Post by barefootfarmer on Oct 21, 2013 12:46:11 GMT -5
I bought two Jersey cows from a local dairy just over 3 weeks ago. Both first time fresheners and bred back.
They were both pretty "flinchy" when we got them home. Took a lot of patience to get them in the stall for milking. But after about 3 days everything was great.
Then, last Friday my husband started milking for me because I would have been late getting back. One of the new cows kicked him several times. So he moved the tank around to the opposite side and milked her that way. I arrived and took over. Everything was fine for me. Next morning both of the new cows kicked me. I kept my patience and my guard up. By Sunday both cows had become absolute terrors in the stall. Kicking, pooping, backing up. Just awful. I even started kicking them back. Not a lot of kicking, but a good solid kick each time they kicked me. It seems like with one of them it's when I go to attach the claw she freaks out. The other cow just randomly kicks out at me. It's worse than when I first brought them home.
Yesterday morning she trampled the claw and tore the hose. I use two tanks for milking and now make sure these two cows come in at the very end.
This morning the worse of the two took a long time to come in to the stall. Kind of hiding behind some of the other cows. Once she came in she was flinchy while I got her prepped. As soon as I started to attach the claw she kicked it off, got mud into the pulsator etc. I held my ground and kept calm, just kept wiping her down and reattaching. I've left her in there while I came inside to cool down.
Two things I noticed. Saturday one of the new cows tried mounting my Brown Swiss who was bred back a week ago. So the Swiss shouldn't have been in heat. Today the other new cow has a light reddish brown discharge. Both cows had been AI'd before I bought them. But they could be open because I know those things happen. I've had them for just over 3 weeks, it's possible they are cycling, right? None of my other cows I've ever had have been scary and horrible while they cycled. Ever.
What should I do? I have to keep milking them. And I can continue to dump their milk to other livestock. I need them to know that I'm in charge and like it or not the milking is going to happen right on schedule. But what should I do to get things back to normal?
They were both pretty "flinchy" when we got them home. Took a lot of patience to get them in the stall for milking. But after about 3 days everything was great.
Then, last Friday my husband started milking for me because I would have been late getting back. One of the new cows kicked him several times. So he moved the tank around to the opposite side and milked her that way. I arrived and took over. Everything was fine for me. Next morning both of the new cows kicked me. I kept my patience and my guard up. By Sunday both cows had become absolute terrors in the stall. Kicking, pooping, backing up. Just awful. I even started kicking them back. Not a lot of kicking, but a good solid kick each time they kicked me. It seems like with one of them it's when I go to attach the claw she freaks out. The other cow just randomly kicks out at me. It's worse than when I first brought them home.
Yesterday morning she trampled the claw and tore the hose. I use two tanks for milking and now make sure these two cows come in at the very end.
This morning the worse of the two took a long time to come in to the stall. Kind of hiding behind some of the other cows. Once she came in she was flinchy while I got her prepped. As soon as I started to attach the claw she kicked it off, got mud into the pulsator etc. I held my ground and kept calm, just kept wiping her down and reattaching. I've left her in there while I came inside to cool down.
Two things I noticed. Saturday one of the new cows tried mounting my Brown Swiss who was bred back a week ago. So the Swiss shouldn't have been in heat. Today the other new cow has a light reddish brown discharge. Both cows had been AI'd before I bought them. But they could be open because I know those things happen. I've had them for just over 3 weeks, it's possible they are cycling, right? None of my other cows I've ever had have been scary and horrible while they cycled. Ever.
What should I do? I have to keep milking them. And I can continue to dump their milk to other livestock. I need them to know that I'm in charge and like it or not the milking is going to happen right on schedule. But what should I do to get things back to normal?