I was reassigned :) *pics* ill be carrying for a dairy cow! any advice?
- Thread starter Fran101
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Advice for carrying for a dairy cow? Make sure that you can produce enough milk to feed the calf once it's born 
Oh, and also, you'd better have a strong back, and be careful when they kick... I'd imagine a hoof kick to the uterus to be really painful.
Oh, and also, you'd better have a strong back, and be careful when they kick... I'd imagine a hoof kick to the uterus to be really painful.
I worked on a few dairy farms, both parlour and stalls (parlours are much nicer). Cows is good critters. I bet you will love your cow!!!!
How cool. You're going to love them.
I lived on Carnation dairy farm in Washington for about a year and they were Holstein. That is the breed that produces the most milk...huge quantities. It's what makes up the vast majority, if not all the milk we buy in stores. It's lower in butter fat, I think that other breeds, not as tasty, but they make more.
It was an experience living there. There were calves born, several barns, a place where they did artificial insemination, huge pastures, one right next to where we lived. In all, the farm was 1,300 acres.
The young heffers were shy, but curious and when I'd take a walk, they'd all congragate and run alongside the fence with us. A few were tame enough to let people pat them a little, but mostly they kept back just a few feet. It just depends how much handling they get. I got "scolded" for making friends with a young bull. They told me that he won't want to breed if he gets too much lovin from humans. LOL. He was super cute and friendly. But he was a youngster.
For your viewing pleasure. See how curious and gentle the young heffers are? That's my daughter standing in the middle of them. The next picture shows Jose` when he was just a tiny baby. And below the Cascade mountains in the distance. Also, if Foxy sees this thread, she can see what part of Washington state looks like. She was looking at different areas where she might like to move.
My dogs:
They can only mainly kick forward with any force... so it's not as horrible as being kicked by a horse. But nevertheless, of course you don't want to be kicked at all.
I lived on Carnation dairy farm in Washington for about a year and they were Holstein. That is the breed that produces the most milk...huge quantities. It's what makes up the vast majority, if not all the milk we buy in stores. It's lower in butter fat, I think that other breeds, not as tasty, but they make more.
It was an experience living there. There were calves born, several barns, a place where they did artificial insemination, huge pastures, one right next to where we lived. In all, the farm was 1,300 acres.
The young heffers were shy, but curious and when I'd take a walk, they'd all congragate and run alongside the fence with us. A few were tame enough to let people pat them a little, but mostly they kept back just a few feet. It just depends how much handling they get. I got "scolded" for making friends with a young bull. They told me that he won't want to breed if he gets too much lovin from humans. LOL. He was super cute and friendly. But he was a youngster.
For your viewing pleasure. See how curious and gentle the young heffers are? That's my daughter standing in the middle of them. The next picture shows Jose` when he was just a tiny baby. And below the Cascade mountains in the distance. Also, if Foxy sees this thread, she can see what part of Washington state looks like. She was looking at different areas where she might like to move.
My dogs:
They can only mainly kick forward with any force... so it's not as horrible as being kicked by a horse. But nevertheless, of course you don't want to be kicked at all.
ucon auto milks usually...most of the milk goes into making their own icecream so they cant afford to miss a drop lol.
the brown are jerseys, jerseys are possibly the sweetest natured and docile of all bovine breeds, the black and white are holstien, there still a sweet breed but tend to be a little more high spirited than jerseys. (jerseys are my faves!)
cows will learn pretty quick and should do well with clicker training...they can be incredibly personable too.
the biggest issue with cows is flys, it doesnt seem to matter how clean the beasty is, theres always flys...
the brown are jerseys, jerseys are possibly the sweetest natured and docile of all bovine breeds, the black and white are holstien, there still a sweet breed but tend to be a little more high spirited than jerseys. (jerseys are my faves!)
cows will learn pretty quick and should do well with clicker training...they can be incredibly personable too.
the biggest issue with cows is flys, it doesnt seem to matter how clean the beasty is, theres always flys...
Who Uses Clicker Training
There's an article that might interest you.
Good luck. You'll have to keep us apprised.
There's an article that might interest you.
Good luck. You'll have to keep us apprised.
My Grandpa owned a dairy farm in Langley and my dad used to go there on weekends when he was a kid.... He always talks about when his dad sold the mean bull and bought the fancy Carnation bull. He says he used to be able to ride the Carnation bull around a pen
Fransheska, that's super awesome, I think you lucked out. If I were stuck a chicken girl I would be soooo jealous. lol
My only advice would be... certainly be kind to her, but don't let her walk all over you. You know the horses that will slowlllyy try and squeeze you against the wall when they're in the cross ties lol. Make some physical boundaries with her, don't let her lean on you, etc. Also don't play too much with her head, like pet her, sure, but not too much scratching... when they weigh 800-1500lbs (the brown jerseys are smaller) you want them to have a quiet head. Even without horns, you don't want her associating humans with scratch relief... have you see what they do to a tree? lol
Enjoy her
Fransheska, that's super awesome, I think you lucked out.
If I were stuck a chicken girl I would be soooo jealous. lolMy only advice would be... certainly be kind to her, but don't let her walk all over you. You know the horses that will slowlllyy try and squeeze you against the wall when they're in the cross ties lol. Make some physical boundaries with her, don't let her lean on you, etc. Also don't play too much with her head, like pet her, sure, but not too much scratching... when they weigh 800-1500lbs (the brown jerseys are smaller) you want them to have a quiet head. Even without horns, you don't want her associating humans with scratch relief... have you see what they do to a tree? lol
Enjoy her
They are beautiful! I'm so glad you got to switch.
We used to ride Rosey, my aunt's jersey cow. She was the best cow ever.
An important thing to remember if you're working with any large livestock is to keep your top and bottom teeth touching. You don't have to clench your jaw, but don't let it hang relaxed so that there's any space between your teeth.
These big animals can be incredibly gentle, but at the same time they are huge and if they jostle you or swing their head around to hit some flies and forget you are standing there, you don't want to break a tooth or lose the end of your tongue.
We used to ride Rosey, my aunt's jersey cow. She was the best cow ever.
An important thing to remember if you're working with any large livestock is to keep your top and bottom teeth touching. You don't have to clench your jaw, but don't let it hang relaxed so that there's any space between your teeth.
These big animals can be incredibly gentle, but at the same time they are huge and if they jostle you or swing their head around to hit some flies and forget you are standing there, you don't want to break a tooth or lose the end of your tongue.
Interesting Xandra. Yes, the Carnation Holsteins are some of the best in the country and even other countries bought their semen to impregnate their cows. Carnation, of course, is now owned by Nestle. But I got to live on the part of the farm up on the hill which was 600 acres and no one but the heffers lived there with us. Sometimes they got out of their pasture and in the middle of the night in the rain, we'd have to get up and trudge out there to herd them all back into their pasture....not fun in the pouring rain. LOL.
Such good advice about not becoming a scratching post. LOL. Those heffers could kill a coyote just by ramming them into the ground with their heads. The coyotes there, kept their distance from the cows.
Such good advice about not becoming a scratching post. LOL. Those heffers could kill a coyote just by ramming them into the ground with their heads. The coyotes there, kept their distance from the cows.
I didn't work with the cows, but from all my years with horses, you don't want to keep your head over the top of the animal's head. If they go upwards, it could really do a number on you. With horses, (I assume it's the same with cows) face their rear when you're working around them, as much as possible, so if they're going to kick forward or swing around....like when you're along side them, you'll see it coming. Keep an eye on their heads too and watch for body language. I don't know what cows do. It think they're pretty docile, but I bet you'll learn all about it when you start your project.
Advice for carrying for a dairy cow? Make sure that you can produce enough milk to feed the calf once it's born Oh, and also, you'd better have a strong back, and be careful when they kick... I'd imagine a hoof kick to the uterus to be really painful.
Oh, and also, you'd better have a strong back, and be careful when they kick... I'd imagine a hoof kick to the uterus to be really painful.
Yeah, pretty much any head movement around you isn't good lol.
I know even with my llamas, I have been feeding them out of a bucket that I held around my waist and then had them startle and been knocked in the jaw by their head, that it isn't good news. And a cow is like a llama x 10-- the head weighs what, 25 lbs?
Wow, cows are much cooler than chickens Fran...and soft and squishy
Just watch around the back-end..."cow kicks" kind of go forward with a backfoot and do a sweeping outward motion, you're actually safer directly behind them than to the side/in front of those back feet.
Remember this is a big, not-so-smart animal that has no thought on your well being and can swing their head etc after a bug and knock you down just ask me about my cemented in teeth in the front as to why you never walk behind a horse, she wasn't aiming for me but got me in the face anyway. Just be careful not to get hurt, cows are really awesome!
Just watch around the back-end..."cow kicks" kind of go forward with a backfoot and do a sweeping outward motion, you're actually safer directly behind them than to the side/in front of those back feet.
Remember this is a big, not-so-smart animal that has no thought on your well being and can swing their head etc after a bug and knock you down
just ask me about my cemented in teeth in the front as to why you never walk behind a horse, she wasn't aiming for me but got me in the face anyway. Just be careful not to get hurt, cows are really awesome!
YAY! im so excited, i will have more pictures and such later when I get to really take her out and such. I have the choice between 2 cows, 1 is black/white and typical like in the commercials and the other is beigish brown
lol but I just noticed I made a mistake in the title, i meant CARING for a dairy cow, not carrying for one!
lol but I just noticed I made a mistake in the title, i meant CARING for a dairy cow, not carrying for one!