How to contain cows

Containing cows is very difficult, despite fresh milk, meat, your cottage cheese and sour cream. And now in the villages people began to give up cows. Since it has become unprofitable to do this. But still, some continue to keep the cows.

And if you plan to start a heifer on your personal economy, then, first of all, you should decide for what purpose you need it.

Cows are either bred for their milk or raised for meat.

When choosing a heifer or bull (if for meat), you should take a calf that is at least one month old.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the external data of the heifer (calf). They should be as follows: a small head, a long neck, legs – slender, thin, but rather strong, tail – long. The appendix on the tail (top) must be covered with hair and must have a length reaching the knee joints on the hind legs. Wool should not be disheveled, but smooth.

For a calf, it is necessary to prepare a shed ahead of time, in which there should be a walking yard, where it is spacious and clean.

The first time the calf should be closed in the barn in order for it to get used to and adapt to a new place of existence.

It is very important to observe the regimen in which you will feed the calf.

We will focus on the content of the chick. Gobies for meat are fed and kept in a slightly different way.

In the morning (7 hours) he needs to be given 2 liters of milk, in the afternoon (13 hours) – 1 liter of milk, plus liquid porridge from semolina or oatmeal, in the evening (20 hours) – again 2 liters of milk. In the feeder, the calf must have fresh and fragrant hay, which is changed every day or added if necessary. There should also be water near the feeder (usually they put a bucket of clean water). This regimen must be observed for two months. That is, for one feeding – no more than two liters of swill, hay – how much he can eat, introduce salt into the diet.

After two months, the diet is increased, other components and supplements are added.

The period of maturity in heifers comes in a year and a half. At this time, it is necessary to lead her to a breeding bull or to an artificial insemination point. Your task is not to miss the period of sexual hunting.

The most important moment for the heifer (inseminated heifer) is the bearing of offspring. At this time, the cow needs good feed, but at the same time, her obesity should not be allowed. You need to be careful and careful when handling it. The average period of time that includes carrying a cow calf is 285 days.

You must determine the time of the calving of the cow in time and not let her out on the pasture on such days.

Immediately after calving, it is necessary to increase the number of milkings to 5-6 times a day, instead of the usual 3-4. This is necessary in order to relieve tension and swelling from the udder, which can last from three to five days.

The milking time of a first-calf heifer is from a month to two. If earlier you milked a cow 4-5 times a day (this happens when milking heifers), then you need to switch to three times milking very carefully and carefully. Otherwise, you can harm the heifer, and milk yields will be less.

A very important moment is the milking process.

The very moment when the cow gives milk lasts only 4-6 minutes. The task of the owners is to have time to milk all the milk, using the milk allowance.

But, as a rule, in practice, with manual milking, it is very difficult and almost impossible to observe and do everything as it should be.

But the moment of preparation for milking should be carried out very clearly and quickly, within a minute. Preparation includes: washing the udder, rubbing it and lubricating the nipples with Vaseline.

And the last. It is better to milk milk not with a “pinch” but with a “fist”. This milking technique will allow less injury to the cow’s udder.