getting cows to the milking shed

Mupwi · #1 02/24/15, 12:48 PM

How do you train your cows to come to the milking shed mine are not intrested they have so much nice fresh grass in the pasture they wont even look at grain so I cant bribe them and trying to heard them by myself isn’t working they just run around me and back to where they were eating before the only thing i can think of is to rope them and lead them back that way but i think it would probably be too stressfull and give them bad conections with milking time. any ideas?

when the graizing was more sparse they used to come greet me at the fence but now that they have biger lush pastures they arnt intrested in me.

vtwhelen · #2 02/24/15, 01:19 PM

We give our cows salt out of a bucket so when they see a bucket they come running. Remove all salt licks.

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rosalind · #3 02/26/15, 03:55 PM

We keep our water trough close to the front gate. So when they come up to drink, you can try to get them in for milking.

In pasture season, a cow does not have much temptation to be milked. She likes her grass and sunshine. If you have a lead cow, I would suggest keeping a collar on her. Then you can walk out to the pasture, walk the lead cow home, and that almost guarantees the others will follow. Cows are herd animals.

Awnry Abe · #4 02/26/15, 08:44 PM

Take advantage of "the grass is always greener" mentality. Get them trained to a treat in a bucket. Once trained to that, get them to come into the barn for the treat. It's all over after that.

Mupwi · #5 02/27/15, 07:13 AM

lol I think I have verry health cocious cows they dont seem to be interested in treats or maby it will just take a bit more time I need to get them hooked on somthing they cant find in the field ill go to the feed store and see what they have maby some sort of salt or other feed they arnt much intrested in licks eather but maby i just need to try a few difrent brands. maby i should try some beer. free home brew seems to get all the rest of my friends running.

myheaven · #6 02/27/15, 08:35 AM

What about a sweet feed. Some molasses . I don't know how plentiful it is in your reign. Leave a small pan or bucket of sweet feed just a few handfulls and move it closer and closer to the milk house. It may take a few days. Once they are hooked on the sweet feed and learn the bucket or feed pan gives it. They may be more likely to go in the milk house for the feed.

MO_cows · #7 02/27/15, 03:10 PM

Depending on their disposition, they might follow you better than you trying to herd them. Especially if you can get the lead cow coming like was said previously. But once they learn they can circle back around you and get away when you try to herd on foot, it's over. You need a friend, a dog, something to assist and prevent that. Once they learn they can get by with it, they will try twice as hard to get by with it the next time.

sammyd · #8 03/01/15, 07:08 AM

We had the same problem on the organic farm. We didn't feed much in the parlor other than kelp, mineral and a few handfuls of cracked corn. Not enough to entice cows with less than full udders into the place.
Not much to do other than go get 'em when it's time to milk.

When we milked nonorganic we fed corn and soybean meal along with salt and mineral in the barn and the girls would line up at the door when it was time to come in.