We recently purchased a milking cow. We haven't had one before. This one likes to kick when we're milking her. Do you all have any suggestions about what we can do to get her to kick less?
Our cow doesn't kick very often, but she does kick occasionally. I take an extra bucket with me when I milk her. I pour the milk from one bucket into the other occasionally so that if she does kick, I don't lose all the milk I've gathered.
We had such a cow a few years back, and what you must always do is calm yourself down. The cow starts being grumpy if we display signs of being in a hurry. Apart from what @Logan has suggested, you can use a kicker rope or kicker bar.
There are many tricks you can use, and at times, it can be that the cow is scared of the bucket. Have you ever attempted to use a small plastic bucket to minimize the noise?
As has been mention hobbles will work as also the various kick preventers that fit down over the back and pinch the hide when they draw up to kick. However most cows will get over it with continued milking. I am guessing that you are milking her by hand? Twice a day? How long has she been lactating and how old is she. Was she machine milked previously? How large are her teats and are you being gentle with her. Are you using a stanchion or a tie stall? sometimes when you feel her start to kick if you have your shoulder in the crease in front of her leg and udder, just lean hard into her and you can actually unbalance her when she picks her foot up.