training a cow-dumb question?

[harplade]

Ok, I have a very newbie question. I have a Guernsey/Jersey cross heifer who was just bred last month. I want to tame her a little bit and work towards being able to milk her when she calves. She was hand raised by someone else. She'll come for food and will sort of lead with halter and rope.
The question, do we just drag her around the field (tied to a truck or tractor) until she gets it or can you train with food and praise?
My daughter is training a 2 year old colt-who we praise and scold according to his actions. She (wise almost 13 year old) said that won't work with a cow.

What's the best way?

Thanks for your help,
Harplade

[agmantoo]

I would train the heifer with reward only. Tie the heifer where she is given some hay. When the hay is consumed with the lead rope move her a short distance to where she can have some grain. Do this day after day and move the grain farther away a little at a time. She will get the idea that if she follows you there will be a treat at the end of the trip. In time she will associate you and a trip as beneficial and will readily go along. I can move my entire herd for a rather long distance without a lead rope or lead cow simply by calling to them. They have been conditioned to know that when I call and they follow me there will be a paddock of better grass to eat. training in this manner does not produce flighty or nervous animals.

[francismilker]

I use the "tie em up all day and then lead them to water method". I halter the animal and tie them up IN THE SHADE at about 18" high and leave them an 18" lead. This will enable them the room to lay down but without too much lead line to get tangled up in. At the end of the day I untie them and lead them to food and water. Next day, repeat. Next day, repeat.
Sooner or later, usually about three days, they figure out that there's (as agman stated) reward for leading. As well, they get their nose good and sore from the rope halter and most always choose to lead instead of being "dragged" to the water. One thing to remember: Don't tie them up and then leave the farm. All sorts of train wrecks can occur and you need to keep a loose eye on her out the kitchen window while you're doing other day to day chores.

[stifflej]

I am new to cows also, and although I won't be doing any milking, just raising for beef, so I don't need them as tame, it was suggested by someone else that really doesn't have any idea either, to ring a bell every time we take the feed for them to get them used to hearing a bell and associating it with food. Do you think that will work? The theory is that if one of them gets loose, they will come back to eat when I ring the bell, knowing that they are getting a "treat".

What do you think?

[francismilker]

Farmers have been using this noise trick for many years via the pick-up horn or calling suuuuuu----------cow, suuuuuuuuuu------cow. For me, all it takes is a donkey with ultra sensitive hearing to hear someone INSIDE the house stirring around in the early morning hours and begin his infamous eeeeeahhhhhh, eeeeeeeahhhhhh noise. After this, the cows come running to the barn to meet me as they know my day has begun!

[ostrichlady]

I've got mine comming when I yell HEY BOSS! HERE! HERE! HERE! The cows come running and my kids run from me in embarassment!

[Dodgegal79]

I trained my calves but a bucket of grain and a rope. They do not like their heads pulled around so they do learn quickly to follow.

[MullersLaneFarm]

while you have her tied - take a brush and brush her, eventually handling her udders.

Becareful of her kicking with the hind feet. you'd be surprised how far forward they can kick!

[frazzlehead]

We got our first Dexter cow/calf pair this summer. They were sorta used to people but a bit skittish.

We spent a lot of time standing near them, offering freshly pulled grass or treats, and eventually they realized we were the nice people with the food.

Once they had that figured out, we led them to the barn with the treat bucket and got them into their stalls and shut the gates. No fuss, no hassle. Treats in the stalls were all they cared about!

Once in the stalls, we would reach over and touch the cow lots, rubbing her sides, her belly, everything. She didn't care as long as there was hay.

The cow's stall leads into a narrow 'passageway' that is the milking stanchion. I put her hay a little ways in one day, a little further the next, and so on until she walked right in to eat. Then I closed the tailgate behind her. Again, she didn't care at all.

I rubbed her sides, and then tried the udder. No reaction. So I squeezed some milk out... she was completely oblivious and could have cared less. The next day I started milking.

I love my cow! Patience and kindness are all it takes.

[harplade]

thanks for the ideas-we will get started as soon as wise daughter returns from out of town and can help me.

As for the bell trick, I'm just picturing what would happen after they are trained and one of the kids put a bell around the dairy goats necks-might make for an interesting rodeo.

I'll let you know in a couple of weeks how the training part goes.

We are fairly new to cows and are realizing that you either have to have somewhat tame cows (to be able to move them around and not have them trying to jump out of a stall when you go by) or we have to spend the time and money on the proper equipment. Lots cheaper for my time and a few treats!!

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by stifflej

I am new to cows also, and although I won't be doing any milking, just raising for beef, so I don't need them as tame, it was suggested by someone else that really doesn't have any idea either, to ring a bell every time we take the feed for them to get them used to hearing a bell and associating it with food. Do you think that will work? The theory is that if one of them gets loose, they will come back to eat when I ring the bell, knowing that they are getting a "treat".

What do you think?

No, you don't need them "halter-broke" trained. However, you should be able to get near them without them getting flighty. It will sure make life easier for you when (not "if", it's inevitable) you need to touch them for any reason. Your SAFETY is at stake with flighty cows.

As far as the bell, any noise will do. All animals are creatures of habit. The "noise" they associate with food can be a bell or whistle, the sound of a barn door opening, or simply your voice. We holler for the lead cow by name... then get outta the way! They come from 1/2 mile away.

[Sabrina67]

LOL francismilker, I thought I had the only "Donkey Call" I also have the "Goose Call" for my cows. If they hear the geese or the Donkey they all come up wanting food