Any tips to help when mixing cows?

[Sir loin]

I am currently calving my heifers (batch of 10) and remove one when calved only to replace her a couple of days later and bloody hell fireworks you would think they had never clapped eyes on them before. Any tips on how you replace or mix your cows/heifers?

 

[Lincs Lass]

Put them in at night ,in the dark when they cant see each other ,,works with chickens

 

[applejack]

Buy some cheap white vinegar and pour down the back line, was told this by someone certainly helped when I used to switch dairy cows between groups.

 

[welger]

I am currently calving my heifers (batch of 10) and remove one when calved only to replace her a couple of days later and bloody hell fireworks you would think they had never clapped eyes on them before. Any tips on how you replace or mix your cows/heifers?

All ways stand with them for a while to stop them fighting

 

[tr250]

Like musical chairs round our yard at calving they get so they don’t care. When I was younger and dad was still milking we had a small suckler herd of about 20 cows they were a nightmare for fighting now we have 230 we could have 10 or 15 calve a day they hardly take any notice.

 

[M-J-G]

Put them in walk away, if they don't have horns they'll be fine.

 

[M-J-G]

Put them in at night ,in the dark when they cant see each other ,,works with chickens

Cows can see in the dark though

 

[Werzle]

Mine fight even if they have been penned in the corner of the shed for a day or two

 

[abitdaft]

As long as fettle is fine ( no horns and enough room ) they should be able to sort it out themselves, as @M-J-G said just walk away, it feels worse when you watch and you end up bellowing at them which has zero effect anyway.

 

[Optimus]

Been told apple cider vinegar works well on their backs.we just pen up all small calves and let the cows do their thing.

 

[Flatlander]

was in a local Walmart one day and a friend from the local Hutterite colony was there with a whole trolly full of baby powder. He looked a little embarrassed but after he told me they use it when mixing groups of piglet’s when weaned off to stop tail biting and fighting. He’s a big strong man,would never of taken him fir a pig powderer.lol

 

[Vader]

I am currently calving my heifers (batch of 10) and remove one when calved only to replace her a couple of days later and bloody hell fireworks you would think they had never clapped eyes on them before. Any tips on how you replace or mix your cows/heifers?

We don't.... all stay together.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Put them in just as you feed them. Keep them busy eating

 

[Sid]

Put them in just as you feed them. Keep them busy eating

That's what we do with the milkers.

Usually it's the top cow that been out of the herd that causes the most fighting when she goes back in

 

[Bill the Bass]

Either feeding them or run them outside into a bigger pen for ten minutes then put them back into one pen. Tried vinegar but it didn’t really work. Seen my father stand in a pen with a blue stick hitting the worst perpetrator - that never ended well either.

I reckon the cows will be fine it’s the little calves that the issue is with, have seen me pen them up for ten minutes to keep them out of the way, but sometimes that can be worse too.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Had an afternoon moving and sorting in calf cows, close at cows, cows and little calves. All jumbled up and not had one fight between cows? Mostly continental crosses. Only bit of excitement was the cow and 5 day old calf when the cow chased our kid up the straw stack.