Training Snapshot: Sapphire

🎥 Sapphire calmly enjoying her snack while locked in the stanchion on her fourth trip to the barn.

Training a heifer to stand quietly in the stanchion is one of the most important steps in preparing her for life as a family cow. Right now, I’m working with Sapphire to get her comfortable with the process. We start simple — walking into the stanchion, standing for a short time, and building trust with calm handling.

Each day adds a little more — touching her sides, brushing her, and eventually introducing the sounds of the milking setup. With patience and consistency, these small steps can create a confident and reliable milker.

If you’d like the full guide on how I train heifers, you can read my detailed authority piece here: Training a Dexter Heifer to Stanchion.