What To Do Before Your Cow Gives Birth

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What do you do with a very pregnant cow that isn’t used to being touched and you are bound and determined to milk her?

I finished a part of the electric fencing and must have been running on a high. As soon as this was finished I said “I'm ready for cows.” Not just any cow, however. A dairy cow. I already had a heifer and a steer that I had been picketing on pasture all summer while waiting for the fence to be built.

I went searching for a Jersey. Preferably one that was already pregnant.

Because I wanted milk and I wanted it now.

And I found one! No, I found two. The family on craigslist was offering a good deal if we took both of them so one rainy Friday morning my grandpa and I drove 3 hours across the state line to bring home two pregnant cows.

The New Girls

Mocha is the older of the two. She had a dark face and legs and a short tail. She is sweet and gentle. Content to mind her own business but she is most definitely at the top of the hierarchy. Mocha is very, very pregnant. She looks the way I felt the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I went to get a picture for this post and couldn’t get one. I think she might be in the early stages of labor. Stay tuned for part 2!

Honey is just a few months younger than Mocha. Light tan all over with a white t on her forehead, Honey is sassy with a bit of spunk. She is more suspicious than the others. However, she still ranks on top after Mocha. The ladies came in and put Jenny in her place rather quickly.

Both of these girls came to us skittish. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I, a female, wear flowing dresses and the farmer before was male. But regardless, I can not touch them.

“Tie them for a few days, they'll tame right down,” I was told. Easier said than done when I can't catch them! So we have been employing a slightly slower method.

“Quotable Quote”

— SimplyLivingHomestead.com

Preparing the Barn

The week before the girls came to our farm we were preparing their barn. Under the impression that Mocha was days away from giving birth, I wanted everything ready. But what does a pregnant cow need when the time comes for them to give birth? And what if you want the fresh, creamy milk she gives?

A Clean Space

Our farm has an old barn that was set up for a dairy. By old barn I mean it was built in the twenties. My great grandparents milked 6 cows every day. And the barn is set up with stanchions to hold them. When my parents moved on to the farm, milking was not on their radar and so the barn became a place where unused things go to die. This is what I came upon when I decided to start homesteading.

If you are not blessed with an old dairy barn on your Homestead fret not. The only thing that you really need is a clean space. It could be a tree out in the middle of your pasture, it doesn't really matter as long as it's clean.

If I didn't have this barn, I personally would still want a stanchion. A place to lock their head can make a big difference on how the milking experience goes later on.

Supplies before birth

You don't need a lot of supplies for your pregnant cow before she gives birth. At this point she will act like any other cow, eating grass, and lounging around chewing her cud.

However, if your cow is not very tame like mine, There are a few things that you can have on hand to make the process goes a little smoother.

Halter - A halter will be very helpful when you teach her to stand still.

Rope - Preferably one with a clasp on the end, a rope can be used to tie her to the tree or post, or at the very least, lead her around.

Treats - Figuring out what your cow likes best will make a world of difference in how long it takes to train her. If you can find something that she loves to eat, you can shake it in the bottom of a bucket and she will come running. It will also make her more eager to come and stand in the spot that you want her to be in.

Brush - If your goal is to have a cow that is used to your touch, a stiff brush is helpful in working towards that. Cows have lots of itches, and if you can find the right places to scratch and brush she might just become your buddy for life!

Preparing the Cows

So now you have a halter and rope, treats and a brush, what do you do next?

Spend time with them

The very 1st key to taming any animal is just simply to spend time with them. This can seem hard to do especially if you have other obligations on your homestead, but trust me it's very important. It doesn't have to be for long periods of time but try to go out a couple of times a day to get them used to your voice and being around you.

If you have the time take a chair and sit out in the field with a bucket of treats beside you. Cows are curious by nature, if you sit out there long enough, though wonder why. If you have them already trained to the sound of treats in a bucket, you can shake the bucket and they will come to find out why it's there. The only caveat to this is if you already have a friendly cow she might come and eat all of your treats before the others have a chance to get curious enough to get close.

Jenny, our bossy heifer coming to see if I have any treats for her.

If you're able, isolate this cow away from the others or isolate the shy cow into another pen.

Another important note when trying to make a cow curious is to not sit in to big of a field. The smaller of an area that you are in the more likely that they will be forced to investigate. Rather than just running away to the other side of the field and waiting until you leave.

Let them learn to know the surroundings

If your plan is to milk outside under a tree or tied to a post they may already be very familiar with the area. If you're having them come into a barn or shed, then chances are they are going to have to get used to it. A few weeks to a month before they are to give birth, Start putting feed into the stanchion so that they will come and get used to that area. If your cow is especially timid, don't even lock the stanchion bars the first few days. Let them learn to trust the area where get their feed. If you don't wish to feed grain, alfalfa pellets also work here.

Start touching them

After they have gotten used to you and used to their surroundings, it's time to lock them into place and start touching them.

Go slow and watch their body language. You don't want a stressed-out cow.
Always approach the cow from an angle that they can see you.
Talk to them softly and let them know what you are going to do.

It isn't going to hurt them to learn to stand and not pull against an unmoving object. After a few days, they will come to respect the area in which you have put them.

Patience

Above all else have patience. The first few days you start working with them, are going to be incredibly frustrating. I know because I'm in the middle of it right now! They aren't going to want to move. They aren't going to want to come back.

Keep at it. Keep trying. If you are consistent she will learn to trust you.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey to taming your own milk cow! I would love to hear how it's going for you. Comment below or reach out to me on Instagram!

Happy Homesteading!