Dairy Cow

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

It's very good that you have a stanchion and I'm glad to hear that she is used to machine milking then.

So when you say "it didn't go very well" did you mean? Was she kicking or moving around alot? Not

I just wanted to see how long she has been in milk. If she is a heavy milker then she might just be tender from her bag being full if her calf isn't taking a lot. She also could not be letting down her milk, some of them want to "save" it all for the calf. I would message her bag while you are cleaning her to get her to let down.

Definitely need more description as to what she's doing.

 

[ederob]

She does not have a calf on her she had a calf a long time ago. And no i don't mean she was kicking we just werent fast and she only kicked once or twice. By the way we milked her today and got three and a half galons but after a few hours her bag looked big again. Does that mean she is we need to milk her again, we milk her twice a day some times? Or is she just not giving us all the milk? She is a Jeresy. Thanks!

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Okay well if she doesn't have a calf on her then you must milk her twice a day. She will probably get mastitis if you leave her that full for such a long period of time. She is a heavy milker if your getting 3 gallons in one milking and she's past her lactation peak.

So milk twice a day, 12 hours apart if you can manage it. They like their schedule so milk at the same times everyday. Wash the uder firmly but quickly and get the pump on her. The hormones they produce to let down the milk only last for 15-30 minutes so you have to get the milk out within a reasonable time frame.
Make sure you are using a good teat dip after your done milking so she doesn't get mastitis. If they get it real bad, it can damage the infected quarter beyond repair and you'll never get milk out tof that quarter again.

I think she was probably tender from being so full, you'll actually dry her off if you let her bag stay full like that.

 

[ederob]

We milk her in the morning and we get about 2 galons. But the first two days we had her she gave three and a half galons in the morning. If she does not give us three in a half galons in the morning we milk her again around 3:00, We milk her at 7:00 in the morning.

 

[ederob]

Thanks for all the tips. We are learning a lot. I do have another question. My cow butted me today. I was holding her hay, and she socked me with her head. It seems she can be sassy. Any tips of teaching a cow manners? She is very "pulley" when we walk her on her lead rope. We really have to hold on tight to her halter. She is sweet, but when food is around, she is pushy. Suggestions???

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Keep a crop or stick with you and pop her on the neck with it if she butts you. She's trying to display her dominance and you have to put a stop to it right away. Is she decides to butt you hard she could break bones or worse (I've found out the hard way). You wont hurt her, its more of a way of getting her attention and say NO in a firm and stern voice. Dont ever push her head away with your hands, she will think your playing the butting game and you will lose. By hitting her on tbe neck, you will get her to step away from you (like just dont hit her face because you dont want to make her head shy).

As for the walking on the line, dont try to drag her around just put some pressure on the line in the direction you want to go and when she takes a few steps release the tension. She should get the idea pretty fast. Small healthy treats when she reaches her destination help too.

Best of luck and be careful.

 

[ederob]

Thanks!!!! What kind of treats could we give her?

 

[res]

We always gave range cubes as a treat. They are big cylinder shaped "cubes" that are meant for dumping on the "range" for cattle to pick up. Perfect size, easy to store and handle, cattle love them (and the dogs do, too!). Just be sure not to feed them to other livestock, as they can contain monensin, which can be very toxic... *** We don't voluntarily feed them to our dogs - but the LGD is known to snag them from the cattle whenever she can ***

We bought ours at the feed store - usually close to $10 for a 50-lb bag.

 

[ederob]

Thanks!!! I will get some.