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Subject:
From:
David Wood <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 27 Jul 1997 19:12:03 -0700
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>>Why don't they let the calves get their own colostrom? Won't the
mother cows make enough for the baby cow and for the farmer also?<<

I've worked with a variety of farm animals and the weaning issues never
bothered me at the time. Now with 2 children, I can't imagine I was so
matter of fact about it. It basically comes down to ease of labour and
profits. The calves do get (usually) their mother's colostrum and are
removed within 24 hours to the "nursery". Here they are fed 2-3 times
per day, generally with milk from recently calved cows, as milk is
generally withheld for 3 days after calving from going into the bulk
container. The cow could produce enough for the baby and the farmer but
the farmer can sell the milk that the baby is drinking and it would be
really inconvenient to try to milk cows with their babies around.

As Kathy D. pointed out from her posting about weaning baby horses,
there seem to be a lot of similarities between modern animal rearing and
reasons for early weaning of human babies, however inaccurate they are.

Donna Hansen
Burnaby, BC (looking for a career change)

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