# Mastitis prevention



## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

I just pulled a 6 mo calf off his momma. Doin the fenceline wean. I'm about 2 days into it. The bull calf seems to be doin just fine. Momma, she misses her baby. The bawling has mostly calmed down. I noticed her milk is filled up pretty good. She is a half breed beltie so her milk sack is black. I am relying heavily on mother nature taking care of her for me. I assume she will dry up eventually. Since I am not milking her, and cant even touch her, what should I look for (from about 15 ft away) that would indicate mastitis? Keep in mind her time on the hoof is limited. As soon as the highland swamp dries (AKA my pasture) and I can get the trailer and the truck across it without rutting it up, she is goin on the trailer to the butcher. I just need to keep her healthy till then.

Thoughts?

Advice?


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

What is causing the concern?

Beings newbie myself to cattle, unless something dire is happening, nature seems to take care of most.

Why are you sending her off?


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## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

Just wanted to educate myself in the event it takes me a while to get her to the butcher. She is my first cow/calf experience. I usually buy the 500-600 pounders and feed them out but got a two-fer when I got her. She is probly 4-6 yrs old, and it a typical bossy b1tch at the feeders. She doesnt have a massive sack like I have seen on some jerseys and Holstiens so, fingers crossed, she should dry up naturally. She seems more like a pro at this than me as I havent had to intervene at all since she calved out.

Plus the freezer is almost empty


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

If no issues, quit stressing over it. She will be fine. After a couple weeks on the hook, she will be fine, tender, and tasty.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

She'll have a full udder for awhile after you weaned the calf. Won't take long and she'll dry up.

Mastitis isn't as common in beef cattle as it is in dairy cattle. But it does happen in beef cattle. Can be hard to tell on some just by looking at them but others it can be easy. Noticed an older cow of mine earlier this winter that has a rear quarter that is bigger than the rest now while she is dry. Pretty sure something is wrong with that quarter, probably mastitis. If I have any doubt on a cows udder, I run her into the chute after she calves and milk each teat to see whats going on. Some beef cows can raise a calf just fine with just 3 good quarters. I tend to cull anything with a bad quarter as I don't want to keep a heifer calf out of a cow that has a bad one.

I like to keep a colostrum replacer on hand during calving just in case I have a cow with no milk or a bad udder. Optiprime is replacer of choice.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I agree with everyone else. At 6 mos. a beef cow is not producing much milk.

She may get a full look but nothing to worry about.


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## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

Cool. I wont put much thought behind this then. Good advice on the milk replacer too. Funny how location makes a difference. In Ut, I could buy bottle calves for 10 bucks a head. Usually a Jersey. A bag of milk replacer there was 95-100 bucks. Here in So Illinois, a calf is 300 bucks and the milk replacer is 30 bucks. Never hurts to have that stuff on hand though.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Typical signs of mastitis are bloody milk, milk with the consistency of cottage cheese, cow gets agitated when you touch the infected quarter.

She will dry up on her own. Usually about 4-5 days. Like IHCman said, at 6 months fresh, that cow isn't producing much anyway.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

As a reformed dairyman, the only real way to tell would be tp strip the quarter. Beside the symptoms lsited abvoe, the infected quarter will often feel warmer. If you are convcerned, there are some treatments dairy guys use when drying milk cows up. Does mean you have to handle her, and you would need to check labels for laughter withdrawl. I think you should be fine letting her go like others have mentioned, just keep a little closer eye on her the next few weeks.

I would add that we used to sell a lot of chronic mastitis holsteins at the sale barn. Biggest buyer was a corporate buyer pickign up cows heading to McDonalds. Think on that next time you bite into a Big Mac...


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

aawhite said:


> As a reformed dairyman, the only real way to tell would be tp strip the quarter. Beside the symptoms lsited abvoe, the infected quarter will often feel warmer. If you are convcerned, there are some treatments dairy guys use when drying milk cows up. Does mean you have to handle her, and you would need to check labels for laughter withdrawl. I think you should be fine letting her go like others have mentioned, just keep a little closer eye on her the next few weeks.
> 
> I would add that we used to sell a lot of chronic mastitis holsteins at the sale barn. Biggest buyer was a corporate buyer pickign up cows heading to McDonalds. Think on that next time you bite into a Big Mac...


Haven't been there in 3 or 5? years. Do not miss. Will NEVER frequent again.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

There was a time I thought a Big Mac was so good. Hadn't had one in a few years, bought one, didn't even finish it. Wasn't what I remembered. I really try and avoid the fast food places anymore. If I want a burger and fries, I'll usually go to small town café that still makes their own patties out of fresh ground meat. Sale barn cafes and other small town cafes are the best.


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## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

It looks like she might be drying up after a week of no calf on her. She didnt eat for the first day or so. But all is well now. If the weather lines up with a butcher appointment, she will be on the rack soon enough.

I try not to eat fast food unless I am starving. Here is a picture of my favorite burger. 50%ground lamb/50%beef burger. Grilled Anaheim peppers, onion, and lettuce, on grilled flat bread. Oh, and I cant forget the applewood smoke bacon. YUM


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

A good burger is better than a mediocre steak.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

olschoolsteel said:


> It looks like she might be drying up after a week of no calf on her. She didnt eat for the first day or so. But all is well now. If the weather lines up with a butcher appointment, she will be on the rack soon enough.
> 
> I try not to eat fast food unless I am starving. Here is a picture of my favorite burger. 50%ground lamb/50%beef burger. Grilled Anaheim peppers, onion, and lettuce, on grilled flat bread. Oh, and I cant forget the applewood smoke bacon. YUM


Don't let the butcher convince you to grind it all up. Just had a ribeye tonight from my old cow. Excellent.


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## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

I dont know how long the butcher will let her hang on the hook in the freezer. Everybody knows the longer they hang, the more tender they are. Whoever gets to cut this girl up, I will ask them to let her hang as long as they can before cutting her up. I am sure she is old enough to be a broken mouth cow, and she isnt as meaty as I had hoped at this stage. Thats one of the reasons I separated her and her bull-calf. He was starting to drain her---literally. I am hoping she can gain a little bit of weight back before her time comes.

I give all my critters the same blend of sweetfeed and I wont free-feed it to her. But she gets a quart a day of it. I call it COB. Normally it would be equal amounts of steamed rolled Corn, Oats, and Barley.

But...

Well here in So Ill. nobody grows barley, so the feed store doesnt have it to blend in for me. So I substituted. Ground Corn (they didnt have a method to steam roll either), Oats, and Beet pulp shreds. Powdered sorghum to sweeten it up for them


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

The picture of the burger is starving me.looks awsome.


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