bred jersey-my weeks progress

[NeHomesteader]

I bought a bred jersey x a week ago and feel like I have made so much progress with her. I have a friend who I kid about loving her milk cows more than her husband and now I can understand why. You can really bond with them. Maybe to everyone what I have done in a week is nothing but I feel so proud. When we brought her home she wasn't wild but not tame either. She would barely come to the bunk let alone let me touch her. Then I got her to eating out of the bunk,then my hand,coming in and out of the barn. She will go in her stanchion to eat,I've not tried to close it yet. Not sure how long to wait on closing the stanchion,I want her to trust me first. Now I can pet her all over in the stanchion which took awhile. I talk to her all the time while doing this. I need to know if i'm on the right track with what i'm doing. She is due to calve 'maybe' within 2 weeks. What worries me is I have to go to my daughters to take care of the Grandkids for a week starting Monday. I feel everything i've done and want to work on will be undone. I never leave home and now it is at a bad time. Hubby will be really good with her but it seems she has bonded with me more. Do they do that? I'm so used to beef cows that dairy is new to me. Anything I should be doing or need to do?

[myheaven]

Yes she bonded to you. My Molly is more bonded to me. When she gets loose she comEs to me or waits fOr me to come get her out of the mess she got in. She will tolerate your dh in your absence. She will be. Very happy when you come hOme. My Molly and dh had a fallIng oUt one day when she got loose. You are doing great. She sees you as a positive experience. Will she let you touch her utter yet? Get her comfOrtable with you touching her utter.

[gone-a-milkin]

Hopefully she will wait until you get home to drop that calf.
Even if she doesn't, she will not forget you in a week.
Cattle have good memory (especially when it comes to which side their bread is buttered on!).

Give your DH a run-through on what you have been doing with her.
Get him as comfortable as you can in working with her before you go.

Do you have a vet for him to call if the calving goes too slow?

Chances are that everything will be fine while you are gone.
In case it doesn't, just try to have a back-up plan.

Oh, and I would go ahead and shut her in the stanchion.
She will quickly realize it wont kill her.
Do it before you leave, and get your DH into the habit of it.
It could really help him (or the vet) if they need to immobilize her while you are gone.

Chances are she will very briefly fight the headlock, then remember that there is FOOD.
Better for her to have this realization now, IMO.

Good luck and here is hoping for an uneventful time.

[NeHomesteader]

I haven't touched her udder yet but I have rubbed under her belly. I'm just working up to that with her trust. I can kind of tell how much she will tolerate. This morning she is starting to swell up more under her belly so calving is getting closer. I'm sure the way she looks she will calve when i'm gone. Hubby has ranched all his life and we have always had cows since we've been married so he will handle her well. Maybe not with quite as much patience as me but you can tell she has won him over.
Glad you mentioned that about the head catch and closing it. I wondered if it would be best to do it now or wait but I will go ahead with it. I have a jersey heifer I raised from a baby that hubby AI'd in Oct. but i've never had an actual milk cow so i'm so glad to have all your advice. They are so different than beef cows for sure.

[NeHomesteader]

Mabel had her little baby the 5th, a heifer we named Mattie. She is adorable!!! It was 2 days before going to my daughters to babysit the Grandkids. I had gotten her in the stanchion and then we went ahead and closed it and with her calving before I left,we milked her. It worked out great. Hubby did the first milking beings he grew up doing it and she only lifted her right back leg a couple of times. After that he had to milk when I was gone and she has never attempted to kick. We evidently bought a super nice heifer and one who has become part of the family. I am so glad to be back home even though I enjoyed Grandma time,it is SO NICE to be back to our little farm and doing what I love. Super glad Mabel had a heifer calf.

[Judy in IN]

Congratulations on the heifer and the heifer calf.

BUT! You know it didn't happen unless we see pictures.