practical farming solutions… #3

…in Southern Norway…

walking the calf…

Since we do keep calves in limited-sized indors enclosures, calf boxes, for the first few days or weeks, we normally take them for short walks now and then. By “short walk” I mean walking and running around in the farm yard and up and down the farm roads for half an hour or so, and this walk serves several purposes.

A calf needs exercise to get its body in shape, its spirit high and to keep its digestive system in good order. That a calf is jumping up and down in a small box helps a lot and shows the calf is in good spirit, but exercising in such a small space simply isn't enough.

If a calf shows signs of diarrhea, then it definitely should be taken for frequent walks in addition to having an electrolytic stabilizer added to the milk it's fed. The exact medication/cure may vary with the case, but providing the calf with the ability to exercise is important.

Having trained a calf to walk and run somewhat orderly around in a leash, is also quite useful later when single animals must be controlled and lead between enclosures. Once a calf has learned both to obey and trust the person holding the end of an 8 meter rope, it will tend to do so even when there's no rope holding it.

The person – usually the farmer but in our case most often the farm-assistant – becomes the calf's best friend, and trying to keep up with a running calf provides at least as good exercise as taking a dog for a quick walk – for the person. Remember: a 3 week old calf is at least as heavy and strong as a large dog, and it'll only grow bigger and stronger.

part of training…

A calf need to learn what it should and should not do and where it can and cannot go, and when we humans take over the role as teachers we better be able to put some force behind the lessons. Cows use their size, weight and speed to control their own and other calves while teaching them good manners. We humans are simply to weak, slow and lightweight in many situations, so the leash/rope and training come handy.

Now, attaching a rope to a cow's collar and expect to be able to pull her along against her will, is most often futile. A cow is simply too heavy and strong, so a more proper headgear that allows us to control her force is necessary. We also need a strong rope.

It is usually much easier to skip the rope and just walk in front of the cow and tell her to follow. If she's well trained and trusting she'll do just that.

sincerely  georg; sign

Hageland 16.jul.2008
last rev: 20.jul.2008

practical farming solutions…

…trying to keep up with a running calf provides at least as good exercise as taking a dog for a quick walk…
— Georg


farming…
…2008