Are milk cows supposed to be this skinny?

[MaroonMandy]

First, milk production will stop. Then, organs will start failing. NBD. No need to reverse starvation before that happens or anything.

ETA: Also, would consuming milk from a cow with parasites be safe? Seems icky.

I would assume it has to do with the type of parasite and even then, pasteurization would kill some of them.

[uncreative]

Nothing to add to the skinny cow discussion. My (limited) experience is with beef cattle. But the girl milking in the middle of the pasture kind of squicks me out. Not real sanitary, I'm thinking.

[Bookworm]

What everyone else said. I am all for rotational and intensive grazing, BUT you have to be very thoughtful ALL THE TIME. I would probably confine her for a while and put her on high quality hay, working up to as much as she can eat. If her calf is old enough it might be good to dry her off. Definitely worm them all and make sure the mineral supplement is balanced. His pasture looks kind of pathetic right now, I'm thinking the Brix is not good enough right now.

I understand why people dislike giving wormers due to how it interrupts various natural cycles, but in my opinion giving something like ivermectin every now and then is really important and will not kill all of the dung beetles or similar things. And yeah, vets are sometimes a must-have, young sir.

[BelieveinScience]

Another thing that gets to me (besides the skinny cow being milked) is the picture of "happy cow" that will be sent to the slaughterhouse in a couple of months.

Happy cows= less stress and less stress= meat thats not as tough. So you want your cows to be happy and healthy before you send them to be turned into hamburger and steaks.

[fluttershies]

Between this guy and the Bateses, fundies don't seem to care a whole lot about animals. Sad.

[BelieveinScience]

I would kill for an automatic feeder, but we only have to do one or two a year so it's not really worth the investment. We bottle feed, then switch to a bucket which is easier. We can just hang it on the fence and be done.

We have Herefords and in the last few years have been putting Brahman bulls on them. The little crossbred calves are so cute! They have coloring like the Herefords but floppy Brahman ears.

I think I just died. Those crosses sound soooo cute.

Did you notice hes feeding them a supplement thats is meant for chickens?! What the heck I'm not an expert in nutrition but last time I checked cattle and chickens are very different animals in how they digest and use nutrients.

[superzsa]

I would assume it has to do with the type of parasite and even then, pasteurization would kill some of them.

Yes, it does depend on the type. I doubt he has anything too terrible from grazing.

As for the comment about "reversing the killing"... this cow isn't anywhere near dying. And it sounds like they are doing things to help combat the parasites.

And the comment about it being "unsanitary" I GUARANTEE that the milk coming from that cow is a zillion times more sanitary than the darling stuff you get from the store. I stopped drinking it after about the third factory farm I visited. ilck.

[debrand]

Yes, it does depend on the type. I doubt he has anything too terrible from grazing.

As for the comment about "reversing the killing"... this cow isn't anywhere near dying. And it sounds like they are doing things to help combat the parasites.

And the comment about it being "unsanitary" I GUARANTEE that the milk coming from that cow is a zillion times more sanitary than the darling stuff you get from the store. I stopped drinking it after about the third factory farm I visited. ilck.

I would love more land so that I could raise my own animals. However, I don't understand why you used the term, 'darling stuff' . I don't think that anyone here is defending factory farms.

Aren't you supposed to wipe down the udder before you milk the cow? I considered buying some goats at one point. Everything that I read about milking goats(and maybe they are different then cows) spoke about being careful with sanitation. It has been a long time since I looked up the information so maybe I'm wrong.

The reason that we didn't get a goat is that my daughter and husband swear that they can taste the difference between cow and goat milk. I can not but they often are able to pick out taste that I can't.

[BelieveinScience]

I would love more land so that I could raise my own animals. However, I don't understand why you used the term, 'darling stuff' . I don't think that anyone here is defending factory farms.

Aren't you supposed to wipe down the udder before you milk the cow? I considered buying some goats at one point. Everything that I read about milking goats(and maybe they are different then cows) spoke about being careful with sanitation. It has been a long time since I looked up the information so maybe I'm wrong.

The reason that we didn't get a goat is that my daughter and husband swear that they can taste the difference between cow and goat milk. I can not but they often are able to pick out taste that I can't.

Goats are a PITA to keep be glad they talked you out of it. They seriously can escape any fucking cage/pen whatever you have them in given enough time.

[Deleted08]

Oh hell no, that poor cow is way too thin.

I grew up around the Yoders and good milk cows should be plump and happy. Farm girl here!

I'd call Animal Patrol on these people, they're not taking care of this animal.

[Artemis]

She looks like a little Jersey or Guernsey, poor little scrap, and I agree, she's way too thin. I also agree she looks like a newly down-calved heifer at her first calving, as her udder is small. She does not look like she is producing much milk, either. As a cow at her first calving, she should be about 24 months old and have a body weight of about 450 kg or 900lb ish, if she is a Jersey. If she's a Guernsey, then she'd be about 50 kg heavier. If she's a Brown Swiss, then between 500 and 600 kg. One month postpartum she should be at body score 3. She is actually about body score 2. This is what she should look like:

She should be eating a maintenance ration and a lactation ration, and that should be about 28 - 32 lb of good hay a day, plus 1lb of corn and 1lb of a protein supplemnt such as dairy nuts. If the hay is poor quality, she needs proportionately more corn and supplement. If she's just on spring pasture, it has to be REALLY good quality for her not to be needing supplemental feeding.

She's not just underfed, she's probably riddled with worms too. They shouldn't be keeping animals like this, and someone needs to report them.

My family farm dairy cows - Jerseys and Guernseys. I grew up with them.

[Koala]

I live in Alabama. I see cows every time we drive to soccer or my in-laws. These cows are very skinny. I have never seen any that looked anything like that.

Poor babies....

And as for the bastard that let them get that way....there are no fucking words.

[emmiedahl]

I was thinking Guernsey also. Guernsey cows tend to be a little thin, but not like that. Here is a pic I found of an "ideal" Guernsey cow. My grandmother preferred Jersey cows, she felt the milk was better, but I have seen plenty of both.

This still looks like a thin cow to me (the one in the picture) just because of the hip bones, but it is plumper than the one on the blog.

[debrand]

LOL. I will have to thank my daughter and husband. In a couple of years, we are thinking about buying some acreage(fingers crossed) We might buy a Dexter cow so I'm really enjoying the information on this thread.

[MaroonMandy]

I think I just died. Those crosses sound soooo cute.

They're freakin' adorable. Please excuse his bad hair day. Also note how dry and brown everything is, yet we manage to have some plump momma cows.

[BelieveinScience]

She looks like a little Jersey or Guernsey, poor little scrap, and I agree, she's way too thin. I also agree she looks like a newly down-calved heifer at her first calving, as her udder is small. She does not look like she is producing much milk, either. As a cow at her first calving, she should be about 24 months old and have a body weight of about 450 kg or 900lb ish, if she is a Jersey. If she's a Guernsey, then she'd be about 50 kg heavier. If she's a Brown Swiss, then between 500 and 600 kg. One month postpartum she should be at body score 3. She is actually about body score 2. This is what she should look like:

She should be eating a maintenance ration and a lactation ration, and that should be about 28 - 32 lb of good hay a day, plus 1lb of corn and 1lb of a protein supplemnt such as dairy nuts. If the hay is poor quality, she needs proportionately more corn and supplement. If she's just on spring pasture, it has to be REALLY good quality for her not to be needing supplemental feeding.

She's not just underfed, she's probably riddled with worms too. They shouldn't be keeping animals like this, and someone needs to report them.

My family farm dairy cows - Jerseys and Guernseys. I grew up with them.

My vote is Jersey. Her face is a classic Jersey, in my opinion.

[HOTW]

LOL. I will have to thank my daughter and husband. In a couple of years, we are thinking aObout buying some acreage(fingers crossed) We might buy a Dexter cow so I'm really enjoying the information on this thread.

If you rethinking of getting a Dexter for milking malke sure you buy one from milking lines! There are distinct lines that produce better millers or you won't get a lot in the way of production if it's more a beef line. Same thing with red polls, highlanders and shorthorns

[Artemis]

Dexters are lovely, and really good dual purpose cattle, but some carry a gene for lethal chondrodysplasia, so you have to be careful about where you get them from

ETA Yes, I'm inclining to Jersey for the poor little thin girl, she looks too small for Guernsey really.

[BelieveinScience]

LOL. I will have to thank my daughter and husband. In a couple of years, we are thinking about buying some acreage(fingers crossed) We might buy a Dexter cow so I'm really enjoying the information on this thread.

Cows make good pets. If you want an animal for the pure entertainment factor look into sheep those fuckers are the dumbest animals you will ever meet. Donkeys are fun pets too!

[kb2]

As for the comment about "reversing the killing"... this cow isn't anywhere near dying. And it sounds like they are doing things to help combat the parasites.

I didn't say this cow was anywhere near dying. I said that if a cow is so malnourished that it stops producing milk, there aren't any more unnecessary organ functions that can be sacrificed, and necessary organ functions will start to go. So I find your promise that the cow will stop producing milk if things get bad enough unreassuring.

[Artemis]

If you want an animal for the pure entertainment factor look into sheep those fuckers are the dumbest animals you will ever meet.

Buy a sheep, buy a shovel . . . (to bury it with!)

[BelieveinScience]

Buy a sheep, buy a shovel . . . (to bury it with!)

But they're so fun to watch!!

I read a book that said that one of the smartest animals in the animal kingdom!!!

[BelieveinScience]

Between this guy and the Bateses, fundies don't seem to care a whole lot about animals. Sad.

Well look at how Zsusanna treats those dogs she has.

I guess to fundies they're just animals instead of being God's creatures.

[eohiken]

Goats are a PITA to keep be glad they talked you out of it. They seriously can escape any fucking cage/pen whatever you have them in given enough time.

Goats are wonderful! I have a field of them as I type. So much personality, more like pets than livestock. And their poo is so much more pleasant to handle than cow manure. They do need good fences, that's true, but they only escape if they have a reason. Given enough company and space, they stay where they are put.

[BelieveinScience]

They're freakin' adorable. Please excuse his bad hair day. Also note how dry and brown everything is, yet we manage to have some plump momma cows.

So cute! I want a cross like that.