Post by marinajade on May 31, 2010 10:47:41 GMT -5
Hi, I'm new and just posted an introduction thread in the appropriate place.
My main questions: Our six year old Jersey is 8+ months pregnant. This is our first cow. She moved here last week, we've been hanging out with her several times a day to get her used to us and human company in general again. She's shy, gentle but seems like she would rather not be bothered. We've built a stancheon (I can post pics later), and managed to get a halter on her, but can't lead her anywhere or get her to stick her head in the stanchion. We were told she has been hand milked in a stanchion in her younger cow life, but it's been a few years.
We NEED to get her in the routine of eating in the stanchion 2x daily before she calves! We don't have permanent fencing in our 4 acre clearing, we were moving her pen of six stock panels around the pasture several times a day with a come-along and feeding her oat hay. Couple days ago, we made a funnel to the stanchion with the stock panels and created a larger pasture area with electric portable fencing we use for the pigs and chickens. Day before yesterday morning we shut her up in front of the stanchion and put her oat hay in the stanchion feeder box, and eventually, after four hours of no food at all, she nibbled on the hay but only when we weren't around. She's gradually switched to fresh grass since being here, and now that she has the larger pasture area she ignores the hay in the stanchion feeder entirely.
What to doo?! What can we use as a good treat to get her head in there? I've tried beets, carrots, and fennel greens, she doesn't seem to like any of those. She likes sorrel flowers a lot but I'm nervous to feed her a whole bunch of those. I'd like to not feed her grain if at all possible, but I guess as part of a training period I would be willing (we want grass fed milk!).
Previous owner said she should eat nothing but oat hay and grass and minerals until she calves. From my reading on this board, that is NOT the practice of every cow owner. In fact, a lot of what he's said to do with her for calving, etc, makes me uncomfortable. But those are questions for other threads.
Tips for our situation? How do you train a cow to a lead rope? Help! Help Help!
My main questions: Our six year old Jersey is 8+ months pregnant. This is our first cow. She moved here last week, we've been hanging out with her several times a day to get her used to us and human company in general again. She's shy, gentle but seems like she would rather not be bothered. We've built a stancheon (I can post pics later), and managed to get a halter on her, but can't lead her anywhere or get her to stick her head in the stanchion. We were told she has been hand milked in a stanchion in her younger cow life, but it's been a few years.
We NEED to get her in the routine of eating in the stanchion 2x daily before she calves! We don't have permanent fencing in our 4 acre clearing, we were moving her pen of six stock panels around the pasture several times a day with a come-along and feeding her oat hay. Couple days ago, we made a funnel to the stanchion with the stock panels and created a larger pasture area with electric portable fencing we use for the pigs and chickens. Day before yesterday morning we shut her up in front of the stanchion and put her oat hay in the stanchion feeder box, and eventually, after four hours of no food at all, she nibbled on the hay but only when we weren't around. She's gradually switched to fresh grass since being here, and now that she has the larger pasture area she ignores the hay in the stanchion feeder entirely.
What to doo?! What can we use as a good treat to get her head in there? I've tried beets, carrots, and fennel greens, she doesn't seem to like any of those. She likes sorrel flowers a lot but I'm nervous to feed her a whole bunch of those. I'd like to not feed her grain if at all possible, but I guess as part of a training period I would be willing (we want grass fed milk!).
Previous owner said she should eat nothing but oat hay and grass and minerals until she calves. From my reading on this board, that is NOT the practice of every cow owner. In fact, a lot of what he's said to do with her for calving, etc, makes me uncomfortable. But those are questions for other threads.
Tips for our situation? How do you train a cow to a lead rope? Help! Help Help!