Post by donnaclyde47 on Oct 19, 2011 22:26:13 GMT -5
Even though I've read everything I could get my hands on, somehow I bought a cow that although a 4-H show cow when she was young, had been put to pasture and hadn't been handled in a good while. And, I misunderstood the owner, and she was only 9 months old when bred, instead of one and a half. Apparently she's due any day, but her udder has not filled up, so I'm hoping they're wrong and it will be a few weeks.
We've now had her one week. She ran off the trailer into our paddocks and ran over the poly electric wire (which wasn't working at the time), but once I got it working again, she was in the paddock and respecting the wires. THANKFULLY since I've since read to keep a cow contained in a round pen or stall when they arrive.
She now will eat apples out of a buket, but will not let me touch her head when she's doing it - she backs away quickly. Well, today I decided to try to get a rope halter over her head as she's sticking her nose in the bucket, and I got it on, but she jerked out and I wasn't able to get the nose part on. SO, now she's walking around with a rope dragging and acting like a noose around her neck when she steps on it!! Lovely cow owner I am.
There's a small "side shed" off our barn that she can go into, but it's about 10 x 10, so not like a catch pen. And, my husband rigged up a plank for me to put up that's on these bolt thingies, and when she was in there laying down one night, I sneeked over and tried to put it on, but the dumb thing wouldn't go down on the bolts and she got up and tried to get out, almost pushing through the board and hurting me! Luckily she tried to go under and I just let her through. So today my husband put a cattle gate on it, but of course since being spooked she's decided to sleep outside.
So she's due any day/week, no halter on her, I'm choking her (she does not like the rope around her either), and she won't let me touch her. I have a stanchion room, but she has to walk through the side shed, turn left into the barn where there's a stanchion room, and she's never been that way before. I'm in for it, aren't I?! If I didn't have to milk her right away after her giving birth I'd feel better, but wow, how in the world will I be able to touch her and get her milked out?
I could kick myself for not being more careful in picking a cow. I've been looking for a year and just got excited about finally finding one that didn't have BVL!
I need to somehow get a halter on her, right? Or else I'll never get her to the stanchion? Do I need to carry a stick in the paddock and try to "herd" her to the shed?
On a positive note, she seems to handle all the craziness around her very well - a puppy and two barn cats running around, kids outside all the time, and then we sit in chairs near or in the paddocks and watch her. She seems gentle but definitely walks away from me (or trots) if I approach her with no bucket.
Help!!!!!!!!!!!
We've now had her one week. She ran off the trailer into our paddocks and ran over the poly electric wire (which wasn't working at the time), but once I got it working again, she was in the paddock and respecting the wires. THANKFULLY since I've since read to keep a cow contained in a round pen or stall when they arrive.
She now will eat apples out of a buket, but will not let me touch her head when she's doing it - she backs away quickly. Well, today I decided to try to get a rope halter over her head as she's sticking her nose in the bucket, and I got it on, but she jerked out and I wasn't able to get the nose part on. SO, now she's walking around with a rope dragging and acting like a noose around her neck when she steps on it!! Lovely cow owner I am.
There's a small "side shed" off our barn that she can go into, but it's about 10 x 10, so not like a catch pen. And, my husband rigged up a plank for me to put up that's on these bolt thingies, and when she was in there laying down one night, I sneeked over and tried to put it on, but the dumb thing wouldn't go down on the bolts and she got up and tried to get out, almost pushing through the board and hurting me! Luckily she tried to go under and I just let her through. So today my husband put a cattle gate on it, but of course since being spooked she's decided to sleep outside.
So she's due any day/week, no halter on her, I'm choking her (she does not like the rope around her either), and she won't let me touch her. I have a stanchion room, but she has to walk through the side shed, turn left into the barn where there's a stanchion room, and she's never been that way before. I'm in for it, aren't I?! If I didn't have to milk her right away after her giving birth I'd feel better, but wow, how in the world will I be able to touch her and get her milked out?
I could kick myself for not being more careful in picking a cow. I've been looking for a year and just got excited about finally finding one that didn't have BVL!
I need to somehow get a halter on her, right? Or else I'll never get her to the stanchion? Do I need to carry a stick in the paddock and try to "herd" her to the shed?
On a positive note, she seems to handle all the craziness around her very well - a puppy and two barn cats running around, kids outside all the time, and then we sit in chairs near or in the paddocks and watch her. She seems gentle but definitely walks away from me (or trots) if I approach her with no bucket.
Help!!!!!!!!!!!