Author Topic: Spoiled babies in the barn! (Read 2203 times)

Kittyzee · « **on:** April 17, 2007, 06:12:02 PM »

Just thought I'd post a couple of pics of the new holsteins in our barn, they are all pets unfortunately, and you take your life into your own hands when entering. They all start snuffling you all over leaving cow buggars and cow licks everywhere!

Just look at those faces

Jerry · « **Reply #1 on:** April 17, 2007, 06:17:29 PM »

I am picturing Holstein ice cream and Gateway computers!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #2 on:** April 17, 2007, 06:30:14 PM »

mmmmm, ice cream...!! These aren't milk cows tho'!

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2007, 06:55:30 PM »

Ok now I'm confused

Holsteins are milk cows, unless there steeres??? But They sure are cute. I love cows of all kinds

CT · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2007, 07:19:47 PM »

Love the one with the "bullseye"..

Kittyzee · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2007, 07:23:46 PM »

Yes, holsteins are a type of milk cow (female) as are guernseys, brown swiss, etc. These are beef cattle -- heifers (females who haven't had a calf yet) and neutered males (steers). Of course all you hear about are black angus beef because they get all the hype. There are many other types of beef cattle. It takes a little longer for a holstein to be finished for market, their frames are larger and they are much taller than a hereford or angus. But the end product is just as good, IMHO

Kittyzee · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2007, 07:26:56 PM »

Me too Kay! We had a dairy heifer that youngest daughter took to the fair one year that was almost all white like that one with a patch on one eye: her name was Patchie!

They become so tame when you groom them all year long and take a dairy animal to the fair. The herdsman HATED milking those animals 'cuz they were so spoiled. He would bend down to cut the strings on straw to shake out in the barn and they would nail him everytime

CT · « **Reply #7 on:** April 17, 2007, 07:51:58 PM »

That reminds me of my first encounter with a milk cow. I walked behind her and she kicked the bejeebers out of me. My boyfriend "forgot" to put kickers on her. She was named Chance for a reason. I have great respect for cows.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #8 on:** April 17, 2007, 08:01:51 PM »

Oh, I would love to see your place. I never new you had those, they are so cute. I love cows.

Kim

EagleEye · « **Reply #9 on:** April 17, 2007, 08:09:44 PM »

Cute

Everytime I go hunting, I have to walk through the farmers herd of cattle. They always intimidated me, but they are more afraid of me than I am of them. Every once and a while, he gets a couple that actually come up to me and I can pet their head. But that is rare.
I don't ever forget how BIG they are though

Steve

Mikey · « **Reply #10 on:** April 17, 2007, 08:25:06 PM »

Quote

...they are all pets unfortunately,...

What? You mean no T-Bone steaks?

Kittyzee · « **Reply #11 on:** April 18, 2007, 04:51:28 AM »

Well, Mikey--pets in the sense that they are used to people and want attention....unfortunate for the person who tries to walk through that barn and get to the other side without getting pummeled and licked! They are being raised for their T-bones, amongst other cuts.

Teresa · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2007, 05:28:13 AM »

They are awfully cute! I'm not exactly afraid of cows, but I do have a healthy respect for them in their territory. When I was a kid we used to cut thru a cow pasture to get somewhere (can't remember where - maybe just exploring) and one day one of the cows took offense . . . . chased us till we couldn't run anymore . . .

Esther · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2007, 06:15:24 AM »

Kitty, do you have milk cows or just the beef cattle?

Those pictures bring back many fond memories, although ours were milk cows. Once in a while a poor producer or injured one would be put in the back barn for a while to be fed and readied for slaughter. Generally we milked about 35-40.

Speaking of shaking up the baled straw for bedding, I hated that job. We had one of the first open housing barns in Michigan and twice a day fresh bedding would be put down. When I had to do it alone, it seemed like it would never get done.

The only time our cows ever kicked at us was when the heifers first had "freshened" (had a baby) and was being brought in to be milked for the first few times. Yes we had kicker chains for them but even then they sometimes learned to kick with both back feet together. Eventually, they would get over their fear and settle down. It's kinda sad when you think about it. I loved to feed the baby calves with the "sucker" pail.

I helped milk often in the summer when the men were doing field work. My job was to wash the cow's udders (bag) with a very hot water with some chemical soap prior to the milking machine being put on. We took turns feeding them their grain ration. Then my dad, grandpa, or uncle that I was working with would empty the milker into a bucket and I carried the bucket into the milkhouse and dumped the milk into the big refrigerated tank. We didn't have the pipes that put the milk directly into the tank.

When the milking was done, the men would clean all the milking machines and pails in more very hot water with some special soap. My job was to hose down the "milking parlor". We cleaned it twice a day. Mercy, that was 50-55 years ago. I can't believe it was that long ago. I'm sure procedures are different today on modern farms.

marla · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2007, 07:31:27 AM »

My son in Missouri raises beeff also along with his in-laws. They have a lot of Dexters, they are littler then most, and also very spoiled. They also raise goats for meat. I don't think I could raise them to slaughter, I'd get to attached.

barb · « **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2007, 09:03:19 AM »

Aw, I love cows.

Mikey · « **Reply #16 on:** April 18, 2007, 09:24:55 AM »

When I was eight years old I tried my hand at milking a cow....without success. The man kept saying "squeeze harder!" but I was afraid I would hurt the cow..... Been a city boy ever since.....

barb · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2007, 11:34:24 AM »

I tried milking when I was 4 or 5, and didn't have much success. It's harder than it looks!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2007, 12:09:24 PM »

We used to have a dairy, and milked around 50-55 cows twice a day. My husband, his dad and the hired hand. We sold all the dairy cows when the hired hand (herdsman) got sick and then eventually passed away. My DH decided not to try to milk every day, twice a day since it would be him doing it 'cuz his dad was not wanting to milk every day either. Plus trying to put crops in, raise beef cattle, and harvest. Milking cows is hard work, and 24/7 rain or shine, holidays or not. But it's a great life and the baby calves are the most fun but time consuming too and then when they get sick :'(

And sounds like you have it down Esther, not a whole lot has changed. The procedures are the same even though technology has advanced a lot to make it easier, that is if you can afford it but generally your "system" is sound!

We always had those chronic cows that had problems all the time. They would come into the parlor and slip on the wet cement and their two back legs would go in opposite directions; hence the phrase "don't split yourself out"! My DH is always saying that to me in the wintertime when I venture outside on the ice

(Yeah, honey, thanks a lot

)

These cattle will be raised until they weigh around 1200-1500 pounds (sometimes more) because holsteins' frames can carry more weight and not be fat. Hopefully, by that time the price will be good for market animals and we won't be feeding them $4.00 corn! $:-\$

SueSTx · « **Reply #19 on:** April 18, 2007, 03:15:28 PM »

In the past we have raised a lot of dairy calves on the bottle for the beef market. Somedays I miss...There is nothing cutier than a baby calf...I', partial to Herefords babies though.

Mikey · « **Reply #20 on:** April 18, 2007, 03:40:21 PM »

I recently saw a high-tech dairy operation on TV. All the cows have micro-chip implants. The micro-chips ID each cow and tell exactly when they were last milked, the quality of the milk and how much milk was received from each teat. When the cow feels she needs milking she walks into the milking station on her own. Her teats are automatically cleaned and the milking machine automatically hooks up to the teats and start milking her. During milking the cow receives a massage from a car-wash-like brush that rubs her back. The floor is automatically scraped of manure and hosed down and the manure is automatically transported to holding bins where it is later pumped out into trucks. The milk is immediately analyzed/tested and if it's bad it is rejected. Once finished milking the cow leaves and does whatever cows do.....

Kittyzee · « **Reply #21 on:** April 18, 2007, 04:37:37 PM »

That IS high tech! I've not heard about the micro chip. There are some very large dairies around here (not the mega ones) but they hire lots of people and there is a lot of hard labor involved. Feeding calves, hauling manure, cleaning barns and dairies, maintenance on the cows themselves, maintenance on farm equipment, etc. We did not have registered dairy cattle like some dairies do. They are a business all of their own. These cows cost thousands of dollars and when shown at the county and state fair levels, they have their own personal groomers. All kinds of tricks to make your cow or heifer look beautiful to catch the judges eye. We have friends that have a dairy that only milks other people's show dairy cows. They don't own them, other farmers do--but they milk them in between the cows going all over the country for registered dairy cow shows. These cows are pampered and especially when they are pregnant and ready to have a calf. They aren't impregnated by a bull, but artificially inseminated for the best characteristics. They want THESE cows to have HEIFERS, so they'll grow up to be the next BEST dairy cow and bring hundreds of thousands of dollars!