working stockdogs on milkcows

[MARISTELA]

I would like to know if any of you work or know anyone who works with BC on milkcows. I was told they get to stressed and it can jeopardize the milk produktion.

Can anyone give me some advice?

 

thanks a lot

 

Maristela

[juliepoudrier]

Maristela,

I know a number of people who use border collies to bring the cows in to the milking parlor, etc. Just yesterday as I was driving down the road I saw two men herding a bunch of Holstein toward the barn and thought, hmmm...they could use a border collie.

 

Anyway, the littermate to one of my dogs, as well as a half brother, work on a dairy farm (the farmer liked the first dog so much he asked the breeder to repeat the breeding so he could get another).

 

In general, though, the dairy cattle want to go to the barn, so unless the dog is a menace to them (ripping and tearing), I don't see why it would stress them too much to use a dog.

 

I know another man who buys bottle calves at auction, raises them to breeding age, and then sells them to dairymen as replacements. Although he doesn't routinely work the cattle with his dogs, when he needs to move them or load them on a trailer, he uses a dog to do so. And again, it's in his best interest not to stress the cattle, since they won't bring him as much money if they have been poorly used by the dogs.

 

That said, I wouldn't start a pup on my dairy herd unless I knew what I was doing or could send it along with my older trained dog (which, incidentally is how the first farmer I mentioned trained his--by working the young dogs with the older trained dogs).

 

J.

[kimkathan]

We work dogs on diary cows, primarly to bring them in from the field, and pushing them around the ally ways. As long as the dog is quiet and not harassing them or gives a deserves nip and then resumes on, then there dosen't seem to be a major decrease in milk production. If the cows were getting harrassed or stressed, then it is seen (like when the coyotes are around at night) When training a dog to work dairy cattle, we start them on larger calves and then move onto young hefiers, then on to controled ally work on a long line, then with out, then out to the field. Just keeps the situation under control.

[TWDQueen]

We don't have a problem with our dairy cows and our BC. In fact, the cows tend to ignore the dog unless we tell him to nip/easy bite the cow who's being stubborn. We actually started him on the milkers and he easily learned the routine and is quite the help! He is a bit more aggressive with the young stock and we usually have to call him back b/c he gets them too nerved up. But as far as milk production, having a BC around them hasn't seemed to decrease it. Hope this helps!

[MARISTELA]

I want to thank you all for the valuable advice.

I will keep on training my dog for dairy cows then. I thought I would have to give up the idea.

 

Thanks again!

[Peg Haese]

Maristela, a lot of dairy farms here in Wisconsin (America's Dairyland) use Border collies or other stock dogs to move the cows. Your dog should learn the twice-a-day (or 3X) routine quickly and be a big help. Cows are smart enough to cooperate with a good dog they already know, and not get stressed.

 

Peg Haese and Border collies in SW Wisconsin, USA

PNP Katahdins

[Jennifer Glen]

Maristela,

If the training process is stressing your cows, then maybe you should train your dog on some cows that are not being milked right now. Then when the dog is trained and has the routine with no rough stuff you could put her back on your milking cows. We have a big modern dairy by us and they use their dogs on them all the time. They don't worry about the stress either. I sometimes think they shoud take it easy because the dogs are a little rough but apparently they are not worried.

Jenny Glen