Wild Heifer

Last night we milked a first-calf heifer. I always hate having to train them to the milking barn; you never know what they will be like. Well, this one, #63, came into the barn easily enough, and I cleaned and dipped her.

Then hubby put the milker on her and things started going downhill. She said; "Hey, somethin's got hold on me and I don't like it." So she started lunging and kicking around.

Hubby put the kick-stopper on her, but even that didn't help. Suddenly she was lunging and kicking around anyway. She did this little hop-and-lash-out trick with her hindquarters and caught hubby on the bicep with her hoof. It knocked him backward a couple of feet. He didn't even know what had hit him, but I saw it happen. It freaked me out because it looked like she'd caught him on the chest. It just happened so fast there was no time to do anything but ask if he was OK.

He is OK, but he has a nice black goose-egg on his left arm.

Comments

Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
October 7, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Donna. W said…
That comment deleted was me... I forgot I was signed onto my husband's account. ROFL.

I've had a few scuffles with first-calf heifers myself. The people I bought my Bonnie from had handled her udder area ever since she was a calf, so she was well-trained.
October 7, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Solomon said…
Good to hear he's OK. I often think about cows being such placid creatures. Apparently I'm wrong.

I can't say I blame her for not liking the milking machine, though. :D
October 8, 2009 at 3:33 PM
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