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In cows, shortly before calving, the udder is poured – this is one of the characteristic signs that allows you to carefully prepare for the appearance of a calf. Particular attention must be paid to heifers. They need to be properly looked after – water, feed, and also massage the udder so that it fills up, accustoming the animal to milking and preventing milk stagnation.
What is the udder of a heifer
The future mammary gland of a first-calf heifer is laid at the embryonic stage. In parallel with the development and achievement of puberty, the size of the udder also grows, alveoli appear in it. In the early stages, the mammary gland increases due to adipose and connective tissue. In its structure, there are:
- 4 lobes with cylindrical nipples at the end;
- 3 types of fabric;
- vessels and capillaries;
- alveoli, cisterns, canals and ducts.
At first, there is only 1 small cavity in the udder lobe. In this state, it remains until the age of 6 months of the individual. The ducts leave the cavity. The glandular tissue is not yet developed.
A first-calf heifer is a one-year-old individual. She doesn’t know the hotel. Her puberty occurs at 9 months, the hormonal system of the animal changes. At this time, the alveoli begin to grow, the number of ducts increases. Milk cisterns and small tubules also develop, through which, when the udder is poured, milk enters it. Each lobe of the gland has a cistern.
Milk is produced in the alveoli, which are small blood vessels. The anterior and posterior lobes are separated by a septum and develop unevenly. Up to 40% of milk is collected in tanks and channels.
The volume of the udder holds up to 15 liters. Milk accumulates between milkings and is retained by capillaries, special sphincters and a special arrangement of channels.
The correct formation of the mammary gland and its productivity is helped by massage performed for 12-15 minutes. Heifers (never giving birth to young cows) must first be accustomed to it.
When the udder begins to grow in the heifer
Cattle have a gestation period of about 285 days, plus/minus 10 days. The udder of the first-calf before calving increases, becomes heavier and larger – it pours. Changes will be visible upon visual inspection.
At 4 – 5 months of pregnancy (pregnancy), oxytocin begins to stimulate the active work of the alveoli, the glandular tissue gradually takes the place of adipose tissue. The number of nerve endings and blood vessels increases. Changes become very noticeable from the 7th month, when the udder is full. The process goes almost to the moment of calving.
By the color of the fluid released from the teats, one can judge the stages of development of the udder. In the early stages of pregnancy (pregnancy period), a clear liquid appears, at the 4th month it becomes straw-yellow in color. The second half of pregnancy is characterized by the fact that secretory cells begin to act more actively. The liquid becomes viscous, by the 7th month, when you press the nipple, a cream-colored secret can sometimes be released from it, which then turns into colostrum (30 days before calving).
Signs of a cow before calving on the udder
Noticeable changes occur a few days before delivery. The udder of a cow before calving:
- noticeably increases and pours;
- colostrum is secreted from the nipples.
The heifer stops milking at about the 7th month of pregnancy. This is necessary so that the lactation process intensifies after calving. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the mammary gland. The udder begins to fill up and the main task is to prevent the formation of edema, inflammation or mastitis.
Such a problem may arise due to an excess of succulent forage (silage) or a lack of regular grazing. It is imperative to get rid of the swelling. A light udder massage will help in this, which should be done during pregnancy and directly on the day of calving. First, they simply stroke the animal so that it gets used to it, and then each quarter of the udder is massaged from the bottom up for no more than 5 minutes.
Adult heifers stop milking 60 days before birth, and heifers – a little earlier, 65 – 75 days, even if the amount of milk has not decreased.
The udder is also poured during the period of milking, which lasts about 100 days for first-calf heifers.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to determine how many days before calving the cow’s udder is poured, and how long it remains enlarged. How much the animal drinks, what it eats and how often it grazes during pregnancy is an important factor. Massage is a must, not only to accustom the heifer to milking, but also to prevent milk stagnation, which can lead to inflammation of the mammary gland.
During the pregnancy of heifers, it is necessary to gradually stop milking them, reducing the number of milkings to zero and thereby adjusting the lactation process (start the cow).
How to milk a cow, you can watch the video
