Post by mpgof3 on Dec 2, 2010 20:28:30 GMT -5
We got a 3 year old jersey at the beginning of October and have begun our "cow adventure". She is very sweet, but seems to show some bad behaviors. I don't know anything about cows except for what I have read in the book, "Keeping a Family Cow" and on these message boards--we have gotten very good at hand milking! She is also pregnant and due in May. We've named her Bella.
We have her in a pasture that is surrounded by an electric fence. We are in the process of building a regular fence with hogwire and a board across the top--but we don't have a fence around our whole property. We also have a barn that is partially concrete (where we milk her) but it is very smooth, so we have gotten the stall mats and except for about 3 yards, she steps on those and doesn't slip.
So here is the problem. We put her on a lead (we keep her halter on all the time) to take her to the milking area to keep her from running in and slipping on that one section of concrete. She sometimes cooperates and goes with no problems. Other times (like tonight) she tries to head butt us when we go to put on the lead and then she seems to want to ram us into the stall walls as we go toward the milking area. I know that all she wants is the grain waiting for her, but sometimes she is a little ugly getting there--could it be PMS?! She has also chased my husband once and my daughter once out of the pasture--she has hit my dd in the stomach with her poll. My daughter gave her a shock, but I just don't know how to train cows--or can they be trained? She was even aggressive with her tonight when she put her in the stall and my dd was trying to take off the lead--she practically chased her out of the stall. Maybe she was just in an ugly mood--I don't know, I just want to know what to do.
We will have to lead her from the other pasture once it is done to get her to the barn as, again, our whole property isn't fenced and she could get away. Do we need to plan a path with fencing for her to the barn? I hate feeling so ignorant and am trying to do her right. When she was trying to butt me tonight I slapped her neck and she quit, but I don't want to make her mean--she really is good most of the time.
If anyone can help me I would appreciate it--sorry to be so long--tried to explain the situation.
We have her in a pasture that is surrounded by an electric fence. We are in the process of building a regular fence with hogwire and a board across the top--but we don't have a fence around our whole property. We also have a barn that is partially concrete (where we milk her) but it is very smooth, so we have gotten the stall mats and except for about 3 yards, she steps on those and doesn't slip.
So here is the problem. We put her on a lead (we keep her halter on all the time) to take her to the milking area to keep her from running in and slipping on that one section of concrete. She sometimes cooperates and goes with no problems. Other times (like tonight) she tries to head butt us when we go to put on the lead and then she seems to want to ram us into the stall walls as we go toward the milking area. I know that all she wants is the grain waiting for her, but sometimes she is a little ugly getting there--could it be PMS?! She has also chased my husband once and my daughter once out of the pasture--she has hit my dd in the stomach with her poll. My daughter gave her a shock, but I just don't know how to train cows--or can they be trained? She was even aggressive with her tonight when she put her in the stall and my dd was trying to take off the lead--she practically chased her out of the stall. Maybe she was just in an ugly mood--I don't know, I just want to know what to do.
We will have to lead her from the other pasture once it is done to get her to the barn as, again, our whole property isn't fenced and she could get away. Do we need to plan a path with fencing for her to the barn? I hate feeling so ignorant and am trying to do her right. When she was trying to butt me tonight I slapped her neck and she quit, but I don't want to make her mean--she really is good most of the time.
If anyone can help me I would appreciate it--sorry to be so long--tried to explain the situation.