# If at first you don't succeed....try and try again.



## Roll farms (Nov 4, 2010)

My first cow-buying experience didn't go so well.  I bought a very nice Jersey cow and calf for the purpose of milking the cow and selling off the calf for butcher..

I wanted a mini cow....a gentleman w/ a mid-size cow talked me into buying this bigger, Mid-sized girl.

Between my inexperience and the fact that she was NOT, in fact, a good cantidate for hand-milking (as we were told), our joy at having Celine quickly turned to "What have I done???" regrets.  
Her rear teats were too small to hand milk and she was kicky and a 'dancer'....

The problem was, I HAD to milk her once we sold the calf...and it took literally an hour.  An hour on your knees ducking kicking cow hooves...not fun.

We sold her to someone w/ a milk machine who loves her dearly....she was a nice cow, she just wasn't built for and wasn't used to hand milking like we were told....With the machine she's doing well.

I thought maybe I'd been soured on the entire idea of cow ownership, but my husband really wanted one and kept pushing.  

We happened to run across a little J-Lo heifer (Lowline x Mini Jersey) and traded her for a 4-wheeler we no longer use anyway.  

Hopefully we can raise her up / train her and milk her.  If not, her size will make her much easier to manage as a pet...which is all my husband really wanted to begin with.  I just wanted his pet to help pay for itself.
She's a bottle baby and easy to handle.

This is Morwyn....







With a pic of me to show how small she is.... 25" at 3 mos.


----------



## ksalvagno (Nov 4, 2010)

What a cutie!   I hope this one works out better for you.


----------



## glenolam (Nov 4, 2010)

She is tiny!  At 3 mos my calves were at my hips!!


----------



## elevan (Nov 4, 2010)

Wow, can't believe how little she is!!

I've been thinking about a cow too...but their large size has put me off...but if I could find a little one like that she would be perfect.

Hope things work out better this time for you!


----------



## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 4, 2010)

I want to cuddle that thing so badly!


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 4, 2010)

She's following me around and moo-ing at me.  I think it's love.


----------



## freemotion (Nov 4, 2010)

Aww, cutie!  Can you handle her teats yet?  I was wondering why you got rid of that cute Jersey so fast.  If I ever get a chance to have one, I'll be sure to actually milk her before signing the check, based on your experience.  Who can afford a broken hand or wrist?  Sheesh!


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 4, 2010)

The guy I bought her from is "the" Jersey expert...so I guess I ASSumed I could go w/ the info he gave me....he was told she'd been hand milked but he was letting her calf nurse / not milking her at all so he didn't know.

Yes, just like "ride a horse before you buy"...milk the cow before you buy, LOL.


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 4, 2010)

And yes, I've been fondling her udder a lot already,


----------



## tiffanyh (Nov 4, 2010)

Very cute...how big will she get full grown???


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 4, 2010)

Best prediction is 40-45" at the hip.  (Parents' heights)


----------



## tiffanyh (Nov 4, 2010)

Wow...so they still grow to a pretty decent size.


----------



## freemotion (Nov 4, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> And yes, I've been fondling her udder a lot already,


I think the technical term is "copping a cheap feel!"


----------



## herfrds (Nov 7, 2010)

A Stop Kik Stick worked great for me with my first milk cow. She was half holstein and brown swiss.
Kicked me clean out of the pen the first time. Tried the rope around the flank trick and the suggestion of holding the tail up. Neither worked.

A friend who had had milk cows for years told me to try it.
Worked great.


----------



## jodief100 (Nov 8, 2010)

She is so adorable!  Do you have somewhere nearby with a mini bull so you can get her bred?


----------



## goodhors (Nov 8, 2010)

I got a set of cow hobbles, which I had used when I was the "milkmaid" as a kid job after school.  The cow hobbles were for my Dexter heifer, in case she was kicky for her calf.  I also was getting her used to udder being touched while grooming, no problem.  However a nursing calf and gentle touching are not real close!  Hence the hobble purchase in Shipshewana when I went thru last spring.  No one locally sells cow hobbles.

Since we decided to sell the Heifer after another horse purchase, I sold the hobbles with the heifer, whom they plan to handmilk after calving.  I advised them to be building her a milking platform, to raise her up for easy reaching.  Heifer is about 42" tall, so you need to be sitting on the ground to milk and THAT is never a good place to be, while next to any cow.  I told them she didn't mind the light touching, but she would need a lot more work to be good for hand milking.  Getting platform ready, feeding her in it, while practicing hobbling, cleaning udder and handling udder before calving, would help them a lot.

Hobbles hook above hocks of hind legs, prevent the big REACH forward and outward swing of hind leg when kicking.  Hobbles adjust in width for various sized animals.  You can get a hooked stick to pull under cow and hook on 2nd leg to get them on.  We used them in the Dairy parlor milking, but with cows in line, the ornery ones were squished in place a bit, could not get really fighting.  Plus had FOOD right in front, so often easily distracted.  Hobbles kept them from kicking off the machine, usually only needed a few times before they settled down.  No damage to cow, just prevented hard kicking.

With your new heifer, be sure to be picking up feet often, daily if possible.  She will be much easier to trim or treat for injury later on.  DD's steer calf was very easy to trim hooves, get him neat for the Fair.  She handled his feet often, stood hoof up, as nice as a horse to clean or rasp hooves!  

If you plan to own her a while, working now, ALL body parts handled, not ticklish, is WELL WORTH the time invested.  She will be a much nicer animal to have around.  I will agree with the cute factor, she looks really "squeezable"!!


----------



## miss_thenorth (Nov 8, 2010)

Congrats!  I just got a 4 mo old dexter calf, and I'm so happy I did, --whe is great.

I got a set of cow hobbles, which I had used when I was the "milkmaid" as a kid job after school.  The cow hobbles were for my Dexter heifer, in case she was kicky for her calf.  I also was getting her used to udder being touched while grooming, no problem.  However a nursing calf and gentle touching are not real close!  Hence the hobble purchase in Shipshewana when I went thru last spring.  No one locally sells cow hobbles.

Since we decided to sell the Heifer after another horse purchase, I sold the hobbles with the heifer, whom they plan to handmilk after calving.  I advised them to be building her a milking platform, to raise her up for easy reaching.  Heifer is about 42" tall, so you need to be sitting on the ground to milk and THAT is never a good place to be, while next to any cow.  I told them she didn't mind the light touching, but she would need a lot more work to be good for hand milking.  Getting platform ready, feeding her in it, while practicing hobbling, cleaning udder and handling udder before calving, would help them a lot.

Hobbles hook above hocks of hind legs, prevent the big REACH forward and outward swing of hind leg when kicking.  Hobbles adjust in width for various sized animals.  You can get a hooked stick to pull under cow and hook on 2nd leg to get them on.  We used them in the Dairy parlor milking, but with cows in line, the ornery ones were squished in place a bit, could not get really fighting.  Plus had FOOD right in front, so often easily distracted.  Hobbles kept them from kicking off the machine, usually only needed a few times before they settled down.  No damage to cow, just prevented hard kicking.

With your new heifer, be sure to be picking up feet often, daily if possible.  She will be much easier to trim or treat for injury later on.  DD's steer calf was very easy to trim hooves, get him neat for the Fair.  She handled his feet often, stood hoof up, as nice as a horse to clean or rasp hooves!  

If you plan to own her a while, working now, ALL body parts handled, not ticklish, is WELL WORTH the time invested.  She will be a much nicer animal to have around.  I will agree with the cute factor, she looks really "squeezable"!!
Great post!  Thank you, as this helps me also.  I never even thought about picking up the hooves, but my girl is now halter trained, and used to me touching her everywhere.  Picking up the hooves will be part of the daily list.

Where in Shipshewana did you get the hobbles?  i may be going for a road trip there in the spring. Also, do you have a pic of the milking stand?  I was figuring on just sitting on a small stool--(my son made me one.)

Here's my girl, Annabelle:


----------



## goodhors (Nov 8, 2010)

I got the hobbles from the Yoder's store, Fabric of all sorts and clothing on one side, with the Hardware store on the other side.  Way back in the corner was the livestock section, which had a pair of hobbles hanging.  They were about $15.  I have since seen cow hobbles in online sites, some elevators around me.  Could not find them BEFORE buying my own!  After purchase, hobbles are EVERYWHERE.

We did not make a platform, but I have seen photos on other livestock forums.  You build a raised floor for cow to stand on, probably with a ramp to walk up.  I would put cleats or wood strips across the ramp so she does not slip going up or down.  Strips are 1" thick by 2" wide, just nailed across the ramp.  We have them on the horse trailer ramp too, prevents slipping in wet conditions.  Makes animals get on or off more confidently.  Make the platform heavy enough to support the FULL GROWN size heifer will reach, like 1000 pounds.  Something on top of board floor to be easily cleaned each day, not slippery.  Maybe a piece of stall mat with sawdust on it during time she is up there.  Straw is VERY slippery, so not good on wood or wet surfaces for grip.  She has to have hoof grip if she is dancing, or being dumb now and again.  You don't want her to hurt her hips like the ones that slip on ice.

The platform has corner  posts with a railing to prevent cow stepping off, has a stanchion gate for locking head in place.  Some had corner posts anchored at the ceiling level too, cows are BIG, lots of weight if they fight.  Pictured ones were rectangular, so milker does not have far to reach udder, even if cow moves sideways.  Raised floor puts cow at a comfortable height for milking, you are not leaning over, getting a back ache.  I liked the idea of being able to SEE what you are doing!  With my milkmaid job, cows were raised about 30-36 inches above floor I stood on in the parlor.  Old style parlor, slant loaded with six to each side.  Was very easy to walk along, wash udders, dry them, medicate and put on milker.  No leaning over which saves your back, keeps your face away from hooves.

Probably some searching would bring up photos or directions.  I would want mine inside the barn for our cold winters, no ice or snow to make ramp slippery.  

You just work with the heifer, she will accept what you train her for, as routine and do it for you.  Maybe you would rather milk her from the right instead of left.  She won't care, training makes that method normal.  Our parlor cows milked from both sides, depending on which side of barn  the cow entered the parlor on.

Making heifer comfortable standing with stanchion gate locked, nibbling her grain while being brushed, udder washed and pretend milked as she gets older will all be familiar.  Ho-hum with a cow is a GOOD thing!

With our halter training, my heifer, DD's steer, both  entered and were backed out of the grooming chute daily with a voice cue, minimal lead rope pullling.  Both backed easily, CALMLY, stopped when heard Whoa, came forward or continued backing when asked.  Cow or heifer needs to DO what you ask, WHEN you ask them to do it.  This will be very helpful so she backs down the milk stand ramp under control.

We tried to keep some variety in daily walking, heifer would get upset with new stuff if routine got done often with no changes.   Just did odd things almost daily to keep her accepting.  We tied for a while today, walked down the lane and back again before turnout tomorrow.  On the  day after she would go around the corral before getting turned loose with a handful of alfalfa pellets as a parting gift as I slipped the halter off.  Sometimes I would load her in the trailer, stand tied a while with a bit of hay, then get turned out.  Both of our bovines walked right on a trailer with ramp, no problems.  Loaded better than some horses I know!  Anything you think she should do, work with her now while small so she won't care or fight you about it later when she is big. 

She ADORED her alfalfa pellets, would come RUNNING when called to be put away each night.  She got her pellets out of my hand, halter was slid on, led back to the barn.  ONLY got the pellets for turnout or when she came in for the night.  Other treats were in her grain box when I put her in her stall at night.

We bred the heifer when she was about 18 months old.  She then would be over 2 years old when she calves.  This was a bit tight, but should not be a problem with her growth according to the Vet.  He didn't want her bred any younger, they have problems.  I did not want a late calf, which could get fly borne infections around here.  Early for us is late April, May calving, so calf can be outside without freezing or cooking, navel is all dried up.  Grass is good for mother cows.  After that time the flies are miserable for newborns and hot out too.  We used a Jersey bull owned by a friend, AI got too complicated for our schedules.


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 8, 2010)

The only way we survived the first cow was with a 'Cow can't kick' device, loaned to us by the folks we got this heifer from.

We are walking her, and picking up her feet, touching her all over, etc. daily.  I will be glad when she's weaned and can focus on US instead of her bottle....she's frantic for it morning and night but pays attention during the day.

She is a sweetie, but definitely has a personality all her own.


----------



## goodhors (Nov 8, 2010)

We fed our bottle calf three times a day upon Vet advice.  Started about 6A, then 2P, then about 9P before DD went to bed.  No scours problems, but we were really careful to keep things very clean.  He liked the warm milk replacer too on those cold days.  He would have been bigger, Dutch Belted.

They do seem to ALWAYS think they are starving.  He would have loved two bottles at each meal!  He got started on real food with the alfalfa pellets, then started nibbling hay as well when he got older.  Daughter had lots of fun playing with him, he was so willing to do anything for her.  Thought he was a dog, not a cow until we got the heifer.


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 9, 2010)

She's getting 2 q of goat milk (warmed) 2 x a day and is eating alfalfa hay and nibbling at calf starter (she's 3 mos old).  Once she really starts eating the calf starter, I'm going to cut the amount of milk back.


----------



## Roll farms (Nov 9, 2010)

Pic from today.
She sounds a tiny bit croupy today...not in her lungs, in her upper resp. area...but she's not snotty, eyes are clear, good appetite, poop, etc.  Temp is normal.  I'll keep an eye on all of the above, it happened after her bottle, maybe she just had a bit of milk in her throat making her sound rattly.


----------



## glenolam (Nov 9, 2010)

Nothing like a cute face to brighten a dark day!


----------



## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 9, 2010)




----------



## warthog (Nov 9, 2010)

She is lovely, hope all goes well for you.


----------

