any tips on getting a heifer to have a calf?

[hally]

Humm, I wouldnt know where to start skinning, a sharp knife maybe?

Just takes 5mins with practice but only way

 

[Philip Watkins]

That is really ingenious but how on earth did you come to think of it

I think some slaughter houses do this with lambs. Skin off with no knife marks.

 

[M-J-G]

Skinning is made much easier if you hang the calf from a loader by its back legs and pump it full of air. Just cut a small enough hole in the skin for the nozzle of a blow gun to fit. Gently inflate just under the skin. Still not a pleasant job but made a little easier.

It was suggested on here a couple of years ago.
I tried that twice last year, but found that it didn't really make much difference. Maybe I did it wrong. It maybe doesn't help that I let the cow keep the calf for maybe 12 hours or so to bond with the smell, so it's completely cold by the time I skin them.

 

[hally]

Tried it a couple of times but did not find it that much quicker than a Stanley knife with a new blade

 

[Archie]

We always skin them never had any success without the skin on but nearly 100% with the skin. Yet I don't have any success skinning a lamb for some reason and don't know what the difference is

Same here. Never tried a calf without skinning but never ever skinned a lamb.

Usually find 2 days is long enough with the skin on. They start to sweat and get smelly after that but most cows will have accepted them in that time anyway.