Do-it-yourself anti-kick for cows: sizes and how to make, accustoming to milking

Obviously, high milk production rates should not be expected from first-calf heifers. Therefore, it is very important to properly milk a young cow, accustom her to the milking procedure. Very often heifers resist the milking process, start kicking and kicking. A special holder will help solve the problem. It is not difficult to make an anti-kick for a cow with your own hands. Using the item also does not require special skills.

Why does a cow kick when milking?

There are several factors that can make it difficult to milk a cow:

1. Young cow is not accustomed to milking.
2. Severe stress caused by sudden changes in the environment (usually when moving). Aggressive behavior in this case is a manifestation of a defense mechanism.
3. Mastitis. Pain is aggravated by udder compression.
4. Wrong milking technique. Inappropriate actions can cause discomfort to the animal, as a result of which the cow begins to kick.
5. Udder or teat damage. Before the procedure, they must be examined for injury. If this is the case, the problem area should be disinfected.
6. Failure to comply with the milk collection schedule. This leads to a disruption of the daily routine, as a result of which the animal reacts aggressively to any attempts to interact with it.
7. Fatigue. Collecting milk requires effort from the cow. A tired chick can kick and kick.
8. External stimuli (e.g. loud noises, flashing lights, sudden movement) distract the animal and can greatly frighten it.

In most cases, heifers get used to milking quickly - usually within the first three months after calving.

How to train a heifer to be milked by hand

It is very important to accustom a young cow to milking, otherwise milk intake will be very complicated. You can achieve the result with such folk remedies:

1. Two or three months before calving, you should regularly stroke the udder and belly of the cow.
2. Tie up front leg and lift up. Since the cow will only be supported on three limbs, she will not be able to kick.
3. Tie the hindquarters with rope.
4. Before milking, put a heavy cloth soaked in warm water on the withers or back. The animal will relax and will not resist.
5. Tie the cow by the horns so that she could not leave her place. Then put a container of food in front of her and gently start milking.You need to start with one nipple, gradually moving on to the next. After several similar procedures, it will be possible to milk more intensively - for two nipples.
6. Combing with a comb. While one person is combing the cow, the other is collecting milk.
7. Make or purchase a split for cattle. The device is a machine for zootechnical and veterinary manipulations.
8. Using anti-kick.

To reduce the stress of moving, it is necessary to achieve the maximum similarity of the new conditions of detention with the previous ones (feeding, walking, etc.).

How to make a do-it-yourself anti-kick

Adaptation ensures the immobility of the cow during milking. There are two types of device:

• one-sided;
• two-sided.

The most common option is the first one. To make it, you will need the following parts:

• two bent pipes of the same shape and size (each should have one hole);
• a concave tube with a larger diameter than previous tubes (the bend must be symmetrical);
• corresponding size angle springs;
• rubber caps for pipes.

Producing an anti-kick involves the following algorithm:

1. Insert one corner spring into each pipe of the same type (the button must go through the hole).
2. Tubes with a smaller diameter are inserted into the third tube. At this point, the buttons should be pressed.
3. The edges of the anti-kick are covered with caps to protect the animal from injury.

It is important to correctly size the fixture to fit the cows.

Rules for using the anti-kick system

If making a device at home is not difficult, then using it is even easier. You need to put on a cow in an anti-kick as follows:

1. Hook the lower part of the device to the crease on the front leg.
2. Use the button to adjust the length of the pipe. The distance should be enough to ensure that the second edge of the anti-kick can be fixed on the back. At the same time, the cow's leg is raised, due to which the movements of the animal are limited - the heifer will not be able to kick.
3. Start collecting milk.

If a cow does not allow itself to be milked, twitches and kicks, this does not mean at all that the cow should be culled.There are many ways to accustom a heifer to the milking process. The main thing in this business is patience and the ability to choose the most suitable option for a particular animal.

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