Docking dairy cows tails

[Alan]

Just wondering why the honest reason is they dock the tails on a lot of dairy cattle. Is it to keep the tail out of the milkers face?

Alan

 

[born2run]

To keep the cows cleaner and the tails out of our faces, Alan.

 

[dun]

The problem is that it removes that handy "farmers towel" that is/was so convenient.
I haven;t seen an advantage in anything but para-bone and full parallel parlors for the tail being docked.

 

[hillsdown]

It is illegal in Europe.

 

[bigbull338]

theres a few reasons why you dock dairy cows tails.most all of the big dairies milk in parrall barns.wich means they put the milkers on tween the cows rear legs.no tail dripping pee manure an water on bagg an teats,means lower scc counts.as well as less mastitis.

 

[born2run]

Used to be all cows were docked where I work, and the parlor is an all exit herringbone. Now they're getting more relaxed about it. Tail, no tail, really doesn't make a difference to me as long as the switch is kept cut short.

 

[preston39]

Could never understand a valid basis for doing that.

The animal uses the tail for fighting flies including the switch which is an effective part.

In the milk parlor, as a child, we had a spring loaded rope with connector which took 2 seconds to attach to the tail about 6" from end which pulled the tail off to the side while manageing the udder and attaching the milkers.

There should be a law against it.

PETA is not very consistent with their ponts of contention.

 

[CowCop]

~~

Several years ago I asked a dairy farmer WHY he docked tails.

He said that most of his cows had gotten their tails caught in the automated barn cleaner when he built a new free stall barn--and it was a bloody nightmare when they had them ripped off, so now he only BUYS cows with docked tails.

He also said that the added advantage was that it was cleaner in the milking parlor as well.

 

[hillsdown]

Could never understand a valid basis for doing that.

The animal uses the tail for fighting flies including the switch which is an effective part.

In the milk parlor, as a child, we had a spring loaded rope with connector which took 2 seconds to attach to the tail about 6" from end which pulled the tail off to the side while manageing the udder and attaching the milkers.

There should be a law against it.

PETA is not very consistent with their ponts of contention.

That just makes too much sense for people to do.We always kept the switches neat and trimmed it made a huge difference.

Somatic Cell counts are actually higher from cows kicking machines off and them landing in the sh*T and dirty milk lines than as a result of tail switches. Also how do you DNA without a switch? ;-)