UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Dairy producers interested
in better fanning efficiency and
improving herd health may want
to consider docking their cows'
tails, according to a veterinarian in
Penn State’s College of Agricul
tural Sciences.
Larry Hutchinson, professor of
veterinary science, said removing
two-thirds of a cow’s tail a
practice called “docking’’
catching on in Pennsylvania as
producers with large herds change
over to parrallel milking parlors.
In parallel parlors, milking
equipment is attached between the
And Checking It Twice
For goof-proof gift giving, or to add to your own collection, check out our authentic
Ford Tractor and New Holland equipment toy replicas.
These die-cast replicas, designed with dose attention to detail, look just like their
big brothers. And, like their big brothers, they're made to last.
- Bring along your holiday list and wrap up your shopping fast... with toys from
New Holland.
ALL STANDARD TOYS & FARM SETS UP TO 30% OFF
MWHOOMD
Docking Dairy Cow Tails Becoming Popular
cow’s hind legs, and the animal’s
tail becomes an obstacle to effi
cient milking.
‘The tail is not just a physical
obstacle,’’ Hutchinson said.
“There also are sanitary con
siderations during milking. The
tail’s ‘switch’ the long-haired
end of the tail is not clean, and
it can contaminate the milking
equipment, the cow’s teats and the
hands of the person doing the
milking.*’
Hutchinson said more Pennsyl
vania dairy producers are switch
ing from herringbone milking par
lors to parallel configurations as
is
LANCASTER FORD
TRACTORS. INC.
RL 741 Just Off Rt 253, Lancaster, PA 17601
Phone (717) 569-7063
For Service that Does Not Stop
.At A Sales Promise
their herds expand.
“I’ve seen several producers
who still use herringbone parlors
dock their cows’ tails as well,” he
said. “They feel the cows remain
cleaner, and milking is easier.”
Hutchinson explained that a
cow’s tail often can be the dirtiest
part of the animal. The tail often is
dropped into the milking gutter,
manure or mud. When the cow
swings its tail, mud and filth are
sprayed onto her back, onto the
udder or into the face of the person
milking the cow.
“One of the biggest questions
about tail docking is how the cow
l£W HOLLAND
can control flies without a tail,”
Hutchinson said. “In reality, the
cow’s tail is pretty ineffective fly
control. In fact, when a cow flicks
a manure-laden tail onto its back,
it tends to attract more flies.”
Hutchinson emphasized that
farmers who choose to dock their
cows’ tails must be extra vigilant
about fly control and cleanliness.
“A cow with a docked tail can
get just as dirty, if she is lying in
manure and mud,” Hutchinson
said. Tailless cows should be
kept in clean and dry areas, and
farmers should take fly control as
a serious responsibility.”
Cows can have their tails surgi
cally removed by a veterinarian,
or producers can remove the tail
by using elastrators, rubber bands
that are placed aroung the tail, cut
ting off circulation to the remain
ing part.
“The tail will fall off within two
to four weeks,” Hutchinson said.
“It’s better for the cows if the tails
arc docked within the first few
months of life, because the blood
vessels in the tail arc less devel
oped in young calves. But you can
use this method on adult cows as
well.”
Hutchinson suggested that pro
ducers who have no experience in
docking tails should consult with
their veterinarian for a recom-
MILK
Where's your mustache 7
iNiMDycme^
Whole Me
tarting j
UJfUP
The perfect partner for wagons. Choose c V Qto
your crop residue auger unloading ...
management system gB5 bushel capacities
Sizes 4 to 16 rows
farm-Rlte, lnc- w ms 3
®£SS-f W 9-453-9480
mended docking procedure.
Hutchinson said studies have
shown that cows experience little
stress when their tails are docked
using the clastrator method.
“There arc no observable signs of
stress or pain, and cortisol an
enzyme that indicates pain levels
remains unchanged," he said.
Hutchinson recommended leav
ing one-third of the tail. For young
heifers, that means placing the
band approximately two finger
widths below the calf s vulva. For
older heifers and cows, place the
band two hand-widths below the
vulva.
"Cutting the tail too short may
result in vaginal infections,"
Hutchinson said. “If it is cut too
long, the tail can act as a club. It
can knock a person unconscious
or flick equipment out of the
hands of a farmer.”
Hutchinson pointed out that the
remaining stub is large enough to
hold onto when restraining a cow.
It also can be moved aside easily
during insemination, lessening the
chance of contamination.
“Many producers, particularly
those who show cattle,, choose not
to dock tails,” he said. “As pro
ducers seek more efflcient me
thods, the practice probably will
become more common in the next
decade or two.”