Doctors recommend drinking milk daily for both children and adults. In the village, the problem with a useful product is traditionally solved - a cow is brought up. If the burenka turns out to be highly productive, then it will be possible to give the family a drink and milk will remain for sale. People prefer to buy young milk cows, but if there is no good option, then you have to buy a heifer. The owner will receive milk from her only after the birth of the offspring. But the first-calf still needs to be milked correctly, so the owner should heed the recommendations of livestock specialists.
What affects milk production?
Cow productivity depends on genetics and care. In the old days they said that milk is on tongue in Burenka. This means that if you do not feed the cow, then you should not expect high milk yield from it. First-heifers give less milk than adult animals, but over the years their productivity will increase. The maximum milk yield at the nurse is reached by the fifth or sixth lactation, for several years they will stay at about the same level, and then will decline.
The main factors that affect the performance of the first-calf:
- proper feeding;
- breed of a cow;
- proper preparation for calving;
- health status.
If the animal is kept in poor quality water and hay after childbirth, then there will be no high milk yield. Or in the first couple of weeks the first-calf will give the owner 12-17 liters, but then it will greatly reduce. Restore milk yield in this lactation does not work. Productivity is highly dependent on the breed of the cow and its ancestors. How to milk a first-calf and get a lot of milk from it? A farmer should buy a Holstein cow. They are whimsical in content, but with good care they give a lot of milk.
Is it possible to admit a calf?
In villages, the method of keeping young animals under a cow is common. After birth, the calf is left with the mother, and the mistress several times a day gradually milks the cows. This method has a right to exist, but it is more suitable for meat breeds of animals. In a dairy cow, the calf will ruin the udder. In addition, she will begin to clamp milk for her child, so the hostess may not get anything.
It is especially harmful to keep the baby under the first-calf. It will be difficult to accustom such cows to milking. A cow can kick, kick the owners, turn over the milk bucket. Then people will try to get rid of the obstinate cattle or surrender it to a meat factory. How to milk a heifer right? The baby who is born needs to be picked up immediately, soon the cow will forget about him. After the owners must empty the udder of the first-calf on their own, following the basic rules of milking.
First-calf food
The milk production depends on the balanced diet of a cow. If the heifer after childbirth is kept in the hay and water, then it is pointless to expect high yields from it. After the baby is born, a burenka should eat a lot of high-quality bulky feed. The basis of her diet for this period is good hay. But the first-calf grain should also receive.
Immediately after birth, the cow develops an edema of the udder. In the interests of the owner to get rid of him as soon as possible. Therefore, until the edema disappears, the grain norm cannot be increased, from this it will only increase. After the udder of the first-calf has returned to normal, either salt or mineral lick is introduced into the diet. The rate of supply of grain begins to increase from 2-3 weeks after childbirth. All changes in the diet of cows should be gradual.
What can interfere with the odds?
Owners want to get large quantities of milk, but their mistakes can interfere with increased productivity. If the cow was not properly prepared for calving, then it will not demonstrate high milk yield. It is necessary to approach the birth of heifers in normal condition. It should produce a good external impression: not fat, but not thin. It is not necessary to overfeed the heifer with grain, but it is also unacceptable to plant water and hay before delivery. If the cow received less nutrients in the dry period, then she will not give much.
How to milk a heifer? You need to feed her balancedly and let her walk daily. A cow can be taken to the herd or released into the yard. If the owners have time, they can graze the heifer on their own. Walking has a beneficial effect on the milk yield of a cow.
Udder care before milking
Cleanliness starts from the room where the cows are kept. The litter of the cows should always be dry and fresh. Only from a clean udder can you get milk that meets all hygiene standards.
Preparation of the cow for milking begins with cleaning. You can do it in 3 ways:
After cleansing, the udder is dried. With the dry method, wipes are used. They must be individual for each burenka. If wipes are reusable, then between milking they should be disinfected. The dry udder cleanses well, but not perfectly.
For the wet method, paper towels are wetted in a special solution. If it contains alcohol, then the udder dries faster. Wet method of cleansing is recommended for severe contamination.
Massage
After calving, the udder is edematous; milk is more difficult to give up from it. Therefore, a cow needs a massage. It enhances milk production, helps to develop a conditioned reflex, improves the adaptation of the heifers to milking.
There are several technologies for udder massage:
- stroking
- trituration;
- kneading.
Farmer's hands should not be cold, it can scare the heifer. Massage must begin with gentle strokes. Then you can slightly push the mammary glands, simulating the behavior of the calf. Just do not need to act rudely, it will lead to problems. During the massage, the hormone oxytocin is produced, it improves the return of milk. After the procedure, the shelter should be milked immediately.
Sharing
After giving birth, the cow gives colostrum for several days. It is fatter and often has a yellowish color. After it, the cow begins to produce transitional milk. It is not so tasty, it is usually not sold, but drunk with the family. Then the cow begins to give mature milk.
The first milking should be carried out within an hour after childbirth. This is done in order to quickly water the calf colostrum. In the first weeks you do not need to try to get record milk yields. Milk at this time is not quite full, and the cow has not fully recovered after childbirth. If you immediately make a cow eat a large amount of food, then it can become sick.
Regarding the multiplicity of milking, there are different opinions. Some schemes are used on farms, while others are used on private farms. Livestock specialists working with highly productive Holstein cows recommend milking them 2 times a day. In villages, this procedure is carried out 5-6 times a day in the first week. How to milk a heifer? The owner can stick to any of these schemes, they are both tested on a variety of cows.
How to teach a heifer to milking?
A young Burenka may be afraid of milk transfer procedures, so the owner should be especially attentive to her. How to milk a cow after the first calving? 2-3 months before birth, the owner can accustom the animal to stroking the abdomen and udder. In this case, the cow most often calmly refers to milking.
If the first calf kicks, then the owner can confuse her hind legs. There is another way to pacify the obstinate animal, which is often used in villages. The front leg is tied up and lifted up. The heifer, balancing on 3 limbs, will not be able to kick, and the owner will calmly stand it. Sometimes it is enough for a cow to threaten with a twig, and after that it will stand at attention.
Manual milking method
Not every family has the opportunity to buy a device in the village. If there are few cows, then manual milking is most often practiced on the farm. This method is the most affordable and does not require the purchase of additional devices. Manual milking is carried out by two methods - a fist and a pinch. Before the procedure, the udder is cleaned and massaged.
If the nipples of a cow are of normal size, then it is most convenient to milk it with a fist. Before the procedure, hands should be greased with cream, petroleum jelly or grease for better gliding. With this method, the nipple is clasped by the fingers, after which the fist is alternately compressed and expanded. This should be done until the milk is completely over.
A pinch most often milks goats. In cows, this method is used only if the nipples are very small and you can’t grab them with your fist. With this method, only two fingers are involved. How to teach a heifer to milking with her hands if she has small nipples? You need to use the pinch method. The hostess grabs the nipple with her thumb and forefinger, and then leads them down. At this point, milk is secreted from the gland and enters the cot.
Milking Machine Method
Using automated equipment, the farmer receives more pure milk. The milking machine reduces the processing time of the cow and makes life easier for farm workers. The first-calf can be frightened by noise, therefore it needs to be trained in it in advance. A few months before delivery, you can bring the milking machine into the barn and turn it on from time to time. First-timers will quickly become accustomed to noise and will not pay attention to it.
The technology of milking cows using the machine:
- clean the udder of the first-calf from pollution;
- wipe it dry;
- massage the udder;
- milk the first trickles of milk into a separate bowl;
- turn on the device;
- put milking glasses on the nipples;
- completely empty the udder;
- pick up milk and rinse the machine.
After that, the nipples are treated with a special liquid that has a wound healing effect. Once a week or more, the apparatus is washed with alkali or acid.
Udder care after milking
The process of milk transfer should preferably be completed with a massage. It begins to be done 1-2 minutes before the end of milking. After completion of the procedure, all shares are checked. If there are seals on the udder, this means that the milk was not completely dispensed. Then it is advisable to milk the cow again.
After that, the processing of the udder. The glands are washed with water, and the nipples are lowered into glasses with a special solution. This is done so that the infection could not enter the udder. The solution will create a protective film that blocks the entrance of bacteria to the nipples. At home, you can use ordinary iodine. It will heal the nipples and disinfect their surface. If the farmer has the opportunity to buy professional funds, then he can purchase Gralan.
Possible problems
After childbirth, not everything goes perfectly. Sometimes the heifers have problems associated with milk production. If they have arisen, then farm workers should massage more carefully. If hard patches are felt in the tissues of the udder, and the temperature of the animal is elevated, then the owner must urgently invite a veterinarian.
First-calf heifers who cannot be accustomed to the milking procedure are always rejected on farms. In villages, obstinate animals are usually tried to adapt to this procedure, but this is not always possible. If the first-calf for several months cannot be accustomed to milking, then it can either be sent to a meat processing plant, or several calves can be kept under it.
Livestock Tips
If the owner wants to get a large amount of milk from the cow, then he must feed it balanced. Grain is necessarily included in the diet of a cow, but one must be wary of an excess of concentrated feed. If there is, for example, an excess of barley or corn, then sooner or later this will lead to disturbances in the body of the animal.
It is not necessary to cover the heifer in the very first hunt after childbirth, she will not have time to relax and gain strength before a new pregnancy. Cows should be kept in clean rooms where there is no draft. Twice a year, the calf should be shown to the veterinarian, he will examine it and take the necessary tests.