Training the heifers.

[ozark_jewels]

Eight bred heifers are running with the dairy herd since mid-July. They start calving at the beginning of September. They are learning the routine and learning to go through the dairy barn like civilized cows. Since they haven't had grain in about 9 months, they are also re-learning to eat a bit of grain preparatory to their calving. They aren't sure they like it yet.
For the first two weeks, they wouldn't come any nearer to the barn, than the bottom of the holding pen. Then we managed to shove a couple into the barn and they discovered that it didn't eat them. By the end of four weeks, they were all walking through the barn at the end of milking. Now, they are all getting locked in for a few minutes at a time so that they get used to just standing in the barn. Most are very calm about it. A couple think that something fishy is going on.
#808 is our star. She loves the barn, loves the feed, and is now accustomed to getting sprayed with teat dip before leaving the barn. Because she is so calm, she gets to come in the front, a position most heifers do NOT like.
Most of these girls are springing, some are obviously due later.







And remember this girl?



She was the last calf born in late June. All other calves were at least two months older, so we decided to leave #009 with her mother, instead of bottling her. Here she is, barely 8 weeks old, and HUGE. No grain, just mamas milk and pasture. She thinks she is a big girl and should get to walk through the barn at the end of milking too. We train our girls young........
Forgive the dirt. She lays in the holding pen and chews her cud while we milk.

[gone-a-milkin]

Aww, that calf is adorable. She is going to be a prize milker one day.

I am currently milking 7 ff's who all came fresh just this week.
Those last couple sets are a bit of a doozy right now.
It sure is nice when they get a bit of time to become acquainted with the routine, before they freshen.

As always, I love to see pics of your milkbarn. Thanks for sharing.

[springvalley]

Nice Pics Emily, Nice calf, I had one also that I left on momma. I had to wean him the other day as momma wasn`t giving enough for him i guess so he started robbing from others. He also was huge, pasture and milk, wants to make me leave all the calves with mom. >Thanks marc

[willow_girl]

Nice pics Emily, I always enjoy seeing other people's cows.

There's a #808 in the herd I milk, too, coincidentally, and she's one of my favorites. I call her "Smiley." She likes attention!

[DianeWV]

Looks like those beauties are settling right into the routine. Hope all the calving is problem-free. Thanks for the pictures!!

[MO_cows]

Seems like a smart way to go about it, giving them "dry runs", pun intended, to teach them the routine and let them learn their jobs.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

I am currently milking 7 ff's who all came fresh just this week.
Those last couple sets are a bit of a doozy right now.
It sure is nice when they get a bit of time to become acquainted with the routine, before they freshen.

Oh boy, yes! I've had to milk the suprise freshened heifer who has never been near the milk barn........what fun!! These "dry runs"(perfect pun, Mo_cows), are so nice to accustom these girls to the routine.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by springvalley

...wants to make me leave all the calves with mom. >Thanks marc

I am considering leaving 10-12 with their dams every season and using those as replacement heifers. They sure will be accustomed to the routine, well-grown, and calm in the herd. Also, they would already know the lanes and the rotation from pasture to pasture every 12 hours. I'd have to keep mother and calf separated for a couple weeks, before turning them in with the herd. The calf would have to be getting around well and past the hiding out stage.
Gotta think this thing through a bit more.....

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by willow_girl

There's a #808 in the herd I milk, too, coincidentally, and she's one of my favorites. I call her "Smiley." She likes attention!

This one does too! But #802 is the real lover from this bunch. Almost too tame, you can't move her! She loves to be scratched on the very edge of her underlip......

[triple divide]

Very nice pictures.

I see you use Nu-Pulse milkers also. I can hardly wait to start milking again after all these years.

Personaly speaking, I'd hesitate to run first calf heifers with mid and aged cows in the same pasture/paddock or freestall, due to heirarchal pecking order and shoving around at the waterer, bunker, entry door, etc.

They sure look fine though.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by triple divide

Personaly speaking, I'd hesitate to run first calf heifers with mid and aged cows in the same pasture/paddock or freestall, due to heirarchal pecking order and shoving around at the waterer, bunker, entry door, etc.

Yes, no problems here. We make sure there are always extra hay feeders, plenty of room, and no one has gotten shoved around at all. We don't pen them in small areas except the holding pen. Its all in the management. They are also as big as most of the adult cows, so size is not an issue.
I have seen that in larger herds though, when training heifers. It is certainly something to watch for. Running heifers with the dairy herd during the last month of gestation is common practice on most dairies I have worked at.
We also cull bullies.