I have an Angus heifer who just birthed her calf about a month ago. The birth was fine, calf is healthy and getting bigger. However, the the back half of mom's udders are really engorged and they drip milk. The calf seems to favor the front teats and won't empty the back. I know I need to drain her out, for fear of mastitis, but I don't have a shoot to contain her in to milk her. She's half gentle, but does't like to be touched and I need to figure out a way to get at her. Does anyone have some hobbling techniques that would work? Or any other suggestions for how to milk her out? In the meantime I will be building a squeeze....
Need to milk beef cow w/out squeeze - hobbling techniques?
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Putangitangi
Well-known member
Are you sure you need to worry? While you might want to look at whether that cow is a good long-term prospect, most cows like that either stop producing quite as much, or the calf eventually catches up.
I've had several cows with hugely engorged rear quarters and I've worried about them and they've just about always been ok. But they also went on the cull list earlier than they would have without the udder issues, because I didn't appreciate the cause for concern.
How quiet is your cow? How likely are you to get a broken arm or a kick in the head for your trouble?
I've had several cows with hugely engorged rear quarters and I've worried about them and they've just about always been ok. But they also went on the cull list earlier than they would have without the udder issues, because I didn't appreciate the cause for concern.
How quiet is your cow? How likely are you to get a broken arm or a kick in the head for your trouble?
Nite Hawk
Well-known member
If you have some way to restrain this heifer-
( pinned against a real sturdy fence or wall) and you have some stout helpers, you can get someone to lift her tail in a straight line up over her back and bent hard along her spine towards her head, and that often paralyzes the hind end. The draw back to that is if they can wiggle that tail slightly sideways instead of completely straight in line with the spine, they can kick.
There are several different styles of "cow kickers" on the market for milk cows, and they will paralyze most cows, but I have seen some cows still able to kick with them on, or able to knock them off and kick.
I had to lance a huge boil on our milk cow's hock and no one available to help, and I tied a rope real tight around the belly just in front of the udder and managed to lance the boil open before the cow freaked out. The draw back to that method is sometimes it paralyzes them too much and they can fall down on top of you.
You really need some sort of a squeeze or alley way or stanchion to hold your heifer in.
Some people actually make their own wooden stantion out of very heavy lumber.
The advantage to having some sort of squeeze system whether homemade or metal is that it probably will be used again and again at some time in the future.Buying a squeeze new is usually pretty pricey, maybe check out someone who has gotten out of cows, it is surprising what you will find sitting around in old farmyards..
( pinned against a real sturdy fence or wall) and you have some stout helpers, you can get someone to lift her tail in a straight line up over her back and bent hard along her spine towards her head, and that often paralyzes the hind end. The draw back to that is if they can wiggle that tail slightly sideways instead of completely straight in line with the spine, they can kick.
There are several different styles of "cow kickers" on the market for milk cows, and they will paralyze most cows, but I have seen some cows still able to kick with them on, or able to knock them off and kick.
I had to lance a huge boil on our milk cow's hock and no one available to help, and I tied a rope real tight around the belly just in front of the udder and managed to lance the boil open before the cow freaked out. The draw back to that method is sometimes it paralyzes them too much and they can fall down on top of you.
You really need some sort of a squeeze or alley way or stanchion to hold your heifer in.
Some people actually make their own wooden stantion out of very heavy lumber.
The advantage to having some sort of squeeze system whether homemade or metal is that it probably will be used again and again at some time in the future.Buying a squeeze new is usually pretty pricey, maybe check out someone who has gotten out of cows, it is surprising what you will find sitting around in old farmyards..
I think you are real likely to get hurt. I have got kicked in the hand pretty good trying to get colustrom and the cow was in the chute in a head catch. And In my opinion the calf will get to them. I have had them go for quite a while without nursing one or two teats. I can't say if it was as long as a month though.
I am sure someone will tell me if I am wrong though....
I am sure someone will tell me if I am wrong though....
