• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Docility

Help Support Ranchers.net:

W

wdcook

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
209
Reaction score
0
Location
NE MO
Seems as if I every so often I'm culling a cow or two that has a disposition problem. What percentage does everyone have that are considered problems?

In reading the recent Midwest Cattleman, Red Angus were touted for their good dispositions. What about breed differences. I have been using Black Angus for several yrs.

Any techniques you use other than hand feeding to improve disposition? Can't hand feed here because of the help.(me) I'm too old and week and have too many to care for.
 
this might sound silly but we purchased some pretty quick cows , I just walked through them after I was done feeding them , it didn't take long and they seemed to be not so flighty and its good for the old ticker :wink:
 
One thing is getting bulls/cows from a breeder known for quiet dispositions- and bulls with genetics for docility....

The AAA now has a Docility EPD which- while not perfect- lists many bulls in use- and with it a person can connect together some of the quieter genetics....I've found that with bulls like Lead On, Rito 6I6, In Focus, the Wye, DDA, etc. that they are pretty indicative of the cattle...

http://www.angus.org/Nce/Research/DocilitySires.aspx

But I don't think anything beats contact with the cattle....Herefords are know as one of the quieter breeds-- but I've saw Herefords that only saw a human a couple times a year that were wilder than antelope...
 
Oldtimer said:
One thing is getting bulls/cows from a breeder known for quiet dispositions- and bulls with genetics for docility....

The AAA now has a Docility EPD which- while not perfect- lists many bulls in use- and with it a person can connect together some of the quieter genetics....I've found that with bulls like Lead On, Rito 6I6, In Focus, the Wye, DDA, etc. that they are pretty indicative of the cattle...

http://www.angus.org/Nce/Research/DocilitySires.aspx

But I don't think anything beats contact with the cattle....Herefords are know as one of the quieter breeds-- but I've saw Herefords that only saw a human a couple times a year that were wilder than antelope...
Click to expand...

I've got a day old DDA Fahren bull calf thats a little fire cracker all 68#s of him.
 
We encourage a little fire in our cows helps keep the coyotes way from the babys. Beside we kind of have a sick sense of humor when you see someone running for their life or after we see them get up after just being ran over we have a good laugh at their expense.
I can tell you this that if you are after a calm breed good luck because I think their a snakes in every breed. I will say this stay away from Brangus and Saler they will eat your lunch.
 
Denny said:
Oldtimer said:
One thing is getting bulls/cows from a breeder known for quiet dispositions- and bulls with genetics for docility....

The AAA now has a Docility EPD which- while not perfect- lists many bulls in use- and with it a person can connect together some of the quieter genetics....I've found that with bulls like Lead On, Rito 6I6, In Focus, the Wye, DDA, etc. that they are pretty indicative of the cattle...

http://www.angus.org/Nce/Research/DocilitySires.aspx

But I don't think anything beats contact with the cattle....Herefords are know as one of the quieter breeds-- but I've saw Herefords that only saw a human a couple times a year that were wilder than antelope...
Click to expand...

I've got a day old DDA Fahren bull calf thats a little fire cracker all 68#s of him.
Click to expand...

I've got a Magnitude daughter out of a Bannon of Wye heifer thats two days old and is already following me around...But that might be because her momma follows me around looking for a cake handout :wink:

Ya- since cows can't read- I don't bet the farm on the numbers they have out--but most Diamond D's I've seen have been really quiet- and DDA Fahrens son, DDA Ledger 69D- has one of the highest (+35) docility EPD's they have listed...I do have experience with Lead On, Rito 6I6, In Focus, Strategy- and some others- who all have fairly high docility ratings- and found it overall to be true in my case... And with Image Maker that is low- and found that true also ...
 
The only bad cows we've got are cows that we bought from someone else. When will not save replacements from these cows either. One by one they're culling themselves, so soon we'll work our way through them and get back to normal.

We find that the older we get, the higher on the priority list disposition gets. Someone did research where they measured how fast cattle left the chute after being caught in the headgate, and found the faster they ran, the tougher they turned out on the rail, so quiet cattle have another advantage.

We want them quiet. No room here for crazy cows. Even quiet cows will put a coyote out, but we don't worry about that anyway. That's the donkeys' jobs. :wink: :D :D :D
 
The only disposition problems we've had are with the blacks and bwf's...and only the bought ones. Had to pull a calf out of a 12 yr old black brockle face cow (head back), she went NUTS tore her way out of the barn...gave her calf to a heifer and took the rip to the sale!
 
My experience has been pretty much like Kato's - virtually all the trouble comes from bought in cattle. That's not saying that everyone else is raising them wild, just that they were raised in a different system. I work my cattle on foot and our acreages are limited. Cattle that are used to the open range and being handled on horseback or from trucks have a bit of adjusting to do when they come here. Most adjust, some don't and if their behavior is bad enough they go to town.
I think cure is correct in saying that there are non-docile cattle in every breed. One strange breed experience I have had with 3 different groups of bought in cattle is that straight red Angus calves at spring processing age are stone mad. Crazy, wild, upside down in the alley etc although they are calm as older calves and Red Angus cows are generally quiet with us. That kind of surprised me and I wonder if others have had the same experience.
 
We end up with the odd bull that throws wild things. It keeps us busy culling cleaning it up sometimes. As a rule though our Red Angus are fairly calm. Haven't bought a cow for a least a dozen years so when they blow up I can only blame my management.
 
We also walk amongst our cattle to get them up or just go out about them. So they're mostly used to human interaction.

I know many say herefords are the best, but Red Polls are equal to them IMHO.
I'm sure there is the odd one out of ANY docile breed.

Like others, we get disposition problems when bringing older bought cows into the group and we cull for disposition. We have several charx cows that are very protective of their newborn calves which I can tolerate.

We keep most of our heifers as replacements and I believe that has greatly helped. We drylot wean for 60 days and usually by that time we can go in with them and they will come up to you or we can get within a hand's reach of them. But the hubby and I aren't noisy and loud and we quietly work our cattle.
So perhaps, they might show out for someone else, depending on the noise level.
 
cure said:
We encourage a little fire in our cows helps keep the coyotes way from the babys. Beside we kind of have a sick sense of humor when you see someone running for their life or after we see them get up after just being ran over we have a good laugh at their expense.
I can tell you this that if you are after a calm breed good luck because I think their a snakes in every breed. I will say this stay away from Brangus and Saler they will eat your lunch.
Click to expand...
saler are only wild if you wheeled a big stick and those who do , well they should get run over :wink:
 
Grassfarmer said:
My experience has been pretty much like Kato's - virtually all the trouble comes from bought in cattle. That's not saying that everyone else is raising them wild, just that they were raised in a different system. .
Click to expand...

ever wonder why those cows were for sale?? :)
 
I would not own a cow that would not defend a newborn. I've seen quiet cattle, in daylite, let a pack of dogs kill there calfs while I picked them off at a distance with a 22 rifle. I walk amoungth my cattle with know fear. I got some u can put your arm around. But I sleep good knowin the whole heard would protect there on. Trey is ridein a green filly for a friend. She skint his face up real bad yesterday. Just ran away. I'm gettin him a twisted wire snapple to saw them lips next time.
 
wdcook said:
Seems as if I every so often I'm culling a cow or two that has a disposition problem. What percentage does everyone have that are considered problems?

Zero

In reading the recent Midwest Cattleman, Red Angus were touted for their good dispositions. What about breed differences. I have been using Black Angus for several yrs.

Beefmasters

Any techniques you use other than hand feeding to improve disposition? Can't hand feed here because of the help.(me) I'm too old and week and have too many to care for.

Sell 'em!
Click to expand...
 
cure said:
We encourage a little fire in our cows helps keep the coyotes way from the babys. Beside we kind of have a sick sense of humor when you see someone running for their life or after we see them get up after just being ran over we have a good laugh at their expense.
I can tell you this that if you are after a calm breed good luck because I think their a snakes in every breed. I will say this stay away from Brangus and Saler they will eat your lunch.
Click to expand...

Oh please... :roll: ...We have a bunch of Brangus, for the most ...they are fine... :?
 
Lonecowboy said:
Grassfarmer said:
My experience has been pretty much like Kato's - virtually all the trouble comes from bought in cattle. That's not saying that everyone else is raising them wild, just that they were raised in a different system. .
Click to expand...

ever wonder why those cows were for sale?? :)
Click to expand...

No, because I've always bought dispersal cows - never odds and ends at a bred sale. I've never known a herd to be dispersed for temperament although I bought some cows from one that made me wonder :?
 
We buy calves to background, and they're not very big when we buy them. We've always found that these young calves that were born in the pasture are just set up to be wild. Lots of times they have never seen people until they hit the auction mart, and that's sure not the best place to experience human contact for the first time. It takes a couple of months for them to tone down, and some never do.

Our own, on the other hand are born close to home, and see us from day one. That's what seems to make the biggest difference. Early contact carries forward. These calves then go off to pasture and don't see us up close for months, and yet are still not wild when they come home.

It's that first week that is so important. If they see you lots then, it sets them up to be quiet for life. 8)
 
One of the important considerations in my breed choice was temperament, as during the mid to late 70's I was constantly deployed, and needed cattle that could take care of themselves in a hostile environment, yet still be handleable when I was back home for 6 weeks. The local Sanga cattle were traditionally hereded by young boys, who at puberty would join the tribal regiments, so culling on temperament was strict over thousands of years,.when the selection was made for the foundation Tuli herd, docility was already an integral feature of the breed. After I left Zimbabwe, I decided on the Tuli when I moved to the USA, due to their proven performance with my past experience, especially as my disabled son would be checking their water, and moving them to different paddocks while I was at my day job managing the hog farm for Smithfields. If I manage to get to a challanging environment again, I will go back to the Tuli without hesitation.
 

Latest posts

Top