training a cow

Tabitha · #1 05/12/08, 09:10 PM

is there a book or something on how to train/teach a cow? the animals are husband's realm. He usually is really good with them. (well behaved dogs are a pleasure to have around). I really want to start milking, but though he worked with the cows while they were pregnant and they stood to be petted and would let him get ahold of their udder, now that a calf is here, all that is forgotten. Of course the weather is nice, but the cw took her calf and ran off to join the herd and I hardly see her. they are not even much interested in a treat like sweet feed. We had cows at home that were milked morning and nights, but they were confined. something has to be done if I am to get any milk.

copperhead46 · #2 05/12/08, 09:24 PM

For starters, you have to take her calf, put it in a pen, and let her come in morning and nite, to let her calf suck and you milk. I always let the calf suck one side and I took the other. If you need more milk, then bottle feed the calf, and milk the cow. She has to be restrained, like in a stanchion, and put her calf where she can see/smell it, and milk her. Thats all I know, but maybe it's a start.

Haggis · #3 05/13/08, 07:36 AM

There are certain African tribes who keep cattle, they do as the writer above suggested; separate cow and calf. Mornings and evenings the cow is brought in to be milked, her calf is tied near her head stimulating her to let her milk flow, but not allowed to have access to the udder until the milker has taken such milk as they desire from the cow.

Here at Wolf Cairn Moor we follow a similar routine, and as the cow learns to let down her milk at milking time for us, we gradually begin taking all of one milking per day and allowing the calf to have one milking per day (actually we allow the calf to have her dame after we milk and to stay with her dame for 12 hours before being separated again for 12 hours during which her milk accumulates for us). The calf is not allowed to leave the barn so the cow soon learns that coming to the barn is about being milked, being with her calf, or being given feed.