So, I bought a 4 year old dairy cow this spring that at first glance any sane person would have left where she was. She was 1,000lbs of crazy and had an absolutely wild look in her eye: Bucking and kicking all around the loading chute. Touch her...pfft...not if you wanted to live. I gave her a chance because she had been separated from her calf, driven to the loading chute with 4-wheelers, and penned up all day without any food or water: I would have been cranky too.
We got her home and put her in a smaller pasture area. Each and every day, we would go out and feed all the critters and then interact with my goats who were housed in the same pasture area. She watched every move I made and was very interested in what I was doing with the other animals (we also have chickens and a horse). Then, I would go sit in a chair in the pasture. Each day, I moved the chair a bit closer to where she liked to graze. I would also visit the pasture periodically throughout the days I was home and just became like a piece of furniture...made myself available.
After a couple weeks of doing this every day, I guess she finally decided I was okay and came up and sniffed me, which was huge progress. Another week and I was able to touch her face, but nowhere else (except her udder). Now, I did get her into the stanchion and milk her almost from the start: It turns out even the most stubborn cow can't walk away from really good oats if you are patient and stand still. She'd go in and I'd close the gate behind her. She only kicked a couple times, but it was at flies not me.
It was actually my husband who made the major breakthrough though. One morning, she was being ornery and had lowered her head and was holding the gate shut one so he couldn't get in. So, he reached over and began to scratch her ears. Not only did she not shy away, she adjusted her head so he could reach her better. For nearly two weeks longer, he was the only one allowed to scratch her or pet her. One day she finally let me and now a couple months later, I can go hug her and feel her pregnant belly: Touch her about anywhere...anytime I'd like. She will even let me pet her when she is laying down...something the horse won't even let me do.
I put a rope halter on her by laying it across her oat pan one morning. She didn't seem to mind it, but we haven't really worked with her. I haven't really needed a halter (family dairy cow, not a show cow) since she will walk beside me and go wherever I want her, especially if their are those apple wafer treats involved. I agree with another poster above....halter breaking a cow by tying her up and letting her wear herself out would not be something I would do. Cows are a lot smarter than people give them credit for and will remember if you are mean to them. Earn their trust and they will do what you want. I have treated all our animals this way and have very friendly goats, chickens and a horse too.
We got her home and put her in a smaller pasture area. Each and every day, we would go out and feed all the critters and then interact with my goats who were housed in the same pasture area. She watched every move I made and was very interested in what I was doing with the other animals (we also have chickens and a horse). Then, I would go sit in a chair in the pasture. Each day, I moved the chair a bit closer to where she liked to graze. I would also visit the pasture periodically throughout the days I was home and just became like a piece of furniture...made myself available.
After a couple weeks of doing this every day, I guess she finally decided I was okay and came up and sniffed me, which was huge progress. Another week and I was able to touch her face, but nowhere else (except her udder). Now, I did get her into the stanchion and milk her almost from the start: It turns out even the most stubborn cow can't walk away from really good oats if you are patient and stand still. She'd go in and I'd close the gate behind her. She only kicked a couple times, but it was at flies not me.
It was actually my husband who made the major breakthrough though. One morning, she was being ornery and had lowered her head and was holding the gate shut one so he couldn't get in. So, he reached over and began to scratch her ears. Not only did she not shy away, she adjusted her head so he could reach her better. For nearly two weeks longer, he was the only one allowed to scratch her or pet her. One day she finally let me and now a couple months later, I can go hug her and feel her pregnant belly: Touch her about anywhere...anytime I'd like. She will even let me pet her when she is laying down...something the horse won't even let me do.
I put a rope halter on her by laying it across her oat pan one morning. She didn't seem to mind it, but we haven't really worked with her. I haven't really needed a halter (family dairy cow, not a show cow) since she will walk beside me and go wherever I want her, especially if their are those apple wafer treats involved. I agree with another poster above....halter breaking a cow by tying her up and letting her wear herself out would not be something I would do. Cows are a lot smarter than people give them credit for and will remember if you are mean to them. Earn their trust and they will do what you want. I have treated all our animals this way and have very friendly goats, chickens and a horse too.
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