Long periods between lactation.

[Awnry Abe]

I have an opportunity to purchase a FF Guernsey heifer that calved 2 days ago. My entire checklist says 'Buy' except on really important item. We prefer spring calving and drying off in December-ish. This heifer isn't on my calendar. Would it be detrimental to this cow if we milked her until, say early-January, then dried her off, and kept her out of lactation an entire season? Her calendar would line up something like this:



Now - Calf

December/January - Dry up

June - Breed back

March - Calf



That would be about 15 months. My gut tells me that I would be the wrong farm for her and I should wait to find a spring calving Guernsey. I just wanted to know what kind of success (or crash-n-burn) stories are out there in the dairy space to learn from before I pull the trigger (or walk away). I've milked through the winter plenty, but it wasn't until I didn't milk this past February that I became fond of not milking at all in the winter. (I just need to get my girls to agree with this plan).

(Cross-posted in the family milk cow proboards board).

[willowgirl]

I don't think it will be a problem as long as she doesn't get fat! That makes them harder to settle and sets them up for postpartum metabolic issues.

I think Christine had been dry for about a year when she had Lil. Let's see; her previous calf was born around June of 2005, sold in December of that year, and Lil came along in March 2007.(I hadn't been planning to breed her again, but Christine had other ideas! She breached the fence and got in with the neighbor's beef herd.)

[tab]

My cow had her first calf 3/13. I had her bred and asked the vet we had at the time to preg ck her a total of three times which she did not do. Cow wound up open. I did finally get her bred and she calved 4/15. Now, the vet I have changed to, flat out told me we were really lucky she bred back. Not only because she was open so long but she had gotten heavy with no real work to do. Some cows just put weight on when open and mine is one of them. As of right now, not sure if she is bred. We may be having an issue, that is to be determmined.
One thing I am learning, cows can be complicated! Could you comprimise on your time schedule? Would she foster calves to remove some milking duties? Could she go in the freezer if she is open and won't breed? I have also found that every time I ignore a gut feeling, I regret it....just sayin.

[Awnry Abe]

I decided not to take her. A better arrangement will present itself.