Lifting the tail? :lol:

[MikeJoel]

Someone tried to tell me that by forcefully lifting the cow's tail (straight up about) the cow wont kick!

Sounds silly to me and didn't seem to work while he was here.
Has anyone ever heard of lifting a cows tail for any reason? :lol:


Someone also suggested covering the cow's head.

I am only asking to hear what people have to say,
Mike

 

[Caustic Burno]

Just whisper sweet nothings in her ear.
Are you selling tickets to this rodeo or stampede, be sure and video all of this the idea for Rural funniest video's is still in the works.

 

[Lone C Ranch]

I watched my neighbor band some 500lbs bulls one time and he would lift the tail up over the back of the bull and press it against its back, in line with the spine, while another guy put the band on. He never had a problem with them kicking.

 

[MikeJoel]

Found one site that says it is called a "Tail jack" and says it is only used to attempt to prevent kicking for a short period of time and also can cause a fracture in the tail.

I never heard of it till he said this and sorry can't bring myself to stand around holding a cow's tail up in the air :roll:

Mike

 

[AngusLimoX]

It's called a tail jack and works because it puts them off balance somewhat.

You have to be careful not to break the tail.

My vet will happily hop in the chute behind an animal that is properly jacked. She wouldn't consider it without one, especially if she is pinching.

 

[eatbeef]

we do it whenever we need to cut a bull calf that is to big to throw, like stated, just bend the tail up in line with the spine , with a fair amount of pressure, and the guy behind the calf can go to work. My uncle has an electric immobilizer that is supposed to be very slick, I haven't seen it yet but it sounds like the way to go

 

[jp]

when we milked cows in the old stantion barn, one of us would hold the tail straight up on kicky first calf hiefers while she got milked and it would stop the kickin most of the time. jp

 

[MoGal]

yes as others have said the tail has to be straight up... I've done that many times for my mentor while he castrated calves.

 

[dun]

Ive heard of people lifting the tail over the cows back to make them move when they balk in the chute.

You don;t lift the tail straight up to make them move, you put a kink in their tail.

dun

 

[aplusmnt]

Ive heard of people lifting the tail over the cows back to make them move when they balk in the chute.

You don;t lift the tail straight up to make them move, you put a kink in their tail.

dun

Thanks Dun, because I was starting to think I found something else I was doing wrong. I was picturing an up and down motion like pumping an old water pump.

You saved me from looking silly next time helping vet to get the cows down the alley way. They might have got a nice laugh if they saw me back there lifting the tail a couple feet in the air, begging ole Bessy to move on into the chute.

And why is it every-time you go to give a tail a twist they have to crap? And why is always runny?

 

[dun]

Ive heard of people lifting the tail over the cows back to make them move when they balk in the chute.

You don;t lift the tail straight up to make them move, you put a kink in their tail.

dun

Thanks Dun, because I was starting to think I found something else I was doing wrong. I was picturing an up and down motion like pumping an old water pump.

You saved me from looking silly next time helping vet to get the cows down the alley way. They might have got a nice laugh if they saw me back there lifting the tail a couple feet in the air, begging ole Bessy to move on into the chute.

And why is it every-time you go to give a tail a twist they have to crap? And why is always runny?

The up and down motion like pumping an old water pump is to get milk.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I "tail" all our bulls, while hubby castrates. You lift the tail straight up & put pressure against it near the base. It "pinches" nerves so they can't lift their legs. They can still jump around, but "difficult" to pick up leg to kick.
Hmmm, next time I'll try pumping tail for milk - not from a bull tho :shock:

 

[dun]

Hmmm, next time I'll try pumping tail for milk - not from a bull tho :shock:

Maybe that's an easier way to collect them. If it works for milk, maybe .........

dun

 

[MikeJoel]

The up and down motion like pumping an old water pump is to get milk.

Ahh thats the one I need ;-)

Well this evening I go back to try to get the cow to let it be milked. If the tail lift wont work I found that she wont kick (cant kick) as long as I force her to put her weight on the side I am milking from. Now the question is how to keep that up LOL

I guess the tail lift wasn't as silly as I thought.
Mike

 

[MoGal]

yes sorry I didn't explain myself well enough.... I do like Jeanne says .... my hand is right there at the base but hold it straight up from the anus. I didn't know that it pinches nerves, I just know it works.

 

[J.R.]

I haven't heard of lifting the tail before to stop kicking but we've used a few other tricks. One is to tie a rope to the top rail of the chute run it under the flank and tie to the top rail on the other side to stop kicking. Doesn't work real well for milking or castrating but it keeps the feet down when they won't quit kicking. Then I've seen what an old cow man called the running w. This completely immobilizes the animal. He needed help cutting a couple five weight bulls and all he had was a rodeo bucking chute. We ran the bull in and tied a rope around his horns. Then he took his other rope and pulled the end out of the loop. Then he ran the rope around the heart girth slipped it back through the loop, pulled tight, ran the rope down the side, tossed it over the bull's top, pulled it up from underneath the flank and slipped it under the section hat was running down the bull's side, and handed me the end. He then says when i open the gate pull tight and dont let go. I said are you sure and he says just don't let go. So he opens the gate, i pull from behind the bull and my buddy pulls the rope that's around the horns. The bull takes about two steps and falls over, the old man goes about cuttin and when finished we let go and the bull gets right back up like nothing happened. I thought tat was the coolest thing ever.

 

[Susie David]

Had a vet friend haul out a couple of undecended testicles a few years back and I held the tail. Told me that curling the tail over the back pinches the nerves and numbs the lower area.
Worked well not a flinch out of him.

 

[jkwilson]

I've got to say that I'm amazed at the number of people who haven't heard of this. You can cut a 3-400lb bull squeezed behind a gate while you tail him. I do it all of the time giving shots when I don't want to mess with moving them to the chute. All you have to do is restrain them from going forward or to one side.

Takes a little strength, and most women aren't tall enough to do it to an adult animal. I do it one handed from the side vs. the back as in the picture.

 

[dun]

That's the same look cows give me when I'm AIing them. Guess they wonder what the heck is going on back there

dun

 

[AngusLimoX]

Take that picture, accelerate the cow to about 25 miles per hour, and show me horizontal behind the cow, and that would be me attempting it on my cows without the chute!! :lol: :lol: