Trimming cows tails

locky76

What do people use on here, i raided the kitchen today for scissors and wrecked three of them before i gave up.
I do it before housing to stop them having a half stone of dung hanging off their tail.

Rovi

We used to use a mains powered cattle clipper, something along the lines of this:
http://www.magentadirect.ie/proddetail.php?prod=CATTLECLIPPERS

We'd pretty much completely shave the tail, left them lovely and tidy (and clean!) for the winter.


Did the same for suckler cows too

blue5000

I use the old dear's best dressmaking:eek: wilkinson sword scissors! The one with the orange handles Works better on a wet day too, bit of lubrication......

kenny d

Dock the tails as heifers and problem solved.

Bizzum

Usually a stanley knife. Sometimes a scissors.

LivInt20

locky76 wrote: »

What do people use on here, i raided the kitchen today for scissors and wrecked three of them before i gave up.
I do it before housing to stop them having a half stone of dung hanging off their tail.

Hand shears

Min

A scissors.

Rovi

kenny d wrote: »

Dock the tails as heifers and problem solved.

We docked tails for a few years and then gave it up.
While it certainly meant the cows were relatively clean over the winter, I never liked the aesthetics of it, and we had to take on the job of protecting them from flies during the summer/autumn.
It was ultimately easier to shave the tails at housing time, and we had less mastitis.

And the cows looked better too.

foundation10

Sheep shears (hand)

mjcom4d

Saggitaurs

knotknowbody

foundation10 wrote: »

Sheep shears (hand)

+1, great job for clipping the tails.

Bizzum

mjcom4d wrote: »

Saggitaurs

Is this a star sign? or a set of Secateurs:)

bob charles

kenny d wrote: »

Dock the tails as heifers and problem solved.

Is this not an illegal practice now?

We clip every animal that comes in all year round with a Fiskar's, usually lasts around 6 months, then it falls, gets stood on etc. Have tried lots over time and these for me are the best at reasonable price

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FISKARS-NON-STICK-GENERAL-PURPOSE-21CM-SCISSORS-/190429898670?pt=UK_Crafts_Sewing_Supplies_MJ&hash=item2c5681a7ae#ht_769wt_754

Rovi

bob charles wrote: »

Is this not an illegal practice now?

It is indeed:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/si/0263.html

S.I. No. 263/2003 — Protection of Animals Kept For Farming Purposes Act 1984 (Bovine Animals) (Prohibition on Tail Docking) Regulations 2003

2.(1) A person shall not remove or mutilate or cause or permit another person to remove or mutilate the tail or part of the tail of a bovine animal.

[MOD]So let's not advocate that practice any further.[/MOD]

In my own case as mentioned above (post #8), we did it back during the mid 80's.

Kovu

locky76 wrote: »

What do people use on here, i raided the kitchen today for scissors and wrecked three of them before i gave up.
I do it before housing to stop them having a half stone of dung hanging off their tail.

Hate to be laughed at but we use a machete. We also use it to open bales. Great job to scare off people!

Kovu

Karen112 wrote: »

Hate to be laughed at but we use a machete. We also use it to open bales. Great job to scare off people!

\

Not ta feckin' dock them, but we have quiet enough animals to 'skim' them. So while they're at the barrier eating, we do the tails. (Hold and slash method)

whelan1

a good pair of scissors- that have gone missing from the hiding place i had them in

jeff greene

Scissors or I might plug in the trimmers. I have older cows that are docked and I gotta say its a great job. Don't do that anymore, illegal. Anyone have the attachment for a battery drill?

Tipp Man

The f##ker that banned tail docking should be put milking cows with long tails for a few months - he wouldn't be long about unbanning it then

Tipp Man

jeff greene wrote: »

Scissors or I might plug in the trimmers. I have older cows that are docked and I gotta say its a great job. Don't do that anymore, illegal. Anyone have the attachment for a battery drill?

Saw the drill attachment at the ploughing at thought it was a brilliant idea - it looked to be perfect for the job. Went up to the girl asked a couple of questions, was just about to stick the hand in the pocket when we asked the price

450 bloody euro for it, I nearly dropped in front of her. A brilliant idea but a pure rob at that price

5live

jeff greene wrote: »

Scissors or I might plug in the trimmers. I have older cows that are docked and I gotta say its a great job. Don't do that anymore, illegal. Anyone have the attachment for a battery drill?

Yeah i bought one 2 years ago. Fantastic job. You need a good battery drill with it though and a spare battery. 400 yoyos but i didnt have a choice but get something like it. I clip 4 times a year now

49801

foundation10 wrote: »

Sheep shears (hand)

knotknowbody wrote: »

+1, great job for clipping the tails.

+2

leg wax

the very first thing i bought when i took over the dairy farm was a elec clippers and still have it,love doing the sucklers when going in for the winter.

jerdee

i bought a cheap one from ebay 75.00 something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-320W-SHEEP-GOATS-SHEARING-CLIPPER-SHEARS-RRP-799-/320765501913?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aaf1d21d9


expected it to burn and die after a year or so ......still going strong five years later and do all my cows tails and heads ...my ten sheep every year and the occaisonal dog althou my little wire haired terrier flies off when she sees me plugging it in....doesn t like the noise ......replacement blades also available but only sold in shops in aussie....lots of lads out there now to bring some home for me....

Min

I am happy tail docking was banned.

They have tails for a reason.

jeff greene

Min wrote: »

I am happy tail docking was banned.

They have tails for a reason.

They have horns for a reason too, just saying. Tails are not very efficient are keeping flies off. Not condoning it by the way, I have older cows here and I prefer them, alot cleaner.

whelan1

went on a farm walk last year and the cows tails where down to the ground, covered in crap, now 2 minutes cuts a tail , pure laziness, imagine the muck on yourself and the cows udder ....

mayo_lad

Tipp Man wrote: »

The f##ker that banned tail docking should be put milking cows with long tails for a few months - he wouldn't be long about unbanning it then

i would be quite the oppsit on that having your cows docked give's you no warning when you need to get away from there tail fast


i find the easest way to do it is with an eletric cattle shears although expencive at the start it pay's of in the long term

5live

mayo_lad wrote: »

i would be quite the oppsit on that having your cows docked give's you no warning when you need to get away from there tail fast


i find the easest way to do it is with an eletric cattle shears although expencive at the start it pay's of in the long term

How do you keep them free from water and crap on the plug when using it though

sh1tstirrer

Bizzum wrote: »

Usually a stanley knife.

Now that could be dangerous for both man and beast.

mayo_lad

5live wrote: »

How do you keep them free from water and crap on the plug when using it though

keep it pluged in high in the parlor and it will stay clean

you could also put the lead and plug in a mannure bag and tie the top of it closed

simx

foundation10 wrote: »

Sheep shears (hand)

x2;)

weefarmer

Has anyone seen/used the garlic licks? Great job for keeping away flies! The cows be stinkin of it

mjcom4d

Bizzum wrote: »

mjcom4d wrote: »

Saggitaurs

Is this a star sign? or a set of Secateurs:)

Secateurs

Min

jeff greene wrote: »

They have horns for a reason too, just saying. Tails are not very efficient are keeping flies off. Not condoning it by the way, I have older cows here and I prefer them, alot cleaner.

A tail won't gore you.

They are more efficient than a docked tail :P

dar31

with out detouring to much where can you get clipper blades sharpened

Bactidiaryl

sheep shears +4, and very therapeutic for the person.

49801

any1 have sharpening tips for these?

if you can justify the drill attachment or a electric clippers obviously speeds the job up a little.

leg wax

weefarmer wrote: »

Has anyone seen/used the garlic licks? Great job for keeping away flies! The cows be stinkin of it

will they stop them getting summer mastitis,

keep going

do ye do em all one day or pick off a few every day for a couple of weeks

jeff greene

keep going wrote: »

do ye do em all one day or pick off a few every day for a couple of weeks

Over a few milkings here, satisfying job.

dar31

have to start on them this week, take a few days to do them.
need to do freeze bands as well, dirty job in the pit, all the short hairs falling down on top of ya, prefare to spent a bit of time and do FB in crush

feckin day gone again!!

Alot of different views and opinions above....love the one about 'not getting gored with a tail'!!! Witty anyway.. Cows do have tails for a reason and rightly so. How hard is it to clip the tails twice a year? Not hard at all and as others have said, its a very satisfying job. Electric clippers ate available for 300-350 euro and thats not alot over a year or two. Throw a bit of meal at the feeding barrier on a bit of silage and clip away. Even easier if you have an interlocking barrier or else stand on something in the parlour (saves getting hairs all over you). I clip their udders too. They are cleaner, easier to wipe before milking and more hygenic all round. Happy Clipping!!!:D

LostCovey

49801 wrote: »

any1 have sharpening tips for these?

if you can justify the drill attachment or a electric clippers obviously speeds the job up a little.

You need to hone them on an oilstone. I used to watch my father doing it as a kid. It is an acquired skill, and hard to describe.

Whatever you do, don't grind them like the american guy in the demo you will get on youtube, it will destroy them.

The edge needs to be flat, like a scissors, not bevelled like a knife,

LC