cow/stanchion ?

NeHomesteader · #1 08/14/13, 04:42 PM

I'm having a major struggle with my heifer who calved on July 30th with going into the stanchion. We raised her so she is not wild and she doesn't kick just extremely stubborn. We lost our barn to a storm July 8th so she was used to going into the barn and into the stanchion but not closing it. Now we have a make shift one outside and we can't hardly get her in the pen let alone get her into the stanchion. When we do she jerks back something awful and won't eat. What do we do? Our other cow has never been a problem but this one is awful. Thanks for any suggestions.

CIW · #2 08/17/13, 09:42 AM

You haven't given many details about the cows daily routine. I am assuming that they are out in a field and come up at milking time.
If you had some hay, can you dry lot her for the next few days and feed her in the parlor? I do realize that it would be a mess to keep cleaning up every day. But an extended period of time in the parlor may get her over whatever she is having a problem with.
The other thing may be to milk her outside for a while and approach the problem at a later date.
Something disturbs her about the place you are presently milking her in now.
We've even changed the amount of light in the room in an attempt to make them feel different about being in the parlor. Another thing is that milking an hour earlier may change her mind.
Where in Nebraska are you at?

NeHomesteader · #3 08/20/13, 10:08 PM

We are in North central Nebraska first of all. As far as the heifer goes I have given up on the stanchion. She will stand still for us and not kick so far so that is good enough. Hoping when the new barn goes up things will be better for her. You are right though,she doesn't like anything about the outside stanchion but at this point we have no choice and I feel bad for her. So we are trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

Awnry Abe · #4 08/20/13, 10:36 PM

We had a first-timer that was a horror to get into the stanchion, but was gentle in all other respects. We just had to go cow-whisperer and figure out what her issue was. It turned out to be her footing. Our temporary stanchion was not perfectly level, and she didn't like the sliding feeling of wood under hoof. My DD, who amazes me at times, nailed scrap roofing tiles down in strategic spots to give her a grip, and all our woes were solved until our parlor was ready.

How mobile is your stanchion? Can you do a 180 with it and see if there is something in her periphery that is bothering her? I'd also pen her a few extra hours, as long as you can make it a positive experience, until she volunteers to enter the pen. She should do it with a few days of conditioning.

ETA: where is her calf? She may still be in mothering overdrive.

NeHomesteader · #5 08/22/13, 02:50 PM

The cows are out in a field and come up twice a day. I still have the calf on Willow and probably should take it off but i'm afraid it will make her behave even worse. We tried keeping her in the pen for a couple of days and the only way she could get to her grain was through the stanchion. She never did eat it. So we gave up on that. The stanchion is hooked into the ground beings it is a makeshift one outside. One that is built on two posts set into the ground. Seems we have tried just about everything and have finally gotten to the point where we just put her feed pan in front of the stanchion and pull the panels beside her so she has like an alley way to stand in. She never kicks or moves much. I hope she keeps behaving because she is trying my patience and I know that if the barn wouldn't have blown down she'd have been just fine.

Awnry Abe · #6 08/22/13, 09:25 PM

Reading this and your other thread, I do think I would try her hitched. Just get her into the routine for a while, then maybe introduce something sweet to entice her to shake her fear. don't disrupt your established routine with the baiting. Do it off time. Does she wear a halter?

Regarding the calf, yes, that is part of nature that you are fighting, and may very well be root cause. She may see the restraint as preventing her from defending her calf. The worst of my three became the best of my three when I finally took the calf away cold turkey.

Don't give up. This is doable. (Just like your tag line states!)

springvalley · #7 08/22/13, 10:28 PM

I`m not sure what the problem is with your cow, and I am not going to assume. Cows are creatures of habit and doing things the same way everyday, day in, day out is best. I have milked a lot of first time heifers and some rank cows, but after a few days of feed in the barn, and most all of them come in to be milked like old cows. I have known people to milk their cows in the pasture with a stool and bucket and a bit of feed for the cow. And there are some cows that never like being milked, but not many.
Cows are very much like kids, they will test you to see what they can get away with. And a good stern talking to, or a slap on the ass, get their attention real quick. Beating cows won`t get you anywhere, other than a cow who doesn`t trust you. So just keep working with her and see what happens. I once had a heifer that didn`t like being washed and milked, it took me six weeks to get her to stand without kicking the milker off. I about gave up, but she finally gave in, I still have her today.
So, all I can offer is, kill her with kindness and see what happens. She just might not like the barn gone, and this temp. situation just isn`t working for her. > Thanks Marc

NeHomesteader · #8 08/26/13, 08:31 PM

She doesn't like the barn gone at all. That is for sure. She is a heifer I raised and is kind as can be. You can pet her anywhere but when it comes to the stanchion, she turns scared. You can see it in her eyes and I have no idea why. We have been super patient and this is what we have done. Our other cow loves the stanchion and never gives us any trouble at all-same routine but Willow is not like her. So we now put a pan in front of the stanchion and put boards on the side and a post in the back so she is contained. She has absolutely no problem doing this and comes in now every morning and night by herself,usually she is the first one in. I know I gave in but I also didn't want to ruin her and she was to the point where you had to go out and find her because she hid. I figure if this works for her and she doesn't kick that it should be okay. I'm pretty new to the dairy cows so I hope I'm not messing up.

Jersey/guernsey · #9 08/26/13, 09:28 PM

If shes happy and you are happy don’t worry. Sometimes the fastest way to get what you want is to let them win