There are many diseases from which your cow can feel bad, which will adversely affect not only the health and life expectancy of the animal, but also the quality and quantity of milk that will result in a burenka.

A cow gives little milk: why and what to do

Many cattle owners may face issues such as lean yields.

Did you know? A person drinks an average of 10 thousand liters of milk during his life.

The reasons for this may be:

• unhealthy nutrition (grazing in a pasture with poor-quality grass or low-grade food additives);
• conditions in the stall (untimely cleaning and washing of livestock);
• calving period;
• various diseases.

Breed

In the world there are more than a thousand breeds of cattle. At the same time, cattle is divided into three groups: meat, dairy and combined.

Let's get acquainted with the differences and similarities of these types:

1. If your goal is to get cattle to get a big milk yield (4000-6000 kg of milk per year per individual), then a dairy cow will suit you. Such animals tolerate various weather changes, are unpretentious in food, they can be grazed in a herd or fed in a stall. The milk fat content of representatives of this group is 3-4%. Fertilization occurs naturally. Representatives of this breed are: Yaroslavl, black-and-white, Holstein, Tagil, red steppe and others.
2. Unlike the first species, meat cows produce less milk, but at the same time they quickly ripen, gaining weight from 500 to 900 kg with proper nutrition. Like dairy, they adapt well to climate. They feed exclusively in stalls and are fertilized artificially. This type includes: Russian hornless, obrak, Hereford, gray Ukrainian, etc.
3. Meat and dairy, or combined breeds, are unique, because they can produce both milk and meat, but one must take into account the fact that one of the qualities is always more pronounced. Grazing animals of this group occurs on a pasture or in a stall, with good and proper feeding, milk yield is 12-15 liters per day, life expectancy is about 20 years. They weigh 260-800 kg. The milk fat content is 4–4.4%. Representatives of this group include: brown Carpathian, Swan, Suksun and others.

Feed quality

Proper and balanced nutrition of an animal depends, first of all, on well-selected feeds. The quality of feed affects the longevity, litter and milk yield of your pet. Cows must be fed with high-energy feed: barley, corn, molasses, beet pulp, and also juicy herbs that grow on pastures.

Did you know? A cow produces more than 150 liters of saliva during the day. This is necessary for her to fully digest food.

Poor conditions

Improper livestock maintenance has a significant effect on livestock milk production.

In order for the cow to be healthy and give a lot of milk, the following recommendations must be observed:

1. Cleaning the stall. Once a month it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning, which includes: cleaning the feeder, windows, walls, replacing the litter. Use objects intended for this (pitchfork, shovels, panicles).
2. Water treatments. Wash the cow with warm water (+ 16-18 ° C) with soap, then dry the coat and replace the litter in the stall with a dry one.
3. Skin cleansing. In the summer, the animal, like humans, also sweats. Combing the hair helps to remove dead skin, improve muscle tone and prevent the development of various skin diseases. In addition, skin cleansing has a beneficial effect on the mammary gland, due to which milk yield increases. When cleaning, use an individual brush or scraper.
4. Hoof Care. Clean cow’s hooves periodically to prevent destruction of leg tissue, wounds and infections.

Wrong milking

When milking a cow, it is important to observe milking rules. There are two methods for this process: manual and hardware.

We will familiarize ourselves with the milking rules of both types in order to avoid the loss of milk yield and udder injuries:

1. Training. Wash the udder, belly and legs of the burenka with warm soapy water, then wipe them dry with a napkin or linen towel.
2. Massage. Massaging the udder speeds up the flow of milk. Knead the milk lobes with massaging movements, starting from the top, gradually moving down.
3. Manual squeezing technique. Before milking the animal, you should thoroughly wash your hands and lubricate them with petroleum jelly so that there is no strong friction, in addition, the ointment helps to heal wounds. Milking a cow should be done carefully so as not to tear the mucous and muscle tissue of the nipple and udder, and at the end of milking it is necessary to massage the udder so that there is no milk left in it.
4. Hardware way. Used for large farms. The milking machine accelerates milk production, completely dispenses milk from the cow, but is not suitable for dairy and meat breeds of cows.

As a rule, cows are milked at a clearly defined time 2 times a day: morning and evening, after grazing.

Important! If sick animals are present in your herd, you need to milk them last, so as not to infect the healthy ones.

Age

As soon as the cow’s ability to continue offspring ceases, milk disappears.

Seasonal decline

Researchers have proven that climate and weather conditions are interconnected and affect the productivity of the animal.

The quality of spring milk is deteriorating because it has less calcium, amino acids and vitamins.

This is affected by a decrease in proper feeding and a change in metabolism in the body of cattle. In spring milk, lactic acid bacteria are formed very slowly, which leads to a decrease in the formation of beneficial acids.

Did you know? The most nutritious milk is autumn. It has the largest number of useful elements, which is the result of active summer grazing on pastures.

Stress

Cattle are highly susceptible to environmental influences on the nervous system. It is proved that gentle treatment of a person increases the life expectancy of livestock and increases milk yield. At the same time, stress adversely affects the behavior and functioning of the animal’s hormonal system.

The following stress factors can affect low milk production in cows:

1. Feed. Starvation or overfeeding adversely affect the health of the cows. In addition, a violation of the daily routine and a lack of liquid for drinking can provoke a depressed state of cows.
2. Climatic. A sharp change in weather, cold or heat adversely affects the balance of milk production in the body of cows.
3. Veterinary preventive. Sometimes stress is caused by a veterinarian examination or vaccination.

Health problems

One of the main alarming reasons for the decrease in the number of milk yield is various diseases of livestock. Failure of one of the vital organs leads to a general imbalance and a decrease in milk. Below we consider the main diseases of cattle.

Nipple cracks

Nipple wounds have a bruised and lacerated character. During aggressive hardware or improper manual milking, as well as in the process of feeding a calf to a cow, nipple wounds can be inflicted. In lactating females, wound healing takes a long time due to frequent feeding, which causes pain.

They treat cracks in the nipples in an operational way. Wounds are sutured, treated, and the sore spot is provided with rest until complete recovery.

Mastitis

Inflammation of the udder, or mastitis, is the most common disease in cows. The cause of the disease lies in the infection of the udder with microbes during lactation or milk collection. This disease is characterized by compaction in the udder, swelling, fever.

Learn more about how to treat mastitis in a cow.

With a running illness, a form of purulent mastitis may begin. In such cases, the milk may be completely lost or unsuitable for consumption.

It is necessary to isolate a sick cow, provide it with proper care, massage the udder, drink a third less than usual, and stop feeding juicy foods to reduce the volume of milk and reduce pain in the burenka.

As for drug treatment, all medications and their dosage should be prescribed only by a veterinarian.

Edema of the udder

Edema is caused by impaired circulation and lymph flow in the udder. Quite often observed in cows that produce large volumes of milk.

Read the rules for treating udder edema in a cow after calving.

With edema, swelling of the udder and a change in the consistency of the dairy product are noticeable. Treatment of edema consists in dressing the udder, regular massages and limitation in drinking.

Foot and mouth disease

Foot and mouth disease is a viral disease that is transmitted by contact between animals. It is characterized by fever, damage to the oral mucosa and mammary glands. This dangerous disease is fraught with myocardial damage and heart paralysis.

There is also a decrease in appetite, high fever, blisters are present on the mucous membranes. During the course of the illness, a cow may have foam from his mouth. Sick animals are taken away for slaughter, and quarantine is established at the farm.

Important! When you use milk or meat from a sick cow, a person can become infected with foot and mouth disease.

Digestive system diseases

The main disease of the digestive system of cattle is blockage of the esophagus due to the ingestion of foreign bodies or large pieces of food. At the same time, salivation increases in cattle, vomiting, coughing is possible, the animal refuses food.

Depending on the location of the stuck item, it is either massaged into the esophagus or pushed into the scar (stomach) with a probe. If it is impossible to manually remove a foreign body, they resort to surgical intervention.

Important! When swallowing a sharp object (nail, wire), livestock are usually sent for slaughter, so feed should be carefully checked before being given to the cow.

Maternity or postpartum paresis

After calving, the female needs special care. An unbalanced diet with a lack of calcium and phosphorus leads to postpartum paresis, which causes paralysis of the limbs, swelling of the tongue. Signs of the disease begin to appear almost immediately after the birth of the female.

She completely refuses to feed, looks apathetic, shivers finely. The body temperature is lowered, the head is tilted to the side, the tongue can fall out of the mouth. Treatment is carried out using the Schmidt technique.

Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of postpartum paresis.

All milk is dispensed from the nipples and, in turn, in each quarter, air is introduced through the catheter.

To avoid a dangerous postpartum disease, it is necessary to organize a balanced diet for the female even at the stage of pregnancy, add vitamins to it, immediately before calving, exclude concentrated and succulent feeds, and immediately after giving birth, water the animal with salt water.

It is proved that the correct conditions of detention, attention and care of the owner contribute to the good health of any pet. Cattle, bringing considerable benefits in farming, requires careful attention. In gratitude for the care, the cows will delight you with delicious and healthy fresh milk.