Tagging new born suckler calves.

[CharcoalWally]

Genuine question. If you cut the long hair from a cows tail does it regrow? I cut a chunk of long hair off the tail of my donkey several years ago and it never did regrow and even itself up. Is that just an equine peculiarity?

Yes, it regrows. Pretty quickly too . After a few months you'll see a fair difference.

 

[Alicecow]

It just grows again.I used to cut the long hair below the tail tip off my dairy cows to stop getting a sh!tty tail in the face or on my wrists and arms whilst milking,especially during the spring flush.

Ok. Thanks

 

[Roy_H]

We used to do ours at 1 day old. Years ago I remember a certain Ms. 'Jobsworth' from MAFF ( I bet many a farmer from The North of England know who I mean) used to say to us "Tag 'em when they drop" (Out of the cow) Well that would be a bit too soon I guess!

 

[simgirl]

We trim the cows tails & ears every year when they come in, keeps them cleaner & easier to read tags. Hang over from the dairy. We also do the yearlings tails, makes them look squarer on the backend to sell. ( or is that all in the mind!)

 

[Alicecow]

So what is the best tool for trimming tails? Seen things advertised that fit onto drill. Or just scissors? Maybe my scissors were just not sharp enough when you tried it, or maybe the hair is just super tough? Also, how do you keep them from snatching their tail out of your hands as you trim, if you are not an octopus?

 

[Alicecow]

We used to do ours at 1 day old. Years ago I remember a certain Ms. 'Jobsworth' from MAFF ( I bet many a farmer from The North of England know who I mean) used to say to us "Tag 'em when they drop" (Out of the cow) Well that would be a bit too soon I guess!

The bvd guidelines here said "wait until they're dry".

 

[shearerlad]

@Alicecow I use either hand shears, jakoti shears or the cattle clippers. You just have to hold on tight!!

If I'm doing them in the winter (before AI) then I use the clippers. Takes the tail clean but by turn out there is a bit of hair to swish away flies. If doing at turn out, use shears as it leaves a bit if hair to swish!

 

[Red Fred]

We like Jakotis ever since Mrs Fred bought a pair to do her Dartmoor sheep.

 

[Henarar]

@Alicecow I use either hand shears, jakoti shears or the cattle clippers. You just have to hold on tight!!

If I'm doing them in the winter (before AI) then I use the clippers. Takes the tail clean but by turn out there is a bit of hair to swish away flies. If doing at turn out, use shears as it leaves a bit if hair to swish!

We like Jakotis ever since Mrs Fred bought a pair to do her Dartmoor sheep.

we use them as well

 

[choochter]

@Alicecow I just use scissors, sharp ones and trim the tail like you would a horse's tail.
Trim the tail head as well, if they're standing still - makes them look purrrty.

 

[Andrew1983]

I put one tag in as soon as I know calf is sucking, then second tag with management hand written info on it goes in when dehorning.

 

[Anonymous...]

We always had hand reared Angus cows , they were like pets and would stand and let us tag and ring there calfs, never had a problem....... but now we have gone with Galloways and they haven’t been handled
Calving is going to be interesting to say the least

 

[Roy_H]

We always had hand reared Angus cows , they were like pets and would stand and let us tag and ring there calfs, never had a problem....... but now we have gone with Galloways and they haven’t been handled
Calving is going to be interesting to say the least

I remember David Richardson saying that in his "Young and foolish"days he decided to set up a suckler herd using Galloways as dams..... Apparently they were absolutely crazy!

 

[Anonymous...]

I remember David Richardson saying that in his "Young and foolish"days he decided to set up a suckler herd using Galloways as dams..... Apparently they were absolutely crazy!

To be fair it cost us £71/2 k to bed and feed the Angus herd last winter , so they had to go
We have 15 Galloways and kept our whitbred shorthorn bull they live outside but have access to an open shed and a ring feeder, most of them have quietened down but we have 5 just in from a Welsh hill farm
They are fekin mental ! They are inside at the moment for TB test and that was fun and games

 

[choochter]

To be fair it cost us £71/2 k to bed and feed the Angus herd last winter , so they had to go
We have 15 Galloways and kept our whitbred shorthorn bull they live outside but have access to an open shed and a ring feeder, most of them have quietened down but we have 5 just in from a Welsh hill farm
They are fekin mental ! They are inside at the moment for TB test and that was fun and games

Get rid of them then. They will be no fun whatsoever. Put them in a store sale in December.

 

[Anonymous...]

Get rid of them then. They will be fun whatsoever. Put them in a store sale in December.

Will give them a few weeks to settle down 3 of them are now coming to a bucket of feed two just hang back a bit
To be honest after a while most cows we have ever had eventually calm down
None of them liked being walked in to a crush for testing

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Be careful. You only need one cow to turn on you and it could be game over.

I know somewhere, where, the calf needs to be tagged while the cow is still on the ground getting over calving, because as soon as she stands up, if you are not finished and out of the pen, she would try to kill you!

 

[Weasel]

I know somewhere, where, the calf needs to be tagged while the cow is still on the ground getting over calving, because as soon as she stands up, if you are not finished and out of the pen, she would try to kill you!

What breed of cow?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I know somewhere, where, the calf needs to be tagged while the cow is still on the ground getting over calving, because as soon as she stands up, if you are not finished and out of the pen, she would try to kill you!

I’d have that cow hanging by it’s heels

 

[Red Fred]

I thought our South Devons were quiet, but I mistakenly turned my back on a docile mother while tagging her calf in the water meadows and she caught me from behind. I rolled up in a ball and she rolled me the length of one of the little drainage channels across the meadow. I thought I'd had it and ended up visiting the physio for months. It was years ago but I remember the feeling of helplessness.