Post by Audrey on Feb 28, 2015 15:14:33 GMT -5
Hi all, I need some tips and advice for my heifer. Hazel is almost 7 months pregnant, due in May. This is her first calf. She was born on my farm and I've gentled/handled/trained her since she was a few days old. However, she's always had a wild streak and has always been more stubborn/difficult than any of my other bovines. (I've milked for 5 years, have had two cows and raised five heifers and one steer.)
I'm hoping it's just due to her swinging hormones and that once she calves she'll mellow out, but recently she's started becoming more possessive. For example, the other day while doing barn chores I took a break to brush my girls but Hazel wouldn't let me near Briar, my 6 month old heifer who is Hazel's half sister. And now she won't let me touch her udder. She keeps swinging away from me, eyeballing my every move; she loves to be brushed and pet and scratched but if I get too close to her udder she aims her hoof at me. Which frankly scares the dickens out of me! I've tried tying her up and using a PVC pipe, showing it to her first, letting her sniff and lick it, then gently but firmly rubbing her belly with it, starting at her brisket and moving down to touch her udder. She's fine with it touching her belly, but once it gets to her udder she starts stomping, swinging, whacking the pipe with her hooves.
I need to correct this so I can milk her! (due date is 5/22, give or take a week ) but am clueless how to fix this problem. Does anyone have any tips/advice they'd care to share? Has anyone else dealt with a first time freshener who had a bit of an attitude/possessive issue and what was the outcome? Do you think this is just temporary - due to hormones - or is it just from her being part Dexter? (Hazel is 5/8 Dexter, 3/8 Jersey).
I took a break from milking this winter so I'm REALLY looking forward to Hazel freshening but the rate things are going I'm wondering if I'll even be ABLE to milk her.
She'll make an excellent mother I'm absolutely sure, (just like her dam), but this is the first time I've had to deal with something like this. All my other bovines have been Jerseys, or mostly Jersey, and they have all been super sweet, easy-going, and would let me do anything with them (for the most part).
Looking forward to your thoughts!
I'm hoping it's just due to her swinging hormones and that once she calves she'll mellow out, but recently she's started becoming more possessive. For example, the other day while doing barn chores I took a break to brush my girls but Hazel wouldn't let me near Briar, my 6 month old heifer who is Hazel's half sister. And now she won't let me touch her udder. She keeps swinging away from me, eyeballing my every move; she loves to be brushed and pet and scratched but if I get too close to her udder she aims her hoof at me. Which frankly scares the dickens out of me! I've tried tying her up and using a PVC pipe, showing it to her first, letting her sniff and lick it, then gently but firmly rubbing her belly with it, starting at her brisket and moving down to touch her udder. She's fine with it touching her belly, but once it gets to her udder she starts stomping, swinging, whacking the pipe with her hooves.
I need to correct this so I can milk her! (due date is 5/22, give or take a week ) but am clueless how to fix this problem. Does anyone have any tips/advice they'd care to share? Has anyone else dealt with a first time freshener who had a bit of an attitude/possessive issue and what was the outcome? Do you think this is just temporary - due to hormones - or is it just from her being part Dexter? (Hazel is 5/8 Dexter, 3/8 Jersey).
I took a break from milking this winter so I'm REALLY looking forward to Hazel freshening but the rate things are going I'm wondering if I'll even be ABLE to milk her.
She'll make an excellent mother I'm absolutely sure, (just like her dam), but this is the first time I've had to deal with something like this. All my other bovines have been Jerseys, or mostly Jersey, and they have all been super sweet, easy-going, and would let me do anything with them (for the most part).
Looking forward to your thoughts!