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Post by shakybob on Apr 10, 2008 18:35:08 GMT -5
What would be the measurements for Dexters? How do people work starting with calves and the size difference between them them and adults? Do you need different sizes? I guess what I am getting at is I want to start feeding the girls in stanchions just to get them used to it but don't know how to work the size difference in them now and when they get older.
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Post by darbyfamily on Apr 10, 2008 20:04:32 GMT -5
wondering if you could make three sizes and then move them up, up, up the sizes as they grow? How many cows are you talking about? or if you could do sliding brackets with wingnuts... Im thinking, like the sliders on the sides of drawers in the kitchen, or something similar for doors?
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Post by shakybob on Apr 10, 2008 20:13:53 GMT -5
We have 2 calves, and I don't know much about stachions so I don't know if you can make them movable.
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Post by davendahlonega on Apr 11, 2008 23:29:22 GMT -5
The open stanchion measurement will depend on whether your girl is polled or horned. My girls are both horned and I had to make the open measurement (18 inches) a little wider than I first thought. When closed it should be 8 inches. I would make the height 5 feet in case you ever wanted to milk something besides a Dexter. You can make the stall part about 30 inches wide.
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Post by davendahlonega on Apr 12, 2008 16:54:53 GMT -5
That's true at the head gate, but trying to get them to stick their head in the milk stanchion the first time was a little easier when they could get their horns through with less contortions. Once they get used to eating there closing it down to 7''-8" holds them there.
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lsg
member
Posts: 247 
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Post by lsg on Apr 18, 2008 18:30:44 GMT -5
A cow may not be able to swing around as far in a stanchion; but she can still move from side to side, especially during AI. I know because I have AI'd a lot of our milk cows in the stanchion. If you are going to AI, save yourself a broken arm and put the cow in a holding chute or fasten her in the corner and tie a gate next to her, to keep her from swinging side-to-side. I like a stanchion for milking, because you can usually just close it while the cow is eating. In order to tie a cow to stand, she has to first be halter broken. Our first milk cow was broke to stand tied and I broke my little Dexter to stand tied before I got my new milking parlor. It is just whatever works best for you and what you have to work with.  |
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Post by davendahlonega on Apr 19, 2008 0:03:29 GMT -5
lsg, I guess I was wwwrong about the closed width of the stanchion. The first day I put my still prego heifer in it and closed it she went nuts the first time. She got her horns upside down sideways and got out! lol I am not sure how she did it, but, she did. I have since narrowed it to about 5Inches and nobody has escaped since.
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