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Northview Diary: What do you say
You must be doing something right - we've never had a dog make it that far. Belated Happy Birthday to Mike:0)
So glad to hear the boss is getting back in the swing of things. And I didn't realize that there are mean cows. Wow. When you use the term 'west string' and refer to individual cows - I had no idea you apparently line them up in the same configuration for every milking. Is that right? Do they line up on their own or do you have to sort them out and herd them into these 'strings'? That's got to be a lot of work.
CC, we are just lucky, believe me. He has been kicked and stomped on by cows he was working too many times to count.. We have an L shaped barn with two rows of cows facing each other. We call each row a string...north, south, east and west. Liz or Ralph milk the north, I milk south and east and we end up together on the west. The cows each have their own stall. When they are heifers we have to train them where to go, but most of them learn pretty fast...so when you open the barn door there is a big scrimmage as they rush to get to the grain we put down, but generally they end up where they belong without too much trouble.
I always wondered how cows knew which stanchion was theirs. I figured it was a thing of habit... how exactly do you train them. Just walk them to the right one every milking? How many times does it take?
Hi Novel, it is indeed mostly habit....but cows love monotony...same feed, same friends, same place, same folks, that is what they like best. The magic ingredients for getting them trained to their stalls are grain and persistence...and the fortunate fact that generally by the time the new heifers walk into the barn the old cows are already in their stalls, leaving fewer choices. We just sort of guide them to the stall we want them in. It is a good time to have everybody there. At first some are afraid of the stanchion or just don't want to cooperate, but grain is an amazing lure. Time spent depends on how smart and cooperative the critter is. We had one of Liz's former show heifers calve the other day and she knew her stall in about three milkings. She is a sweetie. lol
All my dogs know which crate is theirs, but they get fed in the same place at each meal. But, if I get spring cleaning fever and move their crates, they're lost for about 36 hours.. some for longer.. depending on the stuff between the ears!
Novel, I really had to laugh about the crates. Ours have their own as well, but our young male likes to "steal" mike's so he can feel like a hot shot. Mike used to care, but now he is not concerned.
Ah yes, stealing crates. Very common here by a certain little prissy that can't get used to her position in the pack. There are days that I wonder who is more stubborn.. but the truth is we all know that I am!
Hi novel, we have a weird situation where an older neutered dog is alpha over a younger intact one....I am afraid that is changing now and hope it goes by without a fight. We mostly keep them separated as Mike is old and getting blind and deaf
I hope that the transition goes well too. Sometimes it's not so easy, sometimes it goes ok. It will help if you as the people, when you see the transition beginning, make the change for them and start treating the younger boy as the alpha. That will show a change in allegiance of the "pack" per se, and will keep the younger boy from trying to make the change by force. Just watch for the signs of the coming transition and then make it yourselves! Much less possibility of Mike or the young one getting hurt that way.
What a sweet face! Since I've never met a dog I didn't like, give Mike a big old Happy Birthday hug from me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stacy, I'll do that.
ReplyDeleteBless his heart! Look at those eyes...
ReplyDeleteCC, he is quite a guy
ReplyDeleteYou must be doing something right - we've never had a dog make it that far. Belated Happy Birthday to Mike:0)
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear the boss is getting back in the swing of things. And I didn't realize that there are mean cows. Wow. When you use the term 'west string' and refer to individual cows - I had no idea you apparently line them up in the same configuration for every milking. Is that right? Do they line up on their own or do you have to sort them out and herd them into these 'strings'? That's got to be a lot of work.
Happy Birthday pupper!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Mike! Boo!
ReplyDeleteCC, we are just lucky, believe me. He has been kicked and stomped on by cows he was working too many times to count..
ReplyDeleteWe have an L shaped barn with two rows of cows facing each other. We call each row a string...north, south, east and west. Liz or Ralph milk the north, I milk south and east and we end up together on the west. The cows each have their own stall. When they are heifers we have to train them where to go, but most of them learn pretty fast...so when you open the barn door there is a big scrimmage as they rush to get to the grain we put down, but generally they end up where they belong without too much trouble.
Novel, thanks
Cubby, he says thanks. lol
I always wondered how cows knew which stanchion was theirs. I figured it was a thing of habit... how exactly do you train them. Just walk them to the right one every milking? How many times does it take?
ReplyDeleteHi Novel, it is indeed mostly habit....but cows love monotony...same feed, same friends, same place, same folks, that is what they like best.
ReplyDeleteThe magic ingredients for getting them trained to their stalls are grain and persistence...and the fortunate fact that generally by the time the new heifers walk into the barn the old cows are already in their stalls, leaving fewer choices.
We just sort of guide them to the stall we want them in. It is a good time to have everybody there. At first some are afraid of the stanchion or just don't want to cooperate, but grain is an amazing lure. Time spent depends on how smart and cooperative the critter is. We had one of Liz's former show heifers calve the other day and she knew her stall in about three milkings. She is a sweetie. lol
Good food makes the world go 'round. I knew it!
ReplyDeleteAll my dogs know which crate is theirs, but they get fed in the same place at each meal. But, if I get spring cleaning fever and move their crates, they're lost for about 36 hours.. some for longer.. depending on the stuff between the ears!
Novel, I really had to laugh about the crates. Ours have their own as well, but our young male likes to "steal" mike's so he can feel like a hot shot. Mike used to care, but now he is not concerned.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, stealing crates. Very common here by a certain little prissy that can't get used to her position in the pack.
ReplyDeleteThere are days that I wonder who is more stubborn.. but the truth is we all know that I am!
Hi novel, we have a weird situation where an older neutered dog is alpha over a younger intact one....I am afraid that is changing now and hope it goes by without a fight. We mostly keep them separated as Mike is old and getting blind and deaf
ReplyDeleteI hope that the transition goes well too. Sometimes it's not so easy, sometimes it goes ok. It will help if you as the people, when you see the transition beginning, make the change for them and start treating the younger boy as the alpha. That will show a change in allegiance of the "pack" per se, and will keep the younger boy from trying to make the change by force. Just watch for the signs of the coming transition and then make it yourselves! Much less possibility of Mike or the young one getting hurt that way.
ReplyDelete