Post by willowgirl on Apr 5, 2016 4:32:13 GMT
So, we have a new heifer in the milking string who won't let down her milk unless we shoot her up with Oxytocin. Last week, I was careful to keep an eye out for her, and get her into the last or second-to-last slot in the parlor so I could lean over the back gate and give her the shot.
Today being Monday, and back-to-work day, I forgot all about her until my boss's wife, who was milking with me, pointed out that she was in the parlor and was I going to give her a shot? Of course the heifer came in right in the middle of a group, *sigh*. So I loaded the syringe and dragged out the stepladder I use when I have to give shots to the cows in the middle. Standing on the very top of the ladder, I can justttt reach over the top of backsplash! This heifer was really small, though, and I had to lean wayyyyy over the top to reach her. And I wasn't paying attention to the fact that she was lined up perfectly with the control panel whose buttons raise and lower the sides of the parlor! When I leaned over, I accidentally pushed one of the buttons, the side of the parlor went up, and eight (unmilked) cows sprinted for the exit! OH NOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So everything came to a screeching halt while we tried to figure out which cows had gotten out, and sort them and get them back in the holding pen. My boss had to come out and help us. I was so embarrassed!! Then my boss thought we had gotten all eight, although his wife and I were pretty sure we were short one. But I certainly wasn't going to make an issue of it, LOL. Of course, when we got to the last group, sure enough, we were short one cow, so we had to go back out into the freestall barn with flashlights and try to find the cow who hadn't been milked, and sort her out, etc. What a night!
Looking back, I find it kind of funny that I've never punched those buttons before, as I give shots over the top of the parlor all the time, and I've never paid attention to the control panels before. You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for them in the future, though!
Today being Monday, and back-to-work day, I forgot all about her until my boss's wife, who was milking with me, pointed out that she was in the parlor and was I going to give her a shot? Of course the heifer came in right in the middle of a group, *sigh*. So I loaded the syringe and dragged out the stepladder I use when I have to give shots to the cows in the middle. Standing on the very top of the ladder, I can justttt reach over the top of backsplash! This heifer was really small, though, and I had to lean wayyyyy over the top to reach her. And I wasn't paying attention to the fact that she was lined up perfectly with the control panel whose buttons raise and lower the sides of the parlor! When I leaned over, I accidentally pushed one of the buttons, the side of the parlor went up, and eight (unmilked) cows sprinted for the exit! OH NOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So everything came to a screeching halt while we tried to figure out which cows had gotten out, and sort them and get them back in the holding pen. My boss had to come out and help us. I was so embarrassed!! Then my boss thought we had gotten all eight, although his wife and I were pretty sure we were short one. But I certainly wasn't going to make an issue of it, LOL. Of course, when we got to the last group, sure enough, we were short one cow, so we had to go back out into the freestall barn with flashlights and try to find the cow who hadn't been milked, and sort her out, etc. What a night!
Looking back, I find it kind of funny that I've never punched those buttons before, as I give shots over the top of the parlor all the time, and I've never paid attention to the control panels before. You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for them in the future, though!
