Report on Cherry Blossom

So, it has been a few days now that I have been working with our Irish Dexter cow, Cherry Blossom, so she will get used to getting up on our new milking stantion and hopefully to start being milked.

Cherry Blossom, although not overly friendly, is very food motivated. On tuesday (day 1), I simply opened the gate inside the barn that opens into the area in the barn that has the stantion, shook her feed bowl and Blossom walked right up onto the stantion (which is about 10 inches off the floor). She put her head right through the head gate and ate her grain. That is all I did the first day. I didn't even lock the head gate.

On day 2 Blossom was more hesitent then the day before for some reason but in the end still couldn't pass up the grain. Once in the stantion I brushed her and rubbed my hand over her udder a few times. So far so good.

On day 3 I closed the head gate there by locking her into the stantion. Blossom did not like this and struggled a bit before calming down to eat her hay. Brushed her agian and this morning I actually expressed milk from one quarter! Yeah!

On day 4 Blossom was better about the head gate but when I tried to milk her she kicked at me.

Today is day 5 and Blossom did not come up to the barn this morning. Riona, our other Irish Dexter who is due with her first calf sometime this fall has been watching Blossom over the past few days and was more then happy to hop up on the stantion to eat her grain this morning! Riona is quite friendly and enjoyed being brushed while eating her breakfast.

Well, I was hoping to be getting some milk by now but I guess I should except small steps. I will just hope that Blossom decides to come back up to the barn tomorrow.