Cattle
What are Some Different Types of Cattle?
When most people think of cows, a large, amiable black and white animal probably comes to mind, but there are in fact a wide number of types of cattle, with almost a thousand cattle breeds being raised all over the world for a variety of purposes. Those black and white cattle you're thinking of, by the way, are dairy cattle from the Holstein breed, one of the most widely raised dairy cattle breeds in the world. Cows come in a range of shapes and sizes, for all sorts of purposes, and many people are working to preserve rare cattle breeds, along with the centuries of farming heritage that they represent.
Two major subspecies of cattle are domesticated: Bos taurus taurus, or taurine cattle, and Bos taurus indicus, or zebus. Taurine cattle are adapted for the cooler climates of the Northern Hemisphere, while zebus are better suited for hot, dry climates like those found in Africa. This has actually caused problems among some well-meaning aid organizations, which have exported taurine cattle to Africa to help people with famine conditions, only to discover that these cattle are not suited to the environment, requiring many more resources than zebus and ultimately proving to be more trouble than they are worth.
Types of cattle are generally broken up by purpose. Beef cattle, as you might imagine, are bred to yield large amounts of high quality meat, while dairy cattle have been bred to deliver copious milk with a high butterfat content. Draft cattle are bred to be working animals, pulling plows, carts, and other farm equipment. Multipurpose cattle can perform two or all three of these tasks, depending on the breed.
Some well known examples of beef cows include: Angus, Limousin, Longhorn, North Devon, Wagyu, and Hereford. Popular dairy breeds, in addition to the Holstein, include Brown Swiss, Jersey, Ayrshire, and Milking Shorthorn Cattle. These types of cattle all tend to be more lightweight than beef cattle, and many of them are smaller, as well. Jerseys in particular are renowned for their milk and gentle temperaments.
Belgian Blues, Charolais, Lourdais, Welsh Blacks, and Red Polls are all examples of mixed-use types of cattle. You can also found cattle bred specifically for sport, such as the cattle used in bullfighting and bullriding. A number of breeders have also developed zebu/taurine hybrids, taking advantage of the best traits of both subspecies to create especially strong, flexible types of cattle.
Cow
1. What impact does cold, wet weather have on cows?
The cows use a lot more energy to keep their body temperature warm. The weather, just like us,
makes us more vulnerable to colds and flues also. If mud gets into the teats it can cause mastits –
an infection that affects not only the cow but the quality of milk.
2. What impact does hot, dry weather have on cows?
The heat causes cows to be uncomfortable which in turn causes them not to chew their cud
which makes the milk less rich in butter fat. They don’t feel like eating or drinking in the heat, so
they produce less milk.
3. What impact does the weather have on crops, both feed for cows and feed that is sold?
Too much rain zaps the protein out of feed – way too much drowns the crop. Too much sun and
not enough rain means nothing grows.
4. What diseases do we deal with within the dairy herd?
A lot of common diseases; affects respiratory system which the dairy farmer vaccinates and tries
to prevent.
5. Do you use antibiotics on a dairy farm?
Yes
6. What are antibiotics and what are they used for?
Sometimes cows get sick just like people do. When that happens, we sometimes give them
antibiotics to help make them well again. The milk from that cow does not go into the milk
supply until she is well again and the antibiotic is no longer in her body. Milk is tested several
times before it is bottled.
Cow Questions
7. We realize that antibiotics are “zero tolerance†at dairy plants, how do they test to be
sure milk is safe?
They run the test tubes taken from each dairy farm before the big tankers are empty. In the rare
event that inspectors find any antibiotic residues in the tanker, the milk is dumped to make sure
the milk you drink is safe.
8. Are milk and dairy foods really subject to 17 government required and voluntary
industry safety checks from farm to table?
Yes, milk and dairy products are among the most highly regulated foods available. Pasteurization
is the most important food safety tool in use in the world today.
9. Do you use computers to help your dairy records?
Yes, name and number of each cow.
10. What do you record on the computers?
We record production of each cow, history of cows, birthdates, reproduction (births) each cow
has.
11. Some dairies have a feed consultant come once a month, what do they do?
The consultant looks the herd over. After looking at the herd’s manure he can tell if they are
digesting their food and adjust their diet accordingly.
12. Some dairies have a veterinarian come by once a month or more. What do they do?
The veterinarian checks the cattle to see which ones are pregnant and the overall health of cattle.
13. Some dairies have a field man come once a month to test the production of each cow.
How do they do this?
He has a special meter he hooks to each milk machine and these meters tell the dairy farmer how
milk each cow gives.
14. How many times a year is a dairy inspected by a state inspector?
5-6 times a year, a state inspector comes to the dairy unannounced.
15. How many times a year is a dairy inspected by a federal inspector?
Federal inspectors and unannounced and vary from year to year.
16. What do they look for?
Build up in milk pipeline and milk tank medicine labeled right, extra clean walls, ceilings and
floors, cow lots cleaned, no holes in screen door.
17. Do dairy farmers help protect the environment? What do they do with the manure?
Dairy farmers abide by strict laws and regulations to protect our earth, water and air. To do that,
America’s dairy farmers work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state government regulators to ensure that
their farm remains clean and employ environmentally sound production practices. At our dairy
we scrape the lots and haul the manure and spread it and work it in the ground on certain fields,
this fertilizer is excellent for the next year’s crops.
18. How many years do cows get milked?
Average years of lactation are 7 years.
19. How many pounds of milk does it take to make one pound of cheese?
10 pounds of milk makes 1 pound of cheese
20. How many pounds of milk does each cow give each day?
55-60 pounds average in the United States
21. How many pounds does it take to make one gallon of ice cream?
11.6 pounds or 22 cups of milk to make one gallon
22. Why do dairy farmers record cow’s milk in pounds instead of gallons?
Because pounds are a more accurate measurement, farmers are paid by the pound for milk.
23. How many pounds are in a gallon of milk?
8.6 pounds – water is 8.9 pounds
24. How many cups of milk does one cow give a day?
One average cow fed with quality feeds can give 90-100 cups of milk and more depending on the
cow.
25. If a cow does not get quality feeds, does it really affect how much milk the cow will
give?
Yes, if the cow gets quality feeds she can produce 100 cups (even more) per day, however, if the
cow just eats grass all day she may only produce 50 cups.
26. How many times a day does the cow get milked?
On our dairy 2 times, however some dairy farms milk 3 times a day.
27. Once you start milking a cow do you keep milking her everyday? What will happen if
you don’t?
Once you start to milk a cow you have to milk her everyday, if you don’t she will not continue to
give milk, she can also become ill with an infection in her udder called mastits.
28. What time do you milk the cows?
5:00 am / 5:00 pm
29. Do you have to milk at a certain time? Why?
You can milk any time as long as you milk 2 times a day and about 12 hours apart. If a cow is
not milked at least every 12 hours she will be uncomfortable (the udder feels full and this causes
discomfort). She will give less milk for example a cow being milked 2 times a day giving 70
pounds will give 77 pounds if milked 3 times a day. So if she is not milked the opposite happens.
If never milked again she will dry up and will not be able to produce milk again until she has a
baby calf. A lot of the times if a milking gets missed it can cause an infection called mastit in the
udder.
30. Does the milking hurt the cow?
No, the milking feels good to the cow.
31. Where does the milk come out at?
The milk comes out of the little hole, called an orifice at the tip of each teat.
32. How do you make the milk come out? When you wash the cows udder off it feels like a
massage. The massage sends a signal to the cow’s brain to release the milk.
33. How long does it take to milk a cow, by hand? By machine?
It takes 12-20 minutes to milk by hand. It takes about 5 minutes with a machine.
34. What’s the very first thing that has to be done to the cow before you can milk her?
The udder is washed with a special iodine mixture that kills germs and the iodine also has a
moisturizer to keep their udder from drying out and getting chapped.
35. Once outside the cow where does the milk go?
Milk is never exposed to air because it has no protection from contaminants; it goes untouched
by human hands to the milk tanks in our milk house room. It is cooled within a few minutes to
38 degrees. The next day the truck (thermos on wheels) will take it to the plant. The second day
(after pasteurization, vitamin D added, and homogenization) the milk is on the market shelf. 2
days out of the cow it is on the market shelf or in your school.
36. Is it true milk is never touched by human hands?
Yes, milk goes directly from cow into the milkpipes and is vacuumed into the milk tank (thermos
on wheels).
37. What temperature is the milk when it comes out of the cow?
The milk is the same temperature of the cow which is about 101 degrees.
38. Why is it so important to get the milk cooled to 38 degrees so quickly?
Actually milk is quickly cooled to 38 degrees and held there. It’s important to cool quickly so the
milk stays fresh.
39. How do you get it cooled so quickly?
We have a special machine called a pre-cooler that cools the milk with cold water (from 101 to
76) from there it is pumped into the milkholding tank which cools it to 38 degrees in just
minutes.
40. Where do you store all that milk?
Special tanks that are like thermos very well insulated in the milk house room of the barn, the
temp of milk should be 38 degrees.
41. How do you get the milk from the farm into these big trucks?
The milk is pumped from the milk tanks to the big trucks by a vacuum on the truck and a big
hose hooked to the bottom of the milk tank to the milk truck..
42. How often do those big trucks pick up the farmers milk?
Every 2 days, the huge dairies pipe their milk right into semi trucks and they cool the milk just
like our special tanks.
43. Where do the big trucks take the farmers milk?
To the nearest dairy plant, in our case, is Wichita’s Highland Dairy Plant.
44. What do they do with the farmer’s milk when it reaches the city?
Milk samples are first tested in a lab to ensure that only the purest milk is used. Milk that is not
top quality or that hasn’t been kept cold will show on these tests, and this milk is not processed
for people to drink. The milk is then homogenized then pasteurized and Vitamin D is added then
bottled and sent out to be sold.
45. Is milk really one of the safest foods?
Yes, there are so many tests done before milk is put on our tables.
46. How long does it take milk to be at the grocery store after it leaves you cows?
2 days
47. Is milk really considered “nearly perfect food�
Yes, milk is our best single food.
48. What are the primary nutrients found in milk and dairy products?
Calcium, riboflavin, Vitamin D, protein, Vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin,
Vitamin B12.
49. What vitamins are added to milk at the processing plant? How do they add them?
They add Vitamin D concentrate to the milk. You need to attend a dairy tour to learn how they
add Vitamin D.
50. How do they do the pasteurization and homogenization?
Homogenization cause fat globules in whole milk to be fragmented into tiny molecules that will
not regroup. Milk is pasteurized by 2 methods. The holding process requires the heating of the
milk to 143-145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes and the cooling rapidly. The flash process is
accomplished by heating the milk to 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds and then
cooling.
51. How much milk or milk servings should you have a day?
Children age 1-3 year need 3 servings. (Child serving is 2/3 cup milk) Age 4-8, 3 servings, Teens
9-18 need 4, Age 19-50 need 3 and adults age 51+ years need 4 servings.
52. What does milk do for your health?
Give us strong bones and teeth, health skin, gives us better night vision.
53. What other products does milk make?
White and chocolate milk (and other flavors), buttermilk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice
cream and frozen yogurt, butter, cream, sour cream, whipped cream.
54. How much milk is consumed as fluid milk and how much milk is used for other
products in the USA?
This varies depending on time of year (school kids drink milk). This information will be given at
the dairy tour also.
55. What dairy products are the most popular in the USA?
Cheese, ice cream, yogurt.
56. What does Grade A milk mean?
Years ago they put grades on milk according to quality. Grade A milk is top quality.
57. What is raw milk?
Raw milk is just out of the cow – not pasteurized.
58. How much food does one cow eat in a day?
One cow eats 90 pounds of food in one day.
59. What kinds of foods do cows eat?
Cows eat alfalfa hay, corn, hominy, distllersgrain, baking soda, cottonseed, depending on the
state or country because most foods for cows are raised close to the dairy farms.
60. How much water does one dairy cow drink in a day?
One dairy cow drinks 25-50 gallons in a day.
61. Why do some farmers put gold fish in their farm tanks?
The gold fish help keep the water clean by eating the algae and the food that comes into the tank
off of the cow’s mouth.
62. Do cows have more than one stomach?
Yes a cow has 4 stomachs
63. How do they digest their food?
Cows pull the feed in with their strong rough tongues and swallow it quickly without chewing it.
The food goes into the first stomach and then second stomach. When the cow has eaten her fill
she burps up a small amount of food called cud, she chews the food or cud thoroughly, she
swallows it and it goes into the third stomach and then moves to the fourth where digestions
actually occurs.
64. Why do cows look like their chewing gum?
That chewing is called chewing cud, refer to #63.
65. How many hours a day does a milk cow eat?
Cows spend 6 ½ hours a day eating.
66. How many days does it take the cows body to process her food into milk?
It takes the cows about 2 days to process her food into milk.
67. Do male of female cows give milk?
Females
68. What are males called? What are females called? What are babies called?
Bulls, Heifers or Cows, and Calves
69. How old are cows when they have their first calf?
Two years old.
70. How long is the gestation of a cow?
9 months or about 270 days.
71. Do cows have more than one calf per pregnancy?
95% - 97% the pregnancies result in single births.
72. How many days are cows milked after they have a calf?
305 days or 10 months.
73. How do cows stop giving milk?
When you stop milking a cow the milk glands shut down, milk absorbs back into their body and
within 3-5 days they don’t produce milk.
74. How many calves do cows have in a lifetime?
After 2 years of age a cow can have a calf every year until they get to be 15-20 years.
75. Do cows have to have a calf each year? Why?
Yes, so they can continue to give milk they must have a calf.
76. How long do cows live to be?
15-20 years
77. When did milk first get pasteurized?
In 1856
78. Why did they pasteurize milk?
Milk is treated with heat in order to destroy pathogens or disease producing organisms.
Pasteurization protects the purity and flavor of the milk without affecting its nutrient value.
79. Who invented pasteurization?
Louis Pasteur, a French scientist discovered that heating liquids to high temperatures kills
bacteria.
80. When did dairy plants first start using glass bottles?
In 1884 dairy plants started using glass bottles.
81. What did they store milk in before glass bottles?
Before glass bottles they used jars, pails, cans and crocks.
82. What year was the first paper milk carton used?
In 1906 the first paper milk carton was used.
83. What year was the first plastic milk jugs used?
In 1964 plastic milk jugs were introduced.
84. Years ago when people traveled, how did they get fresh milk?
They had to take the cows with them.
85. What is cud? How many hours do cows chew their cud?
Cud is the food which is swallowed by the cow and later burped up to chew again. A cow chews
cud 6-8 hours daily.
86. What time of the year are dairy products sold at higher volume?
Cheese is big at holiday and super bowl time and milk is at higher volume during the school
year.
87. What is an udder and where is the udder?
An udder is the mammary glands of the cow, the part of the cow where milk is stored. The udder
is made up of 4 quarters.
88. What is an orifice? Where is the orifice?
Orifice is the hole (or the streak canal) that is at the tip of the teat where milk comes out.
89. How many teats does a cow have? Where are the teats?
4 teats under the udder
90. At what age do cows begin to produce milk?
2 years old when they have first calf.
91. How many different breeds of dairy cows are there?
92. Which breed gives the most milk?
Holstein
93. Which breed has the most fat in their milk?
Jersey
94. What is fat of the milk called?
Cream
95. Which breed is the largest?
Holstein and Brown Swiss
96. Which breed contributed the most to our nation’s livelihood in the pioneer days and
why?
Milking and Horthorn cows because they supplied not only milk but excellent meat and power
for labor.
97. Which breed is the smallest?
Jersey’s
98. Which breed tolerates heat better?
Jerseys
99. Which breed is the most laid back?
Brown Swiss
100. Which breed does best on grazing?
Ayrshire
101. Which breed is the nervous one?
Holstein
102. Which breed is the most popular used and why?
Holstein they give the most milk.
103. Where did these six breeds originate from?
Dairy cattle breeds are of European origin.
104. How much does an average cow weigh?
1400 pounds, that’s equal to 28 children who weigh 50 pounds each.
105. Is good milk production in cows something that is inherited?
Yes
106. What is artificial insemination?
We do not use bull on our farm. We use this artificial insemination procedure (with frozen semen
delivered right to our dairy).
107. Why do cows have ear tags in their ears?
To identify the cow instead or along with a name for breeding history reasons.
108. What do the numbers on the tags mean?
It is their identity mark to tell the dairy farmer who’s who because the cows look a lot alike.
109. Why are records of who’s who in the history of doing cattle on the farms so
important?
Records are very important because the herd can be improved tremendously by genetics and
artificial breeding.
110. What does the term “dry cow†mean?
The cow has been milking for 10 months and now she is 7 months pregnant the last 2 months
before she calves is considered dry time because she does not get milked for 2 months until she
calves again.
111. How much does a Holstein baby calf weigh at birth?
90-125 pounds
112. Do they get vaccinated just like humans?
Yes they get vaccinated for scours and black leg.
113. What about Holstein spots?
Each Holstein has its own unique spots. There are no two alike. Like the zebra with their stripes.
New cattle raisers
Artificial Insemination
Breeding
Bull Questions
Calf Care
Calving and Calving Problems
Cattle Equipment
Common Diseases
Feed and Nutrition
Fencing
Genetics
Hay
Herd Healthcare
Pasture Management
Haying
Pasture
Predator
Introduction
Have you ever wondered why your horse or cattle do certain things?
Behavior problems in grazing animals. Some of the topics that will be covered are: Why does a horse that is well behaved most of the time suddenly rear or buck and why is a hand reared pet bull sometimes dangerous? Other areas that will be covered are loading onto a trailer and teaching animals to lead. An understanding of behavioral principles will make it easier, safer and more enjoyable when you work with animals.
Question: Why is my horse or bull calm and well behaved at home, but he becomes agitated and hard to handle at a show or auction?
Answer: This problem is most likely to occur in animals with flighty, excitable genetics. Animals with an excitable temperament are more likely to panic when they are suddenly confronted with the novel environment of a show or auction. Animals that have inherited a calmer temperament are less likely to panic in a new environment. To help prevent this problem, get your horse or bull accustomed to the sights and sounds of a show or auction. He needs to be gradually exposed to flags, bicycles, public address systems and learn to remain calm when his familiar caretaker is absent. A safe way to begin acclimating an animal to flags is to put them up in the pasture and allow the naturally curious animal to approach and explore them. The animal needs to become acclimated to new things BEFORE he leaves home. One way to help prevent an animal from becoming agitated when a familiar caretaker is absent is to have many different people quietly handle the young animal. It needs to learn that people in general are good.
Question: Why are some cattle so "wild" when they enter a feedlot and how can I produce calmer cattle which will settle down more quickly when they enter a feedlot?
Answer: Cattle that originate from ranches where they seldom see people will be harder to handle at the feedlot than cattle that see people every day. Ranchers should walk quietly among their cattle to get them accustomed to closer contact with people. Another problem is that cattle that have been exclusively handled by people on horseback may become agitated when handled by people on foot. This is particularly a problem at the packing plant because all handling is done on foot. Some of the animals that see a man on foot for the first time at a packing plant can be dangerous and difficult to handle. To prevent this problem, cattle should be quietly introduced to people on foot, people on horseback and to many types of vehicles before they leave the ranch of origin. It is important that the calves' first experience with a person on foot or on horseback is positive. First experiences with new things make a big impression on animals. It is very important to make sure the first experience is either positive or neutral. On ranches where handling is done on horseback, the animals should also be acclimated to people walking through them. On ranches where all handling is done on foot, the animals should be acclimated to horses and riders walking through them so they will be familiar with them before they arrive at a feedlot. Invite some friends over to ride through your pastures. If the calf's first experiences with a horse and rider is being roped, this could cause problems when the calf goes to a feedlot. This could make him scared of horses.
Question: Most of my cattle will move easily through the squeeze chute but a few of my cows refuse to enter.
Answer: The most likely explanation is that the cows that refuse to move have had a bad experience such as being accidentally hit hard on the head with the headgate. Cattle have excellent memories and animals that have had their neck or head hurt by the headgate do not forget.
Question: What is the best way to teach a colt or steer to lead?
Answer: You need to use behavioral principles to induce the animal to lead instead of force. For steers, let them wear a halter with a dragging lead rope for several days so that they learn to not pull back when they step on the rope. Do not tie the animal to a post and let it pull back and fight. Doing this can ruin some of the animals that have a nervous, excitable disposition. They can get so frightened that they never get over the trauma. An animal with a more placid, calm temperament will habituate after he pulls back on the halter a few times but the animal with a nervous, excitable temperament may become so scared that he may start kicking at people due to fear. The animal may never get over its fear and may become a dangerous animal that is likely to kick people. Plan on taking plenty of time to train your animal. This is especially important with nervous, flighty cattle and hot-blooded breeds of horses. Teach your animal to stand still and to lower its head when you take the halter on or off. When taking the halter off, wait until the animal's head is down and he is calm. This teaches the animal that the halter only comes off when the behavior is calm. Once the animal has become accustomed to the halter, it has to learn to be led. The mistake that many people make is to keep pulling on the halter when the animal moves forward. When the animal takes one small step forward or even leans forward, you should instantly stop pulling on the lead rope. This rewards the animal by relieving pressure. The timing has to be right otherwise the animal will not make the association. It has to learn that you will stop pulling when it moves forward. Always end a training session on a good note with the animal doing something right. If your horse or steer become fearful and excited, it will take 30 minutes for him to calm back down. Keep training sessions short and end them before your animal gets agitated.
Question: Why does the hand raised pet bull calf or male llama attack its owner when it becomes fully mature?
Answer: The problem is due to mistaken identity. Grazing animals identify with the animals or people they grow up with. To produce a safer bull, young bull calves should be either raised on a cow or placed in a social group with other calves before they are 6 to 7 week sold. They need to grow up with their own kind. The bull calf that is raised away from other cattle is more likely to attack people because he views them as rivals and wants to become dominant. Therefore he attacks people instead of trying to become dominant over another bull. Another way to prevent future aggression in an orphan hand raised bull calf is to make a steer out of it. If the male animal has valuable genetics, move him somewhere where he can be raised in a social group with others of his own kind. Rearing animals in a social group will also help prevent excessive fighting in bulls, steers, heifers, mares, geldings or stallions. Animals reared by themselves do not know when to stop fighting another animal.
Question: How do I teach a young colt to load onto a trailer?
Answer: It is very important that the colt's first experience with the trailer is good. If he hits his head or falls down the first time loading is attempted, he will never forget it. A permanent fear memory may be formed which could cause the horse to fear trailers. Fear memory formation is especially a problem in hot-blooded horses with a nervous temperament. When introducing a trailer, try feeding the horse in it. Often it is easier to get a horse into a large stock trailer. To reach the feed, the horse has to go all the way into the trailer. I recommend a large stock trailer when first introducing an animal to a trailer. After he learns to go in the stock trailer, he can then be trained to go into smaller trailers. Opening up a window in the front of the trailer so that the horse can see light through the front of the trailer may also make loading easier. Animals often resist going into dark places. It is also essential that the trailer has non-slip flooring. Animals panic when they start to slip. Removing the partitions in slant load or a two horse trailer often makes it easier to teach a horse to enter the trailer. When you arrive at your destination wait until the horse is calm before you let him out of the trailer.
Question: Why does my usually well-behaved horse suddenly buck or rear for apparently no reason?
Answer: This may be caused by an old fear memory being triggered. Often the problem occurs when the horse transitions from one gait to another. When the horse was first trained, too many new things may have been forced onto the horse too quickly. This may have caused him to get very frightened. This is especially a problem in more hot-blooded horses. Memories in animals are sensory based and they would be stored in the brain like pictures, audiotapes or specific tactile touch feelings. When a horse changes gait, a saddle feels different. The weird feeling of cantering with the saddle for the first time may have frightened the horse. A horse with a calm disposition can be more quickly introduced to new things than an animal with a flighty, excitable disposition. Fear memories are very specific. I observed a horse that was afraid of black cowboy hats and white hats had no effect. The horse's fear was due to being abused by a man wearing a black cowboy hat. If the object the horse fears can be removed, bucking and rearing my stop. It may also be possible to calm the horse down by talking to him. I have observed that a horse or cow will often calm down when it hears the voice of a person it trusts. The bucking problem that occurs when the horse changes gaits can sometimes be prevented by substituting a completely different saddle or pad that will feel different. Tack that feels different may not trigger the old fear memory. If a horse has been abused with a bit, try a hackamore. A bit with a completely different design may also work. The worst thing a person can do is to punish fear-based behavior. Punishing fear just makes it worse.
Question: How can I tell when horses or cattle are starting to become fearful and agitated?
Answer: Both horses and cattle will start switching their tails when they begin to become fearful. As the animal becomes increasingly agitated, the tail will lash back and force faster and faster. When a horse is being trained, the lesson should be ended before the animal shows signs of agitation or fear. Always end the lesson on a good note. Get the animal to do something right before you quit. With young animals keep training sessions short. Fifteen minutes every day is better than 2 hours once a week. Pushing a young horse too hard when it shows signs of fear may result in rearing or bucking. Another sign the horse is becoming fearful is he will raise his head higher and higher. Agitated fearful cattle in a milling herd will raise their heads up. Fearfulness or agitation is a matter of degree. A good visual analogy is a pot of water heating up to a boil. When an animal kicks or bucks the pot has boiled over. When a horse does a one or two tail swishes, the pot may be just starting to simmer. A training session should probably be continued when there is one or two tail swishes, but the trainer must learn to read the animal so that it is never pushed to the point that it bucks, kicks or bites.
People who work with animals must not misinterpret motivation. A horse that bucks during training or a cow that struggles in a squeeze chute is motivated by fear. When a bull attacks, the behavior is motivated by true aggression. Punishing a fearful animal will make it worse, where punishing an aggressive or disobedient animal may be appropriate in some situations. Just remember, animals with more flighty, excitable genetics will have more fear-based behavior.
Question: How can I teach a horse or cow to respect my space and to not run over me?
Answer: Problems with pushy animals are most likely to occur with low fear animals with calm genetics. It is best to teach animals when they are young on appropriate interactions with people. Never, Never play butting games with a bull calf and never encourage a colt to push up against you. The animals need to learn to respect your space and that you will pet or feed on your terms. Only offer feed when the animal respects your space. Scratch bulls under the chin, on the withers and on the rear end. Scratching cattle on the forehead encourages butting. Horses should be rubbed on the withers and forehead. The effect of rubbing on the forehead is different in horses and cattle. Try positive reinforcement first. Stroke the animal when he is not pushy and instantly withdraw stroking if he starts getting pushy. You should also teach the animal to get back when you ask him too. Stroking is more effective than patting. Stroking is more like the natural licking of a mother animal. Horses have a nibbling, grooming behavior that is too rough for tender human skin. Your horse has to learn that he cannot do his natural horse behavior on you. If he tries to nibble, try instantly withdrawing stroking. Your timing must be quick so that he will make the association. Try withdrawal of positive reinforcement first before resorting to punishment.
Question: Should I imprint train my foals?
Answer: Some foal imprint training methods are too rough and may traumatize foals with a nervous, excitable temperament. I prefer a more gentle approach. If the mare is tame, one can usually start petting a foal within 2 or 3 days. Do not try to sneak up on it. When you are petting the mare, just casually reach over and pet the foal. Soon you should be able to touch the foal all over. This can be done even if the horses are out in a pasture. Avoid little tickle touches; they scare the animal. Stroke the foal with a firm stroke in the areas where the mare licks it. After the foal starts to like this, gradually move to other parts of its body until you can touch it all over. When it accepts body touching all over, stroke the legs and gently pick up the feet.
Question: How do I get my horse to stop pawing when I feed him or get him to stop hitting the stall door with his front foot before I let him out?
Answer: This behavior occurs because the owner does not realize that they may be rewarding bad behavior. To stop pawing, wait until the horse stops then give him the feed or open the door. Gradually increase the time that he must stay still to get the feed. At first feed or open the door when the horse stops pawing for a few moments. Your timing must be right. Open the door before he starts pawing again. Gradually increase the time he must stand still before you open the door.
While rejecting the official claims of “sufficient production”, the processors/dealers here said they still considerably depended on the supplies from outside.
“Valley gets good supplies from various places like Uttar Pradesh, Amritsar, Gurdaspora, Ferozpora, Sa ala and many parts of Punjab,” they said.
“There is no doubt that the production in the Valley over the years has considerably increased, but to say we are self sufficient is not right,” said president, Kashmir Chamber of Food Processing Industries, Zain-ul-Abideen.
He said the Valley processors, both in organized and unorganized sectors, imported huge quantity of milk from Punjab and other places.
Abideen said the dairy sector had a huge potential in the Valley. “With a population of about 60 lakh souls in Kashmir we daily need over 18 lakh kgs of milk. This shows the dairy ventures could do a good business in Kashmir provided they are encouraged and promoted,” he added.
“The quantity of milk we collect locally varies according to the season. In winter we are able to collect only 20 per cent of the milk locally, and rest we procure from Punjab. In summers however we get 70 per cent locally,” he added.
Experts opine:
The cattle rearing people in the Valley complain that their animals produce less milk in winter because of cold. They have little heating facilities.
Old breed of cows need to be replaced with new high yielding breeds. Kashmir cow produces 5 to 8 liters of milk a day which can be replaced by high yielding breeds which give 20 to 25 liters of milk per day.
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