One Size Fits All

We have found that a halter for a cow generally will last one year - tops.  The primary hobby of cows, that being eating grass, is very hard on a cow halter.  The act of eating grass is a very repetitive process for the cow that involves stretching the neck out, grabbing a wad of grass with the tongue and pulling the head back, ripping the grass out, chewing and then doing it all over again.  Same song, second verse.

Believe it or not, doing this numerous times a day takes a toll on the halter.  The chain on the halter that runs underneath the cow's jaw is shiny from continuous rubbing on the grass and the chain rubbing together against the grass will cause the chain to wear.  Over a year's time, the chain will become thin and eventually break in two like Clarabelle's halter did below.

Oh, sometimes I purchase a small chain link or I'll use some tie wire to mend the halter for a while, but the patchwork repairs don't hold up for long and then it is time to purchase a brand new halter.  We get the halter at our local feed store here in Jennings as we like to support our local businesses.

I was thinking that the halter is pricey at $24.78; however, for competitive pricing, I checked around on the Internet and $24.78 at our local feed store is actually a pretty doggone good price.

Here's the problem, though.  As the cows grow, you must purchase a new halter. The halters are sold in three sizes - Calf, Yearling, and Cow.  We have calf halters that we keep on the calves to break them and walk them, but they don't stay on the calf long and they aren't eating much grass, so they last for a long time and the calf halter is rotated from calf to calf and used over and over.

We don't even buy a yearling halter.  We have figured out a way to make the Cow Halter be a "one size fits all."  When I was probably 10 years old, I got a wood burner for Christmas.  You've probably seen them.  You plug them in and they get very, very hot.  You press the tip into a piece of wood and you can create all sorts of beautiful art, plaques, and signs.  At least that was the general idea.  My artwork and signs did not turn out like the pictures on the box and my creations were things that only a mother could love.  Besides that, the thing was dangerous.  It would heat up hotter than a blast furnace and give you third degree burns or burn your house down.  I loved the wood burner.  I just never got past the 'pre-novice' stage of wood burning.

My old wood burner

Hold the phones for a cotton-pickin' minute.  Forty years later (I don't throw anything away!), I have found the perfect use for a wood burner.  It makes a Cow Control Halter into a "one size fits all" halter.  By plugging the halter into an outlet and allowing it to reach the temperature of molten lava, you can gently push the wood burner tip through the nylon halter creating extra holes well past the ones that are factory made.  Once I have many holes added, I use the tip of the wood burner to melt away the hard nylon 'blobs' that are created by the melted nylon as that might scratch the cows' neck.

Adding holes to the halter

I added seven evenly spaced holes to the halter, turning this cow halter into a yearling halter.

Right now Clarabelle has a long strap that I simply tuck underneath the halter. She'll have plenty of room to grow into it as as she grows, I'll loosen the buckle as she grows until she is into the "Cow" Size.

Clarabelle is very happy with her new blue halter and quickly sticks her tongue deep into her nostril to show her exuberance with her new accessory.

I've always thought that is one heckuva trick!  My tongue won't reach that far.