Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2006 11:28:48 GMT -5
Millie has always shown a little food aggression when she gets in the stanchion. It's not like she's starving or anything, but she has to inhale every little morsel of grain and she literally looks like a hound on the scent of a rabbit when it's gone. Usually it's not a big deal... she looks for more while I milk but it's not like she stomps around or anything. But this morning she really went overboard. I think she would have gone through the stanchion if she could have. In the process she stepped in the bucket, stepped on me, and started rocking forward & back to get what she thought was just out of her reach. I have no idea what that was, but she was determined.
Anyway, during all of this she also slipped her nose out of her halter (I use one of those rope/ slip knot type halters on them at milking). After I got done milking I went to put her nose back in the loop so I could take her out of the barn and she came up with her head and nailed me right in the face. That was bad enough, but then she came back at me to do it again! (Was it an accident?.. I don't think so.) I came unglued and got the loop over her nose, opened up the stanchion and yanked her out... well I tried to yank her out. She was after a single grain that she thought she saw on the ground. I ended up having to take the other end of the rope and giving her a swat to get her attention on MY business...not hers. After she came out she was fine, but she also knew I was angry.
I have never blown up like that at any of my girls, but then again I've never been hit in the face by the top of a cows head before! I also think that she's in the early stages of heat which could be a factor, but not an excuse. In essence, she doesn't get any more grain in the stanchion. I'll just give her a little bite on the way out from now on. I've learned my lesson about that one.
Anyway, during all of this she also slipped her nose out of her halter (I use one of those rope/ slip knot type halters on them at milking). After I got done milking I went to put her nose back in the loop so I could take her out of the barn and she came up with her head and nailed me right in the face. That was bad enough, but then she came back at me to do it again! (Was it an accident?.. I don't think so.) I came unglued and got the loop over her nose, opened up the stanchion and yanked her out... well I tried to yank her out. She was after a single grain that she thought she saw on the ground. I ended up having to take the other end of the rope and giving her a swat to get her attention on MY business...not hers. After she came out she was fine, but she also knew I was angry.
I have never blown up like that at any of my girls, but then again I've never been hit in the face by the top of a cows head before! I also think that she's in the early stages of heat which could be a factor, but not an excuse. In essence, she doesn't get any more grain in the stanchion. I'll just give her a little bite on the way out from now on. I've learned my lesson about that one.