Cows who constantly kick off machines.

deise toffee

Just wondering how many people here have a problem with this?.About 10% of my cows,are chronic kickers:rolleyes:.Even with bars on tight they will drive the unit to the other side of the parlour,most annoying!.I know most farmers have 1 or 2 cows like this but is 8 or 9 a lot to have doing it?No problem with stray voltage in the parlour.Just noticed these few extra cows kicking a lot recently.One cow broke the clawbowl with one kick this morning,expensive things to be breaking....

whelan1

what breed are they , i found that the hol/fr have calmed down alot in the last few years, do you feed meal in the parlour? i have one smart cow that kicks the cluster off when she sees you walking away but if you stand beside her she wont kick it off..... i have a kick bar but we only use it to hang the odd cluster on when it keeps falling off

PMU

yea,I got some of those,kick the cluster when half milked. seem to have more than usual this year.I have k-bar on 6 out of 60.

pakalasa

With all the dry weather we're getting around now, the earth bar might not be functioning right. Get a hose and soak all the area around the earth bar. You may not have stray voltage one week, but you might have it the next.

djmc

Try and change teat dip spray or dont use it for a few days
I once had a batch mixed too strong and it slightly burned the cows teat and a lot of cows got very kicky
It sounds like something is bothering them unless there all heifers being milked for first time

aidanki

tie up one leg good and high and let them kick away, if they fall over a few times they will learn even quicker

the crosser they are the better they will quiten down fact

sounds a bit barbaric but it works

jeff greene

I haven't used this method as I have no need, but my milk recorder was telling me that large clips, like those on jump leads, sharp edges worn down, applied to the tail head works brilliantly. Have read about it on other forums too.

Tipp Man

jeff greene wrote: »

I haven't used this method as I have no need, but my milk recorder was telling me that large clips, like those on jump leads, sharp edges worn down, applied to the tail head works brilliantly. Have read about it on other forums too.

We have used this and it works to a point. It will certainly reduce the amount of kicking although it definately makes the cow more agitated. In our parlour they sway from side to side when you put it on and it does not work 100% of the time, some cows will kick with it on . We generally use it for a couple of weeks on kickers until we break the habit and then try to milk them without it

We would use kick bars but the clips are so much handier as you don't have to climb the pit wall to put them on and off

I have to say that our cows are kicking way more this year than previous years, cows in third, fourth and fifth lactions are kicking and they never kicked before. tried different teat dips and everything but still kicking. We also have the wildest bunch of first calvers you have ever seen, I think they have disrupted the entire herd with their antics

jeff greene

Tipp Man wrote: »

We have used this and it works to a point. It will certainly reduce the amount of kicking although it definately makes the cow more agitated. In our parlour they sway from side to side when you put it on and it does not work 100% of the time, some cows will kick with it on . We generally use it for a couple of weeks on kickers until we break the habit and then try to milk them without it

We would use kick bars but the clips are so much handier as you don't have to climb the pit wall to put them on and off

I have to say that our cows are kicking way more this year than previous years, cows in third, fourth and fifth lactions are kicking and they never kicked before. tried different teat dips and everything but still kicking. We also have the wildest bunch of first calvers you have ever seen, I think they have disrupted the entire herd with their antics

Stray electricity gets the blame for that most of the time. Very frustrating when cows kick them off, especially when they start s**ting too. Have you tried radio on or indeed radio off if you already have one. Some gentle classical music might help, no Bruce.:)

whelan1

aidanki wrote: »

tie up one leg good and high and let them kick away, if they fall over a few times they will learn even quicker

the crosser they are the better they will quiten down fact

sounds a bit barbaric but it works

yup tie up the leg and run:D:D:D have used this a few times too

deise toffee

whelan1 wrote: »

what breed are they , i found that the hol/fr have calmed down alot in the last few years, do you feed meal in the parlour? i have one smart cow that kicks the cluster off when she sees you walking away but if you stand beside her she wont kick it off..... i have a kick bar but we only use it to hang the odd cluster on when it keeps falling off

They are all hol/fr.Yes they are still getting meal,the temptation is to give them a few more pushes of nuts to stop them kicking it off, but that wont be good for the pocket eh.It just seems pretty bad lately ,some cows kicking it off with such force after just a few seconds.

deise toffee

jeff greene wrote: »

Stray electricity gets the blame for that most of the time. Very frustrating when cows kick them off, especially when they start s**ting too. Have you tried radio on or indeed radio off if you already have one. Some gentle classical music might help, no Bruce.:)

No never had the radio on in parlor,might try a little mozart or strauss now though that you mention it:D

deise toffee

pakalasa wrote: »

With all the dry weather we're getting around now, the earth bar might not be functioning right. Get a hose and soak all the area around the earth bar. You may not have stray voltage one week, but you might have it the next.

You might have a point,thanks for the suggestion,will try that.

whelan1

deise toffee wrote: »

They are all hol/fr.Yes they are still getting meal,the temptation is to give them a few more pushes of nuts to stop them kicking it off, but that wont be good for the pocket eh.It just seems pretty bad lately ,some cows kicking it off with such force after just a few seconds.

does sound like stray electricity to me