A question from a reader:

I saw the dry cow piece in Countryside and we have a problem I was wondering if you could help with.  Our Jersey (second one we are milking) is new to us and came from a grass fed dairy where she was supplemented with beet pulp during milking and on grass with timothy and alfalfa hay in the barn at night.  We started giving her a little corn to pick up her weight and alfalfa pellets since our hay is just orchard grass/timothy mix.  Now her cream (which made butter in only ten minutes before) will not turn to butter even after 1 1/2 hours!  Also, her milk tastes strange, our CMT kit indicates no mastitis.  Her cream when separated from milk goes sour after 4 days even though the skimmed milk stays fresh longer (all this is raw).  Do you have any suggestions we are so worried and don’t know what to do!  Our other Jersey has been eating this for over a year and her milk tastes great and cream makes good butter.  They have water and mineral at all times.
Thank you,
Jessie Baker
www.dayspringfarmva.com

The problem is definitely the beet pulp. Others might tell you that supplementing beets and brassicas doesn’t affect milk quality, as a producer for Organic Valley, I can share with you that we are not allowed to supplement with either because of the effect on the milk. Not only will it throw off the taste, both supplemental feeds will affect the ability of the cream to set, thereby affecting the production of sour cream, cheese, butter, and yogurt.

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I’m not surprised you can taste the difference. Those of us who are fortunate enough to know what fresh, unprocessed milk tastes like can readily tell when the quality is off. Instead of drinking it, use it for soap making, fertilize the garden with it, or if you have pigs, feed it to them.

The milk from your newest addition should start to clear up within a few weeks. However, I have heard from others that they can still taste the residue until the next lactation.

This is why I caution against experimental feed. Simple organic barley, corn, oats, grass, and dry hay are all you need to produce a superb quality product, no matter what sales people tell you.

Let me know long it takes for her milk to return to normal. I’m interested in hearing about real experiences.

Good Day,

Wayne the Dairy Dude

A reader writes:

I have a Jersey heifer that is now about 10 months old. I’ve had her for only 2 months. How much ration do you suggest I feed her? I am giving about 2.5 to 3 lbs. per day now along with a few flakes of hay (split into two feedings), but she wants to knock me down trying to get to the bucket when I bring it in. Is this because she has no manners and just wants the food? Or do you think she is starving? I give her several flakes of hay twice a day after the ration. Also, she has a salt/mineral block by her water, and I toss in some dry powder minerals (organic) with her feed. How much mineral do you recommend? She doesn’t seem to be growing…..

I am new to this and need all the advice I can get! Thanks!

Becky

Your 10-month-old Jersey heifer should weigh in the range of 350lbs-500lbs. At this age, she should be roughly 45% of her adult body weight. You are feeding roughly2.5 lbs dry matter-grain. She should be eating 4% of her body weight daily. So she should be getting 17.5 lbs of hay. I would say that she will calm down if you feed her more. Personally I feed 6lbs grain, 3lbs 2x daily, and as much dry hay as she will eat. I assume that you plan to breed her and milk her in the future. Try to get her to 600lbs by 14 months old,that is 2/3 of her adult body weight, before breeding. I also recommend 1-2oz of 2:1 dairy minera lin the feed, along with 1oz salt, and have both available to her free choice.That way  if she needs more she can get it.

Good Day,

Wayne the Dairy Dude

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A Countryside reader sent me an e-mail with some questions about her Jersey cow.

Thanks so much for the article about watering cattle in the jan/feb Countryside magazine. My whole family enjoys reading the magazine, and we learn so much. At the end of your article, you stated that we could email you with questions about caring for dairy cattle. I have a Jersey dairy cow. She is bred and due in March. I am no longer milking her, as she was down to less than .5 gallon per day. I feed her 10 % sweet feed and good hay - grass hay w/clover and also alfalfa hay. She also has a salt/mineral lick block and all the water she needs. I’m doing my best to take care of her. She is skinny though. If I feed her too much, she gets diarrhea. But, I do want to make sure I feed her enough. Do you have any recommendations? What could I do better? I’d really like to fatten her up before she gets her calf.
Thanks for a great magazine, and I would appreciate any advice!

Thanks for the e-mail. I read your questions, and without more detail I can only give you general recommendations.

Your ration (amount of feed daily) for a dry cow should run about 12% protein. Typically, Jerseys weigh somewhere around 1,000 lbs. Your cow needs about 4% of her body weight in dry matter intake (see formula) daily. From my experience, only 5-8lbs. should be from grain. The grassy clover that you spoke of should make up the rest of the ration.

DMI formula for dry cows

A 1,000 lb dry cow needs 4% of her body weight in dry matter intake (DMI). 1000 x .04 = 40lbs. This is the total amount of dry matter. For dry cows, grain should make up no more than 8 lbs. I find for my dry Jerseys, 5 lbs. of grain is about right. Once you have determined how much grain to feed, add enough haylage/dry hay to equal 40 lbs. DMI.

1.       Weigh your grain and hay separately. Multiply the weight of the grain by .13 (This is the average moisture content of most stored grains. If the moisture is higher it will mold and become unusable.)

2.       Multiply the weight of the hay by .15 (This is the optimum moisture level of properly stored hay.)

3.       Add the two numbers together. This is the Dry Matter Intake (DMI) of your animals.

4.       To determine the DMI for each animal estimate its weight and multiply by .04 to find four percent of the animal’s body weight.

On our farm, all dry matter for dry cows is haylage or dry hay of medium quality-120 relative feed value RFV)). To find the RFV, take a sample from the middle of each bale. Call your local extension office to learn how to send in the samples for testing.

I strongly advise you not to feed high quality alfalfa to dry cows, especially Jerseys, as you will end up with milk fever at calving.

As far as being skinny, is she skin and bones, or just slightly under weight? Remember, feeding too much protein will cause diarrhea, which in turn leads to weight loss.

If she is extremely thin you should have a vet check her out as it could be a metabolic issue, Johnes, or  sub-clinical ketosis.

Please resist the temptation the “fatten “her up. An overweight cow will have problems at calving. Over-conditioning often leads  to ketosis  and or  milk fever, not to mention  the physical stresses of delivering a large calf fattened in the womb.