kneeling milk cow

AR Transplant · #1 03/17/08, 06:53 PM

Heres the deal, my newly freshened jersey has decided that when there is no more feed in the pail that she needs to kneel on her front knees and search for more food. I can't milk a kneeling cow! She is in the stanchon and can't move far, but with her kneeling I can't do anything.

Any ideas? Perhaps she is catholic and is giving thanks for the food?

I appreciate any and all help.

ar

darbyfamily · #2 03/17/08, 07:15 PM

:rofl:

Cat · #3 03/17/08, 07:31 PM

Do you have a horizontal bar anywhere on the stanchion? Ours has a bar to where I doubt she could go very far. Maybe need to rig something up like that? Neither of mine have ever shown the desire to do that, though.

linn · #4 03/17/08, 08:45 PM

Try giving her a flake of good hay to keep her occupied while you finish milking.

myersfarm · #5 03/17/08, 09:46 PM

might try a 5 gallon bucket under her...something that would not hurt anything and keep her on her feet

Ronney · #6 03/18/08, 05:07 AM

Now that's a cow with attitude. Love it. I've had some pearlers over the years but none have gone to quite that extent.

I would follow some of the suggestions already given - a biscuit of hay, a small box or bucket under her brisket or even looping a bit of baling twine under her just behind the front legs.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Teacupliz · #7 03/18/08, 06:58 AM

I went to NOT feeding during milking thenthey learn to stand get the milking done then they get a treat. then there is nothing to seach for-
Liz

matt_man · #8 03/18/08, 07:57 AM

Our cow eats like a slob and used to kneel in order to reach whats she'd dropped. I would give her a slap and tell her NO and she eventually got the hint that it was unacceptable.

francismilker · #9 03/18/08, 08:08 AM

I ended up raising my cow's feed pan in the stanchion and then built a "platform" around her pan to catch all the dropped feed. You can see a picture of it in an old thread called, "here's my setup, what's yours?".

AR Transplant · #10 03/18/08, 02:18 PM

love all the ideas, she doesn't care one whit for the hay, I do have some alfalfa that I could sprinkle in some hay,

I put a board across her front about 18 inches above the ground and she was a bit skittish to go in the stanchion, but she did not kneel. And she stayed still even when I forgot to fasten the stanchon. I think I have the problem solved.

THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH!

ar