This question is for people who work at, own, or otherwise have firsthand knowledge of dairies.?

Question

I recently started working as a milker at a local dairy. To my suprise I find I like it very much. My question is, what advice, wisdom, or observations do you have about work at a dairy, especially in terms of working with the animals, that you might give me? Please let me know how you are acquainted with dairies and/or cows. Have you ever known a particularly notable cow? Please give any advice you might have when it comes to dealing with bulls.

Answer 1

Yes I have milked cows for 6 years now and I loved it to, cows like routine they don't accustom to change very easily, if you do they same to them each day they will be the happiest cows in the world, the more calm you are with them, the happier they will be and produce more milk, that's why farmers like to hire women to milk because it is a proven fact that cows produce more milk when being milked by women then men, I'm not sexist but it is proven, we had cows we would make up names for, we had a cow that would love to eat apples, we would give her one everyday, we had a cow that would love to be pet before she came in to milk, she would stand by the curtain an nod her head and wait for you to pet her, then she was satisfied and would  walk right in and get milked, cows are funny, if you don't like cows then you have no reason to be milking them, that's what I think, and you sound like you really enjoy doing it, so I guess just go in with a positive attitude and  you will do great

Answer 2

Watch your head and your feet and keep your hands clean. That way you will go home unhurt and stay healthy.

Answer 3

Jersey cows are lovely, but I haven't worked with holstein friesians yet.

Depending on the style of the dairy you're working at, watch out for those tails! Cows can learn how to spread their urine in a projectile manner using their tail, and you don't want to catch leptospirosis.

Don't rush cows when they're moving on concrete. Dairy cows get a lot of lameness problems and this is made worse if they're rushed so that they can't see where they put their feet.

Keep an eye on the linings of the milking cups. If they dry out or get too old you're gong to have mastitis problems.

There's so many tricks to working with cows. If you haven't, I'd recoment looking up 'flight zone theory' for herding cattle, as it makes moving them through yards so much easier.

Answer 4

I live on a 4000 acre beef cattle farm, but there are several large dairies in this area as well. The cows have just given birth to a new generation of calves, which play like children, in groups of up to six or seven. They chase each other, run, jump and generally seem to have a good time. Sadly the beef cattle calves are removed at about 12 months to feed the rich, fat and loathsome humans which prey on them. Dairy cows are more fortunate.

Answer 5

you failed to tell us if you are hand milking or using a milking machine. if hand milking expect to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. other wise cows like warm hands and gentleness.

Answer 6

After working at a farm that produces dairy cows and having experience with cows, on rare occasions do I eat them. It's harder now, I've fallen in love with cows, particularly a very young steer at our farm. I mean the amount of character and personality I see in this young guy is unbelievable; he plays and he loves to get his neck scratched. But, as a steer he will, in 6 months, face death. I find this heart wrenching as he is such an amazing animal.

Castrated bulls(Steers), and bullocks are not bad animals. Bulls are very dangerous, my instructor at the farm's brother was killed by a bull, and the bull firecracker that we have is the most dangerous animal we have. Some people are surprised to here that bulls are extremely dangerous animals because os many of them are hand-raised.

As bulls sexually mature they become far more territorial and aggressive. Just stick with steer, bullocks, dairy cows, and artificial insemination!

Answer 7

um you squeeze juice out of a cow, and then make into cheeses and milk, and ice-cream, and cheese, and more cheese, and pickles, and hats, and fur, and cheese! DUH!

Answer 8

My best advice is to wear steel toed shoes with low rubbers.  Getting your toes stepped on can smash the nail.  

If necessary use a kicker bar on the hips for the wilder ones.

Had a cow that stood in the back corner, she could smell the vet when he walked in, she would almost go insane, even though he wasn't in the barn to work on her.  Also had one that was trailered to pasture, the ride traumatized her, a real devil to get back home, never sent her again, she's fine now.  

Bulls, other than a really good blue healer dog, an electric fencer works the best.  Had one that attacked the tractor every time we entered the pen to feed, until we lowered the loader bucket onto the hot fence.  He got one surprise!  Took him a few times of it too.  Never turn your back on a holstein bull but a second, always carry a pitch fork with you if you got one who paws & roars.  Some get really wicked!  

Source: Grew up on a farm, just retired from dairying.

Answer 9

Grew up on a dairy farm and still farm, but raise sheep, not dairy.  My sister still daries.

First off, remaining calm keeps the animals calm.  You get upset and so will the cows.  Look up Ted Williams and his "cattle whispering".  Learning how animals think makes it much easier to move and work them.  Never approach an animal from directly behind because they can't see you and when they do, you frighten them and away they go.  

If a cow is running toward you, get out of the way because waiving your arms at them is like waiving your arms at a runaway locomotive.  

NEVER turn your back on any animal, especially new mothers and bulls.  A cow that's very gentle the rest of the year can go berserk and try to kill you immediately after calving.  Dairy bulls (particulary Jerseys) have a much worse temperment than do beef bulls.  Keep in mind that young bulls can go from being a pet to a "Raging Bull" overnight.  Never mess with their heads because pushing their head is a signal that it's time to push back.  

When moving animals, remain calm, don't yell and holler like they do on the movies and stand your ground to a standing or walking animal, but never a running animal.  Be careful because cows are large animals and can mash you against posts, gates and walls merely by accident.  People have been killed that way, so be careful and always have an escape route in mind.  

I'm not trying to scare you up, but staying aware and respectful of the animal's size may save you a lot of pain.  Just recently my brother was taken down by a new mother (Angus) and suffered a concussion, numerous bruises and the doc said that his milk drinking is probably th eonly thing that kept him from having crushed legs and knee joints.  A month ago my sister had a young Gurnsey bull that suddenly turned mean, got her down and beat her up pretty badly.  While being loaded up to be sent off to slaughter, he went crazy and tried to take down the two guys loading him.  A couple of years ago my friend's father was crushed and died after a group of cows accidently mashed him between a gate and the barn.  Dairymen love their cows, but keep in mind that they are still large animals and can be dangerous even when they aren't trying to be.

We had one old cow that could open any gate on the farm.  Dad figured he'd stop her by driving sharpened nails around the gate latch (to the feed room) like a porcupine would stop her.  We still have scars on our hands from them but it failed to stop her.  Her appetite got the best of her, she over ate once, lost her calf and was shipped.

Answer 10

Dairy cows are awesome.  The more time you spend with these animals the more you will find that each one has a personality.  Bulls can be a little crazy, you just have to be really careful around them.  Just like any other animals they deserve respect.   I grew up on a dairy farm (as did 12 generations of relatives before me!)  Just watch those tails (if they are not docked) in the Summer....not so nice when they slap you in the face, ew.