Heifer Training

Farfield

Sorry to put this thread in a different direction, but i cant find how to start a new damned thread.
Need bit of advice. I have new parlour now finished, all new heifers start calving in about a week or so and i have them bravely trained to go through the parlour - they are meal mad.
Bother is there are 2 or 3 that are proper pricks.If you rub their udders at all they would slaughter you-and thats 2-3 weeks away from calving. Puuting clusters on these would be crazy. The rest are perfectly docile friesians.
I have read a lot about kick bars (i have used them before but not deadly) and i read about tail clamps, tying legs to kick bar etc - any advice very much appreciated from your experiences???

5live

Farfield wrote: »

Sorry to put this thread in a different direction, but i cant find how to start a new damned thread.
Need bit of advice. I have new parlour now finished, all new heifers start calving in about a week or so and i have them bravely trained to go through the parlour - they are meal mad.
Bother is there are 2 or 3 that are proper pricks.If you rub their udders at all they would slaughter you-and thats 2-3 weeks away from calving. Puuting clusters on these would be crazy. The rest are perfectly docile friesians.
I have read a lot about kick bars (i have used them before but not deadly) and i read about tail clamps, tying legs to kick bar etc - any advice very much appreciated from your experiences???

Patience and perseverance, really. I dont use a kick bar because i often forget to take it off and it gets lost. And when it is in the parlour, the temptation to hit a kicker is often given in to which isnt a good idea with their behaviour in future and also in a pit with jars.

So what i do is give then a rub to stimulate milk flow and continue to put on the rest of the clusters then come back and put on their one. At that stage, they should be releasing milk and the oxytocin released should have calmed them down signifigantly. And keep putting it on. In a few days they normally are no bother.

Just remember, their udders are bagging up for the first time and will be sore and sensitive. Imagine you have a sore swollen finger and someone keeps pulling it hard every few seconds for 5 or more minutes. But not easy to remember when you are under pressure and tired.

I have never tied a cows leg but maybe i am lucky. I wouldnt be in favour of it though

whelan1

keep talking to them, dont go up to them with out letting them know you are on your way

Rovi

[MOD]
Moved to a new thread of it's own.
[/MOD]

Over in the Newbies & FAQ forum: How to start a new thread on Boards.ie

sh1tstirrer

Farfield wrote: »

Sorry to put this thread in a different direction, but i cant find how to start a new damned thread.
Need bit of advice. I have new parlour now finished, all new heifers start calving in about a week or so and i have them bravely trained to go through the parlour - they are meal mad.
Bother is there are 2 or 3 that are proper pricks.If you rub their udders at all they would slaughter you-and thats 2-3 weeks away from calving. Puuting clusters on these would be crazy. The rest are perfectly docile friesians.
I have read a lot about kick bars (i have used them before but not deadly) and i read about tail clamps, tying legs to kick bar etc - any advice very much appreciated from your experiences???

Get someone to hold their tails up while you put on the cluster on them. Then get them to slowly release the pressure on the tail, after a few milkings they will stop kicking.

bogman_bass

I have seen mad heifers magically quiten down when they calve so you might get lucky

6480

i had 20 calved last spring all in ten days and it took a while to get them going as they will all wait and come in last together and one will let a kick and frighten the others , any how i got help from a neighbour and in two weeks i was away with them. you need a lot of patience . if u can let them into the parlour with cows before they calve it might helps also

bogman_bass

if you can put a big quiet cow either side of the bad ones it will give them less room to move and kick. try not to have heifers beside each other as the kickers will make the others nervous

farmboy84

Had heifer last year that would blow head off ya even with tail held up . tried a vicegrip on tail not too tight but enough to keep it on up near the top three days and she got over it lifesaver !