training to milk?

[RustyRanch]

I have a 5month prego heifer and was thinking of milking her. She is very gentle, the people before me had her in a petting zoo. The only time she has ever tried to kick at me is when I was brushing her and got a little close to her teats. So I was wondering what I should be doing with her now to get he ready for me "playing" down there? Is there any books or methods anyone suggests for this subject? I feel like a dork going to Borders and asking "do you have a book on milking a cow?"
I have milked before, so I know how to do it . I just don't know how to get a first time Mom that has never been milked ready.
Any input would be nice. She isn't due till June so I have a little bit of time.

[otf]

Try this board:

familycow.proboards32.com/index.cgi

When you said "5 month prego heifer," I thought you meant the heifer was 5 months old ...I trust you mean she's 5 months pregnant!

[lsg]

If she is already gentle, most of the battle is won. I don't recall if you mentioned if she will stand tied. You will probably either have to tie her or put her in a stanchion to milk her. I would start working with her now. Brushing her is a great start. Just keep brushing around her udder and gradually work more and more around that area until it doesn't bother her. Some first-time milkers have to have a leg tied back for a few days until they get used to being milked. I would say, just keep working with her, and by the time she calves, it won't be a shock to her delicate nature to be milked.

[wileycoyote1]

Our cows have never been milked (they were just pets), and one is VERY shy. Both are bred to deliver in March. We immediately started feeding them in the pole barn area where we will put the stanchion, and as they ate, we would scratch their backs, slowly working down to the teats and stroking them. The older one doesn't care, but the younger one is still jumpy, altho she hasn't kicked yet. We spend time with them at feed up to get them used to us being around them and against them. Once we put up the stanchion, we will feed the girls in the stanchion while stroking them and their teats, getting them used to it. By the time March comes, they should both be comfortable with the idea.

[RustyRanch]

Well all my work with her did pay off, I was able to train her to milk no problem. She didn't even have to be tied up to do it either, I could even just milk her in the field if I wanted to. She is an awesome girl. But sadly like I had said before she wasn't registered when I got her. I was just going to keep her and have her be my milk/beef maker for us. But I got in contact with a local family in the area that had a strange food allergy, corn. All the females (mom and 3 daughters) were allergic to corn, so much so that even having milk (the cow eats grain/corn) they would have a reaction. So they had purchased a registered cow that was pregnant at the time to milk her once the baby came. Well, lets just say it wasn't working out for the family with that cow. So, we got in contact and traded animals, So they now have my Miss Ethel who was from a petting zoo and gives them plenty of milk a day, and I now have their cow Minni Muffins.
I miss Ethel, but I know she is with a great family and is doing what she was intened to be, a wonderful sweet family cow.

[darbyfamily]

That is an awesome story! thanks for sharing it and for being so willing to help someone else with their dairy need