question about simmi cows milk

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simmi1133

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Feb 14, 2014
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23
we had a calf born yesterday and got there today and he did look too healthy. we got the mom into the chute and were going to milk her out into a bottle and drench the calf. well we started milking and all four quarters had a reddish color tint to its milk? what causes this? will it cure itself? we milked out all her milk onto the ground and gave the calf milk replacer. Thanks
 

JDP

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May 11, 2008
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Sounds like mastitis.  Get with your vet and get her on antibiotics and keep given the calf milk replacer but he needs colostrum if he hasn't had any. Good luck.
 

frostback

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If its just a reddish tint and nothing clumpy then it was probably just stress of calving. Its nothing to worry about and will clear up. Had one on time when the vet was here and he said it happens more then we know as we don't usually see the milk the calf is nursing. Colostrum will be thicker and a different colour then the milk later.
 

simmi1133

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we gave her an antibiotic and gave calf colostrum. Should we keep milking her out so she doesn't quit milking?
 

firesweepranch

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A red tint is not abnormal, leave her be. We had an angus heifer that  calved a little heifer calf that we had to assist in her first few times nursing, and had the vet out because we thought there was a problem. Her first milk was blood red, and so thick it would barely poor from the cup we milked her in. Vet said to give it to the calf anyway, and we did. We stripped her for about three days, not sure what to think. But each time the milk became more white and less red. Calf is a really nice show heifer now, and we never had to touch the dam again. Vet said more times than not, as previous poster said, we do not see the colostrum because the calf does the job. This calf was just small and weak, so we had to assist until we got her nursing on her own. If the calf is nursing, let it do the job.
 

frostback

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If the calf can suck just let them be. If the calf cant, just milk mom and give it to the calf. Nothing wrong with it.
 

Lucky_P

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Jan 27, 2012
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327
Pink, or even bloody colostrum is not necessarily a bad thing - may merely reflect some bleeding as a result of udder edema and/or minor injury to the udder as a result of engorgement prior to calving.

Better keep a close eye on this calf for navel ill/joint ill or other infections. 
Unless he managed to nurse before you got in the middle of this, it sounds as if you deprived him of access to most of the colostral antibodies he needed. 
In your initial post, you indicate that you gave milk replacer - which would have effectively 'shut down' the intestine's ability to absorb colostral antibodies.  If, however, you misstated that, and you gave a good quality colostrum replacer(not the cheap colostrum supplements), you may be OK.
Colostrum replacers and frozen colostrum are better than nothing, but the best thing is colostrum from the dam - has antibodies against most of the pathogens present on the farm, AND the maternal white blood cells in the colostrum also contribute to immunity, as well.

I agree with FSR - if the calf can and will nurse, I leave them alone; we only intervene if its a big, dumb calf that is slow getting started, or if the cow has big teats that the calf can't get onto. 
I'll help the calf with that cow that has balloon teats, but she's leaving after we wean that calf - I don't have time to be milking a cow with a bad udder just so that her calf doesn't starve.
 

simmi1133

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Feb 14, 2014
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we gave the calf milk replacer a day after he was born. He was sucking the first day so im sure he got all of the colostrum. he wont off the teat so that is when we milked out the cow bc the calf would not suck
 

hevmando

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Dec 14, 2009
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Ruskin, MN
Anyone that is familiar with dairy cows knows reddish milk immediately after calving is not uncommon.  Cottage cheese, clumpy is a problem.  That is mastitis.  The red usually goes away in a few days.  Dairy farmers see the milk, beef guys usually not.  Good luck.
 

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