Simple ways to wean a cow from sucking milk
Self-suctioning of milk, both in home and other cows, is a common problem faced by many herders. This negatively affects the milk production of the animal. Often a bad habit occurs among young individuals. Farmers are interested in the question: how can a cow be weaned from sucking milk? Different methods are used to solve the problem.
Why is the cow doing this?
When breeding cows, it is important to take into account that it will not be easy to wean the animals from nutritious and plentiful feed. Having tasted their milk once, the cows continue to milk themselves. There are many reasons cows suck their own milk.
The genetic predisposition of the animal contributes to the eating disorder. The practice of recent years has shown the greatest tendency to blemish in dairy cows. The most common cause is underfeeding during childhood. In adulthood, the habit remains with them.
How to stop an animal from sucking its udder?
An animal that has found a source of tasty food is difficult to wean from a bad habit. Often the owners do not know what to do if the cow sucks herself.
Sometimes it is impossible to determine the reason for this behavior. The owners have to take drastic measures to eliminate it:
- The Spanish collar is a row of wooden sticks tied together with twine. The device prevents the animal from bending its neck. A few days later, the cow forgets about her vice.
- Ichthyol ointment. A product with an unpleasant and persistent odor is used to treat the udder. The only drawback is that milk takes on a smell. Some cows, despite the ointment, continue to suck milk from themselves.
- Udder cover. Everyone chooses a model, a form independently. Can be made from an old sweater or tarp.
- Rings. Spiked nasal rings are worn over the cow's nasal septum. They are made from durable plastic. It does not deform, does not break and does not allow the animal to freely consume food and water. Painful sensations from touching the udder will prevent the cow from sucking milk, and gradually she will get rid of the bad habit.
- Leather muzzle with hard wire or nails. If the animal tries to reach its udder or the udder of another animal, the nails will hurt.
How to prevent a problem from arising?
Having discovered a problem, you have to take immediate action. Cattle breeders need to rethink their cow milking routine. Do not overfill the udder with milk. It is recommended to start milking an hour or an hour and a half earlier, increasing the number of procedures up to 4-5 times a day.
Self-milk production appears in animals as a result of late weaning from their mother. Some owners prefer to feed them milk with milk themselves. Calves must not be kept older than 3 months. sucking with cows. From this age, natural and granular feed without milk is introduced into the diet of young animals. To obtain good milk yield, not only the correct diet and care of the cow is important, but also the timely prevention of self-suction of milk by animals.
