium and sugar - everything that a woman in labor needs;
• Dill water; some farmsteaders specially plant a large plantation of dill in order to use it for decoction and give it to the cow after calving;
• They also give the dill herb itself, but the next day; the solution contains B vitamins, which are produced naturally in the rumen, but their levels may be reduced after childbirth; in addition to vitamins, dill contains iron, phosphorus, manganese, zinc; dill water is a natural energy drink;
• before the calf emerges, amniotic fluid first comes out of the vulva; they are collected in a clean container and given to the cow; experts say that no more than 3 liters should be used; the liquid contains a large amount of hormones; they promote better passage of the placenta and increase the production of colostrum;
• if there is little colostrum, then fresh milk from lactating cows is given; quantity 5 l.

Veterinarians say that these folk remedies are very useful for animals. They promote rapid recovery of the body. The energy supply is replenished with mineral salts and vitamins. Solutions promote better discharge of the placenta. After calving, the cow experiences postpartum labor. Salt, sugar, milk, amniotic fluid stimulate uterine contractions. The placenta separates on its own within 2-4 hours.

Milking is carried out after the animal’s health has returned to normal. First, the calf is allowed to feed from the udder. After this, the remaining colostrum is expressed to the end. The mammary gland is rubbed and massaged to activate all the alveoli in the parenchyma.

Old age of the animal

The amount of milk yield directly depends on the age of the animal. Cows reach sexual maturity at the age of 7 months. It is better to carry out the first mating later, when the formation of the body from a physiological point of view is completely completed. Early pregnancy does not contribute to the production of large amounts of milk.

There are 3 groups of the lactation period:

Animals show maximum productivity between the 5th and 9th calving. After this, there is a gradual decrease in milk yield. A balanced diet and proper care prolong the lactation period. There are cases where a cow gave milk at the age of over 15 years.

Rules for breeding cattle

In order for an animal to fulfill its purpose, in the case of cows, to produce maximum milk, it is important to provide it with proper care and maintenance. First of all, the animal must be in a well-equipped barn

It should be warm and clean, and also have a ventilation system. Important! Cold greatly reduces milk yield, so in winter the room where the cows are kept must have a constant temperature that is comfortable for the cattle.

The cow must receive sufficient nutrition. In summer, she independently obtains food for herself while grazing; in winter, the owner must provide her with the necessary set. For this purpose, hay, root crops are prepared, and feed is purchased.

Milking of cows is carried out strictly on time. Failure to comply with the established regime can greatly affect the volume of milk received, since such interruptions are stressful for the animal.

The cow has lost her milk

Rule two: normal conditions of detention

The air temperature in the barn should be no lower than 5 and no higher than 15 ° C, and the relative humidity 70-75%. The room must be equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation so that the animal constantly breathes fresh and clean air.

To chew feed, a cow secretes 90-100 liters of saliva per day. This means that she needs to drink a lot - at least 60-80 liters per day. If your cow is a high-yielding cow, she will need up to 130 liters of water per day. Water must be of good quality: colorless, transparent, odorless, and have a pleasant, refreshing taste.

During the grazing season, it is very important for the owner to know the behavior of the animals in the herd. Ethological scientists have noticed that if there are more than 25 individuals in a cow “team”, then quarrels constantly occur in it. It turned out that in any group of cows a leader is identified already on the second day, and the remaining animals are distributed by rank. After a day or two, they already know their “position in society” and recognize the leader. If there are more than 25 cows in a group, there can be no question of peaceful coexistence. Animals are not able to remember the individual characteristics of all their neighbors and their place in the herd, so many try to become leaders, fights begin between them, and as a result, a decrease in milk yield. Observations by ethologists have shown that if cows are transferred to another group in the morning, then the loss in milk yield will be 10% less than with the evening transfer. So, dear owners, try, if possible, not to graze cows in too large groups.

When should milk appear?

Each cow's body is different, so lactation can begin differently. Usually, a couple of days before giving birth, the animal first appears colostrum - a thick yellowish liquid. The udder at this time is already noticeably enlarged, but its structure is elastic to the touch, not hard. Sometimes colostrum appears even earlier, and sometimes later - right during calving or after it.

Colostrum has a special composition that is different from regular milk. It can be eaten, but the taste and smell are unpleasant for humans, therefore, as a rule, it is not drunk or used for cooking.

But it is very important for the calf to drink colostrum in the first hour of life. It helps cleanse the intestines, populate it with “adult” microflora and launch its full-fledged work.

Sometimes a cow does not produce colostrum after calving. Then you need to make a substitute. Take a liter of fresh milk, 15 grams of fish oil, 10 grams of salt and 2-3 chicken eggs. The calf should drink this mixture 4 times a day.

After calving, the cow does not give milk immediately. She is milked for the first time 1.5 hours after birth, but you can drink milk only when the colostrum disappears and regular fluid begins to be produced - after 7-10 days.

Incorrect milking

Inept and rough actions during milking lead to stress in the animal and affect the amount of milk obtained. Movements should be natural and easy. It is recommended to divide the process into several stages:

1. Before starting the procedure, the udder is washed with warm water.
2. Massaging the udder and nipples for a minute promotes milk flow.
3. If milk is expressed by hand, they are first cleaned and treated with Vaseline. The ointment promotes the healing of wounds that occur due to friction.
4. After completing the process, it is advised to massage again.
5. Squeeze out the remaining milk to prevent the risk of inflammation.

When performing the procedure, adhere to the schedule. Milk is collected 2 times a day, morning and evening. If one of the animals gets sick, it is milked last so as not to infect the rest of the livestock.

A week after reproduction, the calf is separated from the cow, but milk continues to be expressed. The animal perceives this as feeding.

Expert opinion

Zarechny Maxim Valerievich

Agronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best country expert.

Ask a Question

During milking, the process is repeated several times a day at regular intervals. This regime has a beneficial effect on productivity.

Possible problems

Of course, various troubles also occur during lactation. The most common difficulties are low or no milk supply and udder swelling.

The cow gives little milk

Reduced milk production is also known as hypogalactia. It appears due to two main reasons: improper milking procedure or health problems.

When milking a cow, observe the following rules:

1. Create a strict milk collection schedule and follow it so that the cow gets into the rhythm of producing milk secretions.
2. Two hours before milking, give the animal lactation-stimulating food.
3. Observe sanitary requirements during milking, as well as in the cow’s habitat.
4. Before each milking, massage the udder.

No milk

When the time has come for the start of lactation, but there is still no long-awaited fluid, then your cow is experiencing the process of agalactia. There are basically three reasons why a cow does not produce milk:

• inflammatory diseases of the body;
• failure of the milk ejection reflex;
• poor nutrition of the cow.

These problems can be solved with the help of a special diet, drugs that activate lactation, as well as after a course of treatment prescribed by a veterinarian.

Udder swelling

Edema is the swelling of the udder, which is formed as a result of impaired circulation of blood and lymph in the cavity of the animal’s udder as a result of gestation and childbirth. It occurs in those females who rarely walked at the beginning of pregnancy, and whose diet was dominated by succulent and sour foods.

Cows often experience alternating halves of edema. Due to the fact that the edematous fluid compresses the tissues, as well as blood and lymphatic vessels, the animal may experience inflammation of the mammary gland, as well as induration of the udder as a possible complication of mastitis.

If the cow's edema does not go away within ten days after calving, then it is worth contacting a veterinarian so that he can prescribe appropriate treatment.

So, if you follow the general rule, you can drink milk already on the eighth day after calving. As you may have noticed, the health of the animal and the quality of the milk it produces depends on the efforts of the owner.

At all . If the udder is not hot or painful and the milk is without clots, this is normal. Normal postpartum edema, which is why it seems to you that she is not delivering all the milk. If you let a calf in, it can push its udder so hard that mastitis would not develop.

In such cases, the usual measures are used - lather with laundry soap and leave, you can spread camphor ointment, you can apply red clay. There is no need to do a very active massage and there is no need to milk too often. Just make sure that the udder does not become hot and painful.

Under the influence of what diseases does milk yield decrease?

The most serious reason for a decrease in milk production is disease. Among these diseases, the following should be noted:

• Cracks in the teats that appear due to insufficient care of the cow's udder and teats. If the nipples dry out too much, they may become covered with microcracks. This can cause injury to the individual. In such a situation, it is simply impossible to produce milk, since milking will be painful. Solving this problem is quite simple. The veterinarian prescribes a special ointment to treat the nipples for 3-7 days, and iodine must be used to cauterize the cracks. Upon completion of the course of therapy, milk production increases again.
• Mastitis. This disease is characterized by a decrease in productivity, violent, unusual behavior of the animal, purulent and bloody discharge from the nipples during milking. The disease can develop against the background of a bruise, due to drafts, and also if there is no bedding on the floor in the stall. It is possible to cure a cow, but it will require a lot of effort and time.
• Udder swelling. This condition occurs before calving. Swelling can affect not only the udder, but also the abdomen. Significant quantities of grain feed in the diet can provoke this problem. To avoid such difficulties, the animal should be often sent for walking and fed with concentrates and grain in small quantities. And in winter, the diet should contain a large amount of hay (not grass), and there is no need to increase the level of grain.
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. If digestive functions are disrupted, milk yield may decrease or disappear completely. To fix the problem, you should contact your veterinarian. He will identify the source of the disease and prescribe therapy.
• Maternity or postpartum paresis. This often causes a complete loss of milk production. If left untreated, productivity will not be restored, and the cow may die within 18 hours. Therapy exists, although it is sometimes ineffective. The main condition is that the livestock breeder must immediately seek the help of a veterinarian if a slight malaise is detected in the animal or paralysis of the legs.

Another reason for a decrease in milk production is the pregnancy of the individual. At this time, all the forces of the animal’s body are aimed at giving birth to a calf, and not producing milk. When the calf is born, milk production should return to normal.

What to do if a pig falls on its feet, how to save the animal?

So, the pig fell on its feet. How to treat it in this case? In general terms: include in the pig’s diet all macro and microelements, as well as vitamins that are deficient in the animal’s body. In other words, create maximum conditions and adequate nutrition for the pig.

Porcine polio - Teschen disease (Enzootic encephalomyelitis)

The disease affects pigs of different ages and breeds, but piglets aged 2-6 months are usually affected. The latent period of the disease is 7-15 days, less often 30 days. The temperature rises (40.5-41.0 °C), lethargy is observed, and there is no appetite. After 1-2 days, the body temperature drops to normal levels, and signs of damage to the central nervous system appear. Animals become excited, make involuntary movements, vomiting begins, acute rhinitis begins, frothy blood discharge flows from the nose, and acute signs of skin hyperesthesia can be detected.

After 2-3 days, the gait becomes uncertain, the pig cannot stand on its hind legs, and paralysis of the pigs’ hind limbs develops, and then the front limbs. The animal lies down and cannot rise to its feet. There is no treatment for the disease, paralysis in pigs, and recovery from this disease is almost impossible. Sick animals are sent for slaughter, pigsties and the slaughter area are disinfected. Meat from pigs suspected of being infected is only suitable for the production of canned food or cooked sausages.

Vitamin deficiency

Many people don’t know why piglets’ legs fail and what to do for treatment. If a piglet does not rise to its feet, there is a high probability that its body has a vitamin and mineral deficiency. In such cases, injections of vitamins B, B1 (Thiamin) help, which are given for 10 days: in the morning - 3 ml and 3 ml - B12 (Cyanocobolamin). After two days - a double injection of 3 ml Tetravit, and be sure to include fish oil in the diet.

Chalk, eggshells, and slimes with mineral additives should always be available to piglets.

Sufficient exposure to the street (walking area) and sunlight contribute to the good health of the piglet. Read about vitamins and dietary supplements for piglets here.

Flu

Also, the reason that the piglet’s legs gave out could be the flu, which is characterized by an acute course: an increase in temperature to 42 degrees, nasal discharge, and difficulty breathing. The piglets sit motionless. After 2-4 days the animal no longer rises to its feet, the skin on its abdomen turns blue. In order for the pig to get back on its feet, the flu must be cured; it will not go away on its own.

Influenza is treated with antibiotics: monomycin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, norsulfazole, and also requires injections of trivitamin, ascorbic acid and B vitamins. Vitamins can not only be administered by injection, they are recommended to be added to animal feed.

Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia or nutritional anemia of piglets, the main cause of which is iron deficiency, appears in young animals at the age of 3-6 weeks, accompanied by a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin content. Symptoms: pale skin and mucous membranes (later turning yellow), lethargy, swollen eyelids. A sick piglet is inactive, hides in the bedding, reluctantly suckles the sow, is stunted in growth, the bristles become noticeably rough, break, and wrinkles form on the skin.

Digestive disorders and the appearance of perverted taste preferences are possible. The abdomen is swollen or sunken, diarrhea is replaced by constipation. Particles of mucus can be found in the stool. Hemoglobin decreases from 10 to 3-5 g%. The red blood cell count is usually unchanged, but a decrease of 2 million per 1 mm3 may be observed.

Treatment. Complete nutrition, to which the missing ingredients are added, at the same time, iron, cobalt, manganese, zinc, B vitamins, liver preparations, hematogen and others are prescribed.

Low milk and dairy free

In veterinary medicine, the phenomenon of low milk production is called hypogalactia, and milklessness is called agalactia. Diseases arise and develop as a result of various influences on the cow’s body and age-related changes within the body. As a rule, they can occur not only when the cow produces milk, but much earlier.

Common types of diseases are:

• stern;
• artificial;
• climatic;
• operational;
• physiological;
• deposition.

When fodder agalactia occurs, an insufficient amount of certain life-giving substances (vitamins, proteins, minerals) is observed in the cow’s body. The solution will be balanced feeding and a strict food supply schedule.

Artificial agalactia is caused by incorrect actions of the owner. Sharp changes in the care of the cow, attitude towards her, change in diet. Therefore, everything needs to be done gradually: switch from one type of food to another, change the staff and environment, and not traumatize the psyche of the ward.

Sudden changes in the cow's care, attitude towards her, or changes in diet can affect milk production

The next type of disease - climatic - is associated with changes in weather, temperature, and living conditions. The room where the cattle is located can be changed: it should be clean, ventilated, but without drafts. Pastures are a little more complicated. Here you can only monitor the weather, reducing grazing in hot weather or increasing the walking time on favorable days.

Note! Everything related to improper care of the cow leads to the occurrence of diseases. Untimely preparation for the milking period, incorrectly determined age for fertilization, lack of breaks in milking before calving - the reasons for little or no milk production

Agalactia, caused by physiological factors, is accompanied by the occurrence of various diseases. Moreover, these can be not only diseases of the udder (mastitis, cracked nipples, swelling), but also ordinary stomach disorders, pests, general weakening of the body, which can lead to loss of milk.

Movement plays an important role in good milk yield. Therefore, the cow needs frequent walks in the fresh air. Approximately 2-3 hours a day outside the pen is enough for her to have good quality milk.

Important! In practice, low milk yields are rarely caused by one of the problems described above; as a rule, the amount of milk is influenced by several factors at once

You should pay attention to whether the volume of milk gradually or suddenly decreases, how old the cow is, what month of pregnancy she is and how long she has been milking

The cow has one lobe of the udder inside that is hard: what to do?

Most often, udder diseases in cows are noticed by the owner while milking the cow. According to farmers, when expressing milk, it is discovered that one lobe of the udder inside is hard and swollen. There may be no milk or its quantity is sharply reduced, it may contain blood. What is it and how to treat it?

What to do if a cow has a hard udder depends on the reasons that caused mastitis. It becomes swollen, enlarged, edematous after injury or infectious tissue inflammation. Having noticed this, veterinarians recommend a light massage with ichthyol ointment. After the procedure, you should make a hypertonic paste with clay and salt. The use of medicinal dressings soaked in a decoction of chamomile, horsetail, and juniper fruits leads to good results.

The udder massage is performed carefully: the direction of hand movement is from bottom to top. In this way, the farmer improves the flow of blood and lymph from the inflamed tissues. However, when there is purulent hardening of the cow’s udder, massage and thermal procedures are dangerous. If you don’t know exactly why one lobe of the cow’s udder is hard inside, it’s better to ask your veterinarian what to do in this case.

What to do if a cow has mastitis?

The farmer should not be careless; it is important to pay attention to external signs of udder inflammation, which, as a rule, appear quite quickly. These include:

Inflammation of the udder is accompanied by swelling and redness

1. Redness is local or widespread.
2. Swelling and hardening at the site of inflammation.
3. The appearance of clots and flakes in milk.
4. Temperature increase.
5. The lameness of the animal.
6. Blood in milk.
7. Refusal of food, lethargy, thirst.
8. In a prolonged form – loss of body weight.

If there is a suspicion of mastitis in a cow, it is better for a farmer to seek the help of a specialist to carry out an accurate diagnosis, collect tests and urgently treat the heifer. Advanced forms of the disease and purulent processes can lead to the death of the animal, as they are difficult to treat.

Every farmer should know this: Warts on a cow’s udder: how to treat them?

Mastitis in a cow, treatment at home with folk remedies

It is important that the treatment regimen for a sick cow is prescribed only by a veterinarian and that the animal is under his supervision. In most cases, mastitis is treated with strong broad-spectrum antibiotics, and the milk becomes unsuitable for consumption.

For any form of inflammation, it is worth isolating the animal and carrying out regular hygiene procedures if there are abrasions, cracks or wounds on the udder. You can only milk a cow with mastitis by hand. The udder is washed with a herbal decoction of chamomile, nettle, plantain and yarrow. It is recommended to treat wounds with chlorhexidine. Aloe-based applications are recommended at night.

Mastitis in cows is a common pathology that develops in heifers after calving.

If lactation mastitis is diagnosed and is accompanied by congestion, then it is necessary to massage with light movements from top to bottom. The purpose of the procedure is to improve the drainage of the ducts and stimulate the removal of purulent masses. Ointment preparations include anti-inflammatory and painkillers, as well as ichthyol and camphor ointments.

In advanced and severe cases of mastitis, massage is strictly contraindicated, especially in cases where blood clots begin to appear in the milk. In any case, it is worth consulting with a specialist so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.

Do you know what to do if a cow runs out of milk?

Video about mastitis in a cow after calving and how to treat it:

Mastitis in a cow after calving, how to treat it at home with folk remedies - the answer to this question interests many farmers. After all, this disease quite often affects cattle, and only a few manage to cure the animal immediately. To avoid serious consequences, we recommend following the recommendations from the article, as well as the prescriptions of veterinarians.

Symptoms of the disease and its forms

If mastitis is suspected in the absence of milk, then you need to take a close look at the symptoms. The course of future treatment depends on attentiveness

If you find any flakes or clots in the milk, then you need to pay attention to the udder and measure the animal’s body temperature

Symptoms manifest themselves as follows:

• Strange growths appear on the udder.
• Nodules may appear.
• Very high body temperature.
• Swelling appears.

If the disease is not identified in time and treatment is not started, everything will end in death.

What are the different forms of mastitis and their symptoms?

Signs of mastitis

Then the problem arises. What to do if the cow has calved but there is no milk? It is this symptom that is the first when an inflammatory process occurs. In addition, you can independently determine the diagnosis based on some external signs:

• local temperature increase;
• the skin on the udder swells, and the supra-udperal nodes increase in size;
• shows fatigue, loses appetite;
• change in the taste of milk and decrease in milk yield;
• the nipple may thicken;
• the consistency of the milk changes, it disintegrates and contains flakes;
• When pressing on the udder, painful sensations appear.

If a complex form of inflammation occurs, ulcers, abscesses may appear, and the temperature may rise significantly.

Bitter milk from a cow

Milk may also start to taste bitter in a pregnant cow, which is still far from calving. There are several reasons. One of the most common is eating foods and vegetables that affect taste:

• onion greens;
• cabbage, rutabaga;
• horse garlic;
• Avran officinalis;
• sagebrush;
• sweet clover;
• tansy.

Wormwood grass
Bitterness can also be caused by low-quality feed, as well as an overabundance of the same type of food in winter or early spring. Correcting the situation when bitterness occurs due to food is quite simple - it needs to be removed from the diet. The bitterness should disappear quickly.

Another common reason why cow's milk tastes bitter is liver disease, such as fatty degeneration or hepatitis. Here feed plays a secondary cause of bitterness.

Another common cause of bitterness in milk is mastitis (purulent discharge into the milk mass). Subclinical mastitis is characterized by a hidden course. The presence of somatic cells and a high concentration of microorganisms inside leads to rapid spoilage of the dairy product, which is manifested by bitterness.

Mastitis

How does diet affect milk supply?

Improper nutrition is one of the most common reasons why a cow produces little milk. Not all breeders understand that exactly how much and what a cow eats affects the quantity of product obtained from it and its quality. The fat content, the amount of beneficial vitamins and even the color of the milk may differ if the animal’s diet is different.

The first thing that is important to pay attention to is walking

1. The first thing that is important to pay attention to is walking. Not all breeders are concerned about the cow walking a lot, but it is on grazing that she receives about 65% of all the most important and beneficial substances for the body, or even more! And the work of the body directly affects milk yield and its quality.
2. Without vitamins there will be no milk. And we’re not talking about those premixes and vitamin-mineral complexes that you can buy in pet stores. This means grass. Yes, exactly the simplest, green grass and healthy herbs that a cow eats while grazing or that can be mowed and offered to her as a treat in the stall if for some reason she cannot go for a walk (illness, calving, bad weather conditions) .
3. The reason why a cow gives little milk may be malnutrition. In order to solve the problem, increase the amount of hay and mash of root crops and vegetables in the stall, and increase the grazing time of the cows.

Causes

Almost all cattle owners face this disease. Most often, mastitis in a cow occurs against the background of postpartum complications; the problem is especially acute in large livestock farms, where it is not possible to carefully follow all the rules of maintenance and care.

The most common causes of mastitis include the following:

1. Incorrect diet, same type or stale food.
2. Pathogenic microflora caused by improper milking technique.
3. Injury to the nipples or udder.
4. If hygiene standards are not observed, there is a possibility of infection in the nipple canal.
5. Disease of the reproductive system.

But most often, mastitis is the result of several factors at once. Against the background of a general weakening of the immune system, any of the above reasons contributes to the development of the disease. Moreover, the disease proceeds in a closed form for a very long time and manifests itself only during lactation.

Why does a cow give milk to a person?

A cow is a mammal, which means that after birth, the calf at the beginning of its life will feed on milk from its udder. In nature, the calf feeds uncontrollably from the heifer until nine to ten months. On farms, babies must be separated from their mother immediately so as not to create a stressful situation for the animals later.

Next, the cow must be milked by hand, feeding part of the milk to the baby, the rest can be used for food and for preparing dairy products for humans. The calf continues to be fed for 3-4 months, gradually transferring it to the usual food of large horned animals. You should strive to milk the cow for as long as possible, until she becomes pregnant again, that is, becomes pregnant. During this period, milking stops for two months.

Read also Seeds of vegetable and flower crops Aelita agricultural company

Now let's explain why you can't milk a cow for too long. As a rule, an animal calves once a year, therefore, it can produce milk for an average of ten months. If the heifer remains dry, that is, does not become pregnant, milking can be extended for up to two years, but the quantity and quality of the product will decrease.

Calf care

After giving birth to a cow, you must immediately think about the fate of the offspring. The fact is that the baby is born with virtually no immunity, and in the very first hours it needs to receive a special substance from the mother - colostrum, the survival of the young directly depends on this. Subsequently, an equally important question arises about how to feed the calf.

In the first two months, he should receive 3 to 4 liters of milk per day daily, sometimes a substitute is used. Feeding can occur using nipples (on large automated farms) or directly from a bucket; with any method, it is necessary to ensure that the container is clean and free of foreign objects and products.

The prosperity of livestock farming depends primarily on caring for the young animals; more attention should be paid to the issue of how to keep the animal and how to feed it. The calf must be provided not only with milk, but also with clean water, concentrated formulas and hay. Young individuals are usually kept in groups, they must be vaccinated, disinfected and marked with ear tags.

How much milk should a cow give per day?

The amount of milk a cow produces is affected by the cow's age, breed, season, health and nutrition. A cow begins to produce milk from the moment of her first calving, which is approximately one and a half years old. To maintain milk yield at a high level, it is necessary to regularly milk the cow and inseminate her annually.

A cow produces an average of 10-12 liters of milk per day. A record amount of milk is produced by dairy cows bred by breeders:

• Kholmogorskaya - 15-17 l,
• Aishirskaya – 13-25 l,
• Holstein - 25-30 l,
• Yaroslavskaya - 13-20 l,
• Black-and-white – 18-28 liters.

Moreover, a young primiparous heifer produces almost two times less milk compared to a mature cow. The peak of milk yield occurs in the 4-5th year of life, but after 9 years of a cow’s life, milk yield begins to decrease.

What to do to restore a cow's milk yield?

Of course, any owner is worried about his livestock and wants to quickly bring milk yield back to normal. Sometimes this can be done easily and quickly, and in some cases you have to seek help from veterinarians. Next, we list the main tips that you need to use first in order to establish the formation and flow of milk in a cow:

1. You need to understand that in the first days after birth, milk yield should not be the same as it was before. Sometimes it is enough to wait and properly care for the cow, and after 3-4 days everything will return to normal. During this period, it is necessary to milk the animal every 4 hours, regardless of the volume of milk obtained.
2. It is necessary to establish the cow's nutrition. There is no need to dramatically change its diet and introduce into it foods that the cow has never consumed before. There is also no need to be overzealous in feeding. On the contrary, it is necessary to moderately limit the amount of feed and water so that the udder swelling goes away as quickly as possible.
3. Milking a newly calved cow should be trusted to a person who has extensive experience in this and knows exactly how to do it correctly.
4. It is necessary to closely monitor the animal so as not to miss any concomitant disease or infection. Try to visit the cow often and examine her to be sure that she does not have any pathological symptoms.

Veterinarian advice

Except for the treatment of mastitis, veterinarians have no special recommendations. Sometimes it is even impossible to understand why an apparently healthy animal does not produce milk. Therefore, recommendations are only possible if there are obvious reasons.

If a cow does not milk due to edema, she is given diuretics. In order not to overload the liver and kidneys with strong drugs, drink a decoction of dill. It is better to brew only the seeds. They have a stronger diuretic effect. At the same time, massage the udder with movements from bottom to top. The rear lobes are slightly creased in the direction from the nipples to the tail. Front - forward to the stomach.

Attention! You can’t crush it too much, it will cause pain.

To prevent severe edema, the cow must be removed from concentrates in the last month of pregnancy. After two weeks, the udder should return to normal.

The drug Percutan is well suited for treatment of mastitis. This product is for external use in the form of a spray. It is used not only for mastitis, but also for the disinfection of minor skin lesions. Milk from unprocessed healthy lobes is used. Anything infected with staphylococcus is crushed and destroyed. It should not be given to a calf either.

All manipulations can create problems for a cow owner who does not have special skills. In this case, it is better to invite a veterinarian.

Treatment

Manipulations to eliminate mastitis are supervised by a doctor. When sick, a cow must remain in the barn

Great attention is paid to its cleanliness. The bedding is provided with soft

They change it often. High-quality food is introduced into the diet, the amount of juicy food is reduced. They drink 2 times less.

The udder is wrapped at night according to the following rules:

• first prepare a solution (1 tbsp. honey, 100 g of vodka);
• then they soak a rag in it and wipe the mammary glands;
• bandaged with woolen material.

Milk the cow every 2-3 hours, then the blood clots will come out faster. Actions must be careful, not causing discomfort to the animal. Ichthyol or camphor ointment is lightly rubbed into the udder. The outflow of blood is ensured by giving the animal a solution of Glauber's salt (400 g per 8 liters of water).

The veterinarian prescribes antibiotics and puts the cow under blockade. These steps will help prevent bacteria from spreading to other parts of the udder. The following treatment regimen is often used:

• 10 ml of 20% caffeine under the skin (if you need to support cardiac activity);
• 200 ml 40% glucose intravenously;
• 200 ml of 10% calcium chloride intravenously;
• 8 ml of penicillin intramuscularly after 4-5 hours.

Medicines are prescribed for 3 days. In this case, the calf is transferred to artificial nutrition. Untreated mastitis will lead to complete cessation of milk production and hardening of the udder.

Preventive actions

To ensure that milk yield does not drop or disappear altogether, the condition of the animal should be properly monitored throughout its life. In order to prevent the development of agalactia or hypogalactia, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points:

1. The cow's diet must be complete and balanced.
2. The conditions for keeping the animal are ensured at the proper level: dry bedding, absence of drafts, regular ventilation, and so on.
3. After calving, the cow is milked according to a certain pattern, which will help avoid mastitis and get maximum milk.
4. To increase milk yield, the calf is quickly transferred to artificial feeding.

How to increase milk yield?

Any livestock breeder involved in breeding dairy cattle dreams of obtaining large milk yields. If milk production decreases, you can try to help the animal cope with the problem by:

• Providing cows with good and quality nutrition. The diet should be varied, fortified, and most importantly high-quality and fresh.
• Frequently taking pets out to pasture. Naturally, within reason. Often, the lack of walks leads to a decrease in milk yield. It is worth considering that walking in rainy, snowy, slushy or windy weather is not recommended. But in warm weather, a walk is simply necessary!
• Cow health monitoring. When identifying any problems, diseases, symptoms, you should not remain indifferent. Both the level of milk production and the life of the individual depend on how quickly the animal owner reacts.

Massaging the udder to give it elasticity and increase its pliability for milking. So it is recommended to regularly massage and lubricate the udder with a special ointment to increase milk production

But massage should be done carefully so as not to harm the nipples and delicate skin.

What is the reason for the decrease in milk yield?

Many factors influence milk production in cows. The breeder should take all characteristics into account when expecting high milk yield from a heifer.

The reasons for a decrease in productivity can be external, related to the health and well-being of the animal itself. First, let's talk about external factors. These include:

• breed;
• food quality;
• quality of content;
• improper milking;
• age;
• seasonality;
• stress.

Let's look at each factor in detail.

Breeds

Currently, more than 1000 breeds of cows are known. Moreover, they come in three types: meat, dairy and meat and dairy.

The black-and-white and Kholmogory cows are considered champions among dairy cattle colors. These breeds are popular in the Russian Federation. The average annual milk yield reaches almost 8000-8500 kg of milk.

Yaroslavl cows are also popular among dairy cattle breeds. With their bony appearance, they produce more than 6 tons of product.

It is worth noting that in appearance, dairy cows are characterized by a small head, strong legs, a belly up to the knees and a large, smooth udder.

Food quality

A correct and balanced diet for cattle is initially determined by properly selected feed. The quality of nutrition determines how long the cow’s life will be, the presence of offspring and the level of milk production. The animals' diet should contain high-energy feed: barley, corn, molasses, beet pulp, succulent herbs growing in walking areas.

Quality of content

Caring livestock breeders make sure that the cow is always fed and kept in warm conditions. Since these are mandatory conditions for the health and productivity of the livestock.

The barn should not contain:

• dampness and drafts;
• old bed mats that cannot be replaced;
• abundance of feces left over from animals;
• excessively high temperatures.

In addition, premises where cattle are kept should be disinfected at least every 2 months.

Taking into account all of the above, the premises should be regularly ventilated. Cleaning is carried out and a comfortable temperature is maintained.

Important! Sometimes the reason for a decrease in milk production is a noisy environment around the cow, the presence of flies and bedbugs, as well as other irritants.

Incorrect milking

The milking process must follow the rules. The procedure can be carried out manually or using a special device.

The cow must be milked in such a way that the productivity does not decrease and the udder is not injured:

1. First you need to carry out preparatory steps: wash the udder, belly and limbs of the animal with warm soapy water, then wipe them dry with a napkin or linen towel.
2. Then massage the udder to speed up the flow of product. It is necessary to stretch the milk lobes using smooth massage movements in the direction from top to bottom.

If milking is done manually, you must first thoroughly wash your hands and treat them with Vaseline. This helps prevent severe friction. Moreover, the use of this ointment helps to heal wounds. Milking should be carried out carefully to avoid ruptures of the mucous and muscle tissues of the teats and the udder itself. Upon completion of the procedure, you need to massage the udder again so that there are no milk residues in it.

Important! Hardware milking is used on large farms. The milking device helps to speed up milk yield and extract the milk from the animal in full. However, this method of milking is not suitable for meat and dairy cattle breeds.

The cow must be milked exactly on schedule twice a day: in the morning and in the evening after returning from the pasture.

It is worth noting that if you have a sick cow in your herd, she should be milked last to avoid infecting other individuals.

Age

Milk production also depends on the age of the cow. The first lactation occurs at approximately 2-3 years. From this moment until reaching the age of 10, you can get maximum volumes of milk from the animal. When keeping cows in a household, these periods may be longer (about 15 years).

After the heifer’s ability to bear offspring ceases, milk production also disappears.

Seasonality

Researchers have proven that the milk productivity of cows changes under the influence of climate and weather conditions.

The quality characteristics of the product obtained in the spring deteriorate due to the fact that the content of elements such as calcium, vitamins and amino acids in the composition decreases.

This is explained by a decrease in the amount of complete feed and changes in the metabolism of animals. In spring milk production, the formation of lactic acid bacteria is slowed down, which is why beneficial acids are formed in smaller quantities.

Stress

Cows are too susceptible to external factors affecting the nervous system. If you treat the animal kindly, the life expectancy of the herd increases and milk yield increases. Conversely, a stressful state negatively affects the behavior and hormonal background of an individual.

A decrease in milk productivity occurs against the background of:

• starvation and overfeeding of animals;
• disrupted daily routine;
• lack of water for drinking;
• sudden changes in weather conditions.

Also, the cause of stress in a cow may lie in undergoing an examination by a veterinarian or immunization. This also helps to reduce the level of milk production.