For the homesteader and small-scale ag producer, bringing home a heifer calf to raise for home dairy production and herd building is an excitement second to none. Such possibility! So many opportunities!

Thousands of wholesome, nutritious gallons later, that heifer has morphed into a cow that is regrettably but undoubtedly past her prime. She is fixed in her opinions, sags a bit, has the temperament of a marshmallow — but heaven help you if she steps on your foot, because that thous-and-pound marshmallow goes nowhere in a hurry. Nobody is ever ready to let dear old Bessy go, but here’s a little secret: You don’t have to. Keeping an older cow healthy and productive takes more work than it does to manage her younger sisters or even her calves, but it’s entirely possible. Here’s what you can expect when you put together your management plan.

Better breeding

The old cow ain’t what she used to be. As Bessy gets older, it can be harder and harder to tell when she comes into heat — and sometimes, that’s because she isn’t coming into heat at all. Even when she has come into heat (yay!) and you’ve gotten the AI guy out in time (double yay!), she may not “take” the first time. Or the second, or the third.

It will be very helpful for you to start keeping close records of heat dates and breeding. If you’ve had Bessy bred, get her pregnancy tested as soon as possible. Don’t wait until she’s far enough along to be palpated. Jump the gun and get blood or milk samples tested as early as 28 days after breeding, because every day counts. If the test is positive, you’re out a couple bucks. If it’s negative, you’ve missed only one heat period instead of three or four.

Getting your girl bred on time is critical, because once the days start to shorten, you may not have another chance until spring. Although cows typically cycle all year, an older Bessy may have collected a few age- or health-related problems (including feed inefficiency, but more on that below). In the harder winter months, these problems often mean she’ll be far less likely to come into heat, her optimal breeding window within that heat will be shorter, or she may be less likely to take to breeding. The good news? The surplus green grass and balmy weather during the summer equate to better nutrition and less stress, which in turn equates to better breeding efficiency.

Bottom line, keep an eye on Bessy’s overall health and activity, and get her bred during the summer months. You’ll both be happier.

Quality feed

One of the top predictors of an older dairy cow’s productivity is dental condition. If Bessy can’t completely chew her hay, she can’t digest it as efficiently as she once could. If she isn’t getting the nutrients she needs, you can expect dramatic weight loss, especially in cold weather, an irregular heat cycle, and inability to take to pregnancy if she does come into heat. Remember, she’ll need to get enough nutrients for her own maintenance, to make the milk she’s giving you, to build a nice healthy calf, and don’t forget — she’s got to have enough energy to birth that calf without problems.

Some of this nutrient gap you can bridge with extra grain. However, don’t be fooled into thinking you can get away with a pile of concentrates and a mound of stemmy, sunbleached, straw-like hay. Quality hay is crucial for bovine health, and although you may have done the math to prove that technically she should be able to survive on the grain alone, consider that Bessy has a digestive system that needs roughage. Leafy, nutritious, quality hay is essential to her diet.

Breed for smaller calves

Without a calf, your cow won’t be able to produce milk for you. Although an older cow is more experienced and often will be the fastest and easiest calver you’ll ever have, you can’t trust this critical time to chance. Once push comes to shove, Bessy can usually birth even a big bull calf with ease — but she might not safely carry that baby long enough to reach the actual birthing. Enter the dreaded word: prolapse. When an older, worn-out and stretched Bessy is carrying a big heavy baby, it rearranges her insides. Muscles are strained and ligaments stretch. If that calf is big enough, the pressure in the last few weeks of pregnancy can force Bessy’s birth canal out behind her in a big, ghastly “bubble” that is just ready to be torn, dirtied, and infected. Even in a mild case, we’re talking veterinarian trip and stitches — and then probably farewell to Bessy, because once it happens, it’;s almost sure to happen again.

Avoid this problem by breeding your old girl to a bull that throws small calves. Yes, Bessy may be a blue-ribbon Brown Swiss, but it may be time to give up the gamble for one more dairy heifer of that big-boned breed. Go with a Jersey or Angus if at all possible, and Bessy will thank you for it. Your veterinarian will thank you for it. Your spouse (who will be heartily sick of you getting up at 3 a.m. to make sure that awful bubble hasn’t re-emerged) will thank you for it.

Even if you have bred your older milker to a smallcalved breed, keep an eye on her. An early-stage birth canal prolapse is most likely to be visible when the cow is lying down (and the unborn calf is therefore resting pressure on internal systems, rather than suspended below the danger zone).