Our ancestors treated cows with special respect, and this is not surprising, because Burenka’s milk was enough to feed the whole family - cottage cheese, kefir, and sour cream could be made from it.
In a peasant farm, a cow was a real breadwinner who provided the family with a comfortable existence. That is why in Russia they collected many signs and beliefs about the cow - a wet nurse and a fortune teller.
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They took care of her, took care of her, cared for her and cherished her, because the peasants knew that the well-being of all household members depended on Burenka’s health.
By carefully observing the behavior of the cow, people tried to predict whether the weather would change and what the future would bring.
When you buy a cow, signs and rituals
In this article, shaman Vladislav Viktorovich answers the reader’s question “When do you buy a cow, signs and rituals?”
Of all livestock, the cow has always been the most revered and beloved in Russian villages. Everything is quite understandable: a healthy cow provided any family with a relatively comfortable existence. It is not surprising that folk signs made cows very important animals - by their behavior, owners could judge the approach of happy or bad events.
In fact, there were very different signs when selling a cow.
The old men knew the signs of a good cow very well. Nowadays they advise paying attention to the breed, but before they had never heard such words - so they looked at the general condition, proportional build and age (an old animal may not please you with its milk yield).
Therefore, in order to select a good (young) cow, it is enough to simply count these marks.
Also folk signs of a dairy cow:
If an animal has the listed characteristics, it will live a long time and will regularly please its owners with good milk yield.
For a peasant, livestock means a lot. The size of the herd determines the status of the owner and serves as a guarantee of family survival, providing food and clothing.
Therefore, signs associated with cattle are abundant:
Some observations of folk wisdom are actively used in villages. Knowledge is knowledge, and the ability to notice hints from higher powers has always been valued in the village.
Carefully observing the cow herd and the animals separately, people tried to understand what kind of offspring to expect, whether there would be a change in the weather and what to expect in the future.
Signs that predict the weather
Signs associated with offspring
Signs associated with buying and selling cows
Good luck sign for cows
About the white cow
Cow as medicine
The cow is a long-time friend of man, who has been feeding him since time immemorial, so it is not surprising that people have created many signs and beliefs associated with this cute animal, which is considered sacred in many countries.
Superstitions about goats and goats
The goat is afraid of disease, forest animals and even the unclean!
The bearded goat was “lucky” to be recorded as a relative or, as an option, as a creation of the devil himself. One of the legends says that an evil spirit created a creature with a bad smell and an equally bad character by urinating under a bush. And he himself was running away as fast as he could when something shaggy, horned and heart-rendingly bleating climbed out from under the branches at him! That is why a bad pedigree did not prevent the goat from being a welcome guest in any barn, because it scared away evil spirits from other cattle. But the list of mystical duties of the bearded beast did not end there.
Near other animals
- In addition to the devil, the goat drove away the weasel from the cattle, which used to run on the backs of horses, bite and bother them.
- The horned settler's friend, the goat, bravely met with her breasts and took upon herself all kinds of illnesses, warding them off from the other inhabitants of the barn.
- The goat also healed people. It was believed that if an animal was fed grass on the threshold of a sick person’s room and then taken out, it would take the disease with it. And a goat's horn hidden under the pillow will relieve insomnia.
Every day there is one such hour when the goat disappears from the stall. At this time, he is scheduled for a spa treatment with his creator, the devil, who lovingly combs the horned beast’s beard.
Meets on the way
- A good sign is to meet a goat before starting a journey.
- If you notice three black goats in the mountains, you know that a treasure is buried nearby.
- Goat beard hairs in your pocket bring good luck.
To find out if a goat's milk smells good, you need to sniff the top of its head between the horns.
Hairworm in cows: symptoms and treatment methods
In addition to lice, the skin of farm animals can be affected by lice eaters or lice eaters, as they are also popularly called. These are small insects. Their size is up to 2 mm. They are wingless and gnawing. They do not damage the skin, but with their jaws they damage the hair. As a result, bald patches form on the skin. The skin area remains unprotected.
It is open to blood-sucking insects and gadflies, which lay eggs under the skin of animals.
Exposed skin is vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, wind and precipitation. Microcracks appear on it, through which pathogens of infectious diseases penetrate. What to do if a lice beetle is found in cows? What treatment is recommended?
Signs of the disease
Lice eaters most often settle in the groin, submandibular area, and areas around the eyes. The wool here is the most delicate. You can find out that an animal is affected by a lice eater by the bald patches on these parts of the body. Calves are especially affected.
They have soft fur and delicate skin. The disease is called trichodectosis. The insect lands on the skin of an animal from an already infected individual. Trichodectosis develops if the barn is dirty and sanitary standards for keeping cattle are not observed.
More on the topic: Description of cow breeds without horns
The stages of development of lice eaters must be taken into account in order to properly treat the animal and treat the barn. Eggs and larvae are not affected by any means. The treatment is carried out twice.
Lice eaters in cows most often develop during the stall period. High humidity and warmth are a favorable environment for insects. With the beginning of spring, animals begin to shed their fur and molt.
Insects also fall off along with the fur. Without a host, the lice eater can live for 3 days.
This must be remembered, because the time of molting animals is the most optimal for preventive treatment of the barn against insects.
Best dairy breeds
Dairy cattle breeds are leaders in productivity and efficiency among all milk-producing animals. You can judge the performance of an animal when choosing by carefully studying its pedigree. Today, there are several dozen high-milk breeds that differ in appearance, proportions and milk yield.
The table shows the main characteristics of dairy breeds and their annual milk yield.
Postpartum paresis
This pathology most often occurs in older cows. Typically postpartum cutting begins within the first 3 days after calving. First, the cow's cud disappears, then her limbs begin to tremble. Soon the cow falls on its side and never gets up again. The disease begins suddenly, the owner must call a veterinarian as soon as possible and bring him to the farm.
Read also: Kazakh white-headed breed of cows: description, productivity characteristics
Without treatment, the cow dies within a couple of days. The doctor examines the cow and prescribes medications. Typically, droppers with glucose and calcium are used. Additional medications may also be used in a regimen with these drugs. In some cases, the doctor inflates the udder according to Evers.
Retention of placenta
The cow's calving ended successfully, the calf is healthy and fed, but it is too early for the owner to relax. Within a maximum of 10-12 hours, separation of the placenta should occur, only after this the birth is considered completely completed. If this does not happen, then the owners should call a veterinarian.
The reasons for the retention of the placenta may be:
- unbalanced feeding during pregnancy;
- lack of vitamins;
- lack of exercise;
- stress.
Before the doctor arrives, the owners can give the cow sweet water. If you manage to collect amniotic fluid, you can give that too. The veterinarian must examine the cow and administer medications to her. If all these steps do not produce results, then the afterbirth is separated manually.
Uterine prolapse
Sometimes cows experience complications when calving. After childbirth, in some cases the uterus begins to emerge behind the baby. This is very dangerous and can lead to the death of the nurse. Uterine prolapse occurs due to too strong pushing, which expels not only the fetus. Sometimes this pathology is caused by improper delivery, for example, when a calf is roughly pulled out.
Treatment for uterine prolapse involves repositioning it and suturing it. This procedure must be performed by a veterinarian. The doctor also usually prescribes a course of medications. For the next calving, it is better to arrange with the veterinarian in advance, as uterine prolapse may recur.
Receiving a calf
The baby is born, and he needs to be greeted correctly. Reception of the calf is carried out only on a clean cloth or sheet. His nose and eyes are cleared of mucus. You can entrust this work to a cow, but first-calf heifers sometimes get scared and don’t know what to do with the child. Tie the baby's umbilical cord with sterile threads and trim the remaining edge with scissors. Treat the wound with any antiseptic, such as hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.
If a cow calves normally, she usually copes on her own. If the birth was difficult, then the nurse often does not have the strength to care for her baby. In this case, milk the cow and feed her colostrum to the calf. This must be done no later than 60 minutes after his birth. Afterwards, the calf is placed in a separate pen or left under the cow.
Choosing good cattle
The first rule is that the breed must meet the designated purpose of the business (meat, dairy). When purchasing, find out about the productive qualities of the parents. It is recommended to purchase purebred breeds, since crossbred individuals lose important characteristics. Pay attention to your body type:
Purchase of young animals
The purchase of calves is carried out with an identical goal: compliance of the breed with business goals. Young animals of the dairy breed are distinguished by long legs and a bony body structure, with a light head. The tail of such calves is long (to the middle or below the hock).
Beef calves are characterized by short legs, a heavy head, a small tail and a “knocked down” body type. To obtain meat, farmers recommend buying bulls, as they gain weight more quickly and their meat is less fatty.
Common factors for young animals of any type are a moist nose, shiny coat and no symptoms of stomach upset (signs of health).
The following dairy breeds are suitable for keeping in the climate of our country.
In addition, farmers involved in the production of dairy products often choose the Red Steppe breed of cows. You can read more about this breed here.
Which meat breeds should you pay attention to? In first place is Ukrainian meat. Up to 65% meat and skin are sold. Cows are unpretentious to food and quickly gain weight. Also on the list are Hereford, Aberdeen Angus (60% meat) and the elite Charolais breed (for bacon).
Preparing for calving
The cow should give birth in a clean room. The owner needs to clean the cow's stall in advance. If possible, before calving, it is advisable for the cow to whitewash all the walls in the room. The litter must be replaced with clean one. If there are shavings on the floor in the barn, they should be large. If only small sawdust is available, then it is advisable to replace them with hay or straw.
About a week before giving birth, the nurse stops being sent into the herd. This is done for several reasons. Firstly, a cow can calve right in the field, where timely provision of veterinary care is not always possible. Secondly, eating fresh grass increases postpartum swelling. In addition, other animals in the herd can harm a cow that is in the last stages of pregnancy.
