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Simmental and disposition

There is a lot of Angus (both red and black) and a touch of Simmental in about 90% of our herd. The worst we have at this moment for nutcases are a bunch of Gelbvieh/BA that we bought as bred heifers two springs ago. I can handle them but don't expect the neighbors to be in the same pen. A couple of these cows will come right out of the bunch with blood in their eye if you aren't paying attention.They will weed themselves out over time.

We have traded a lot of cows over the last 30 years. It has been my experience with other's cattle that more undesirable traits are made, not born.

For myself, I prefer to handle cattle that are a little flighty than those that close their eyes and walk over you in the alley. I also rarely use a stick of any kind when sorting. When I do pick one up, Debbie knows I've gotten a little ringy. :lol: The result is not pleasurable for any involved. :(
 
We just bought 6 beautiful yearling Simmental bulls. I would expect the Simmental influence will do nothing but improve the Angus attitude in the herd :D
 
Soapweed said:
When it comes to sorting sticks, I like one to use as an extension of my arm. Often if held in the right position, a critter will think it is a fence and turn back.

Agreed! I like one they sell in the local feed store. It is a bright fluorescent yellow, maybe 5' long, plastic and hollow. Even if I got rammy I couldn't do any damage with it. However, held in the right place, the right height, and the right angle it works very nicely to direct the traffic as I see fit without ever being used as a club.
 
Soapweed said:
When it comes to sorting sticks, I like one to use as an extension of my arm. Often if held in the right position, a critter will think it is a fence and turn back.

Each to their own Soap, Debbie uses a stick because she thinks it makes her look bigger. I have found that no matter your size, moving an inch is sometimes an inch too far.

I was more referring to those that have cows because the "love" cows. The kind that spend several hours gathering 30 pairs out of a 50 acre pasture to wean, brand or whatever. Once these "loved" cows are contained, their "loving" owner continues to pour out his/her "love" on these uncooperative "lovers" until there isn't much pleasure for any part of the "lovemaking".

We've had some of these poorly "loved" cows over the years and it's very time consuming and at times frustrating to make these cows feel truly "loved" by another. :wink:
 
The best guy I ever saw with a sorting stick, used a broom.
No kidding. He could put the wide part of the broom right in front of a cow and she would stop dead in her tracks. Only problem, the broom could have been just a bit longer.

Around here we HATE the sorting sticks with beebees in the paddles. GRRRRRR!
 
gcreekrch said:
Soapweed said:
When it comes to sorting sticks, I like one to use as an extension of my arm. Often if held in the right position, a critter will think it is a fence and turn back.

Each to their own Soap, Debbie uses a stick because she thinks it makes her look bigger. I have found that no matter your size, moving an inch is sometimes an inch too far.

I was more referring to those that have cows because the "love" cows. The kind that spend several hours gathering 30 pairs out of a 50 acre pasture to wean, brand or whatever. Once these "loved" cows are contained, their "loving" owner continues to pour out his/her "love" on these uncooperative "lovers" until there isn't much pleasure for any part of the "lovemaking".

We've had some of these poorly "loved" cows over the years and it's very time consuming and at times frustrating to make these cows feel truly "loved" by another. :wink:

Dear gcreekrch ~ http://youtu.be/Mf4v4Yunm4s?t=10s
( I think the big guy :shock: is twitterpated )
:D :D :D :D
 
S.S.A.P. said:
gcreekrch said:
Soapweed said:
When it comes to sorting sticks, I like one to use as an extension of my arm. Often if held in the right position, a critter will think it is a fence and turn back.

Each to their own Soap, Debbie uses a stick because she thinks it makes her look bigger. I have found that no matter your size, moving an inch is sometimes an inch too far.

I was more referring to those that have cows because the "love" cows. The kind that spend several hours gathering 30 pairs out of a 50 acre pasture to wean, brand or whatever. Once these "loved" cows are contained, their "loving" owner continues to pour out his/her "love" on these uncooperative "lovers" until there isn't much pleasure for any part of the "lovemaking".

We've had some of these poorly "loved" cows over the years and it's very time consuming and at times frustrating to make these cows feel truly "loved" by another. :wink:

Dear gcreekrch ~ http://youtu.be/Mf4v4Yunm4s?t=10s
( I think the big guy :shock: is twitterpated )
:D :D :D :D

:D

I have seen folks make moves just like that owl while "loving" their cows. Only difference was a two hander "love" toy. :wink:
 
gcreekrch said:
S.S.A.P. said:
gcreekrch said:
Each to their own Soap, Debbie uses a stick because she thinks it makes her look bigger. I have found that no matter your size, moving an inch is sometimes an inch too far.

I was more referring to those that have cows because the "love" cows. The kind that spend several hours gathering 30 pairs out of a 50 acre pasture to wean, brand or whatever. Once these "loved" cows are contained, their "loving" owner continues to pour out his/her "love" on these uncooperative "lovers" until there isn't much pleasure for any part of the "lovemaking".

We've had some of these poorly "loved" cows over the years and it's very time consuming and at times frustrating to make these cows feel truly "loved" by another. :wink:

Dear gcreekrch ~ http://youtu.be/Mf4v4Yunm4s?t=10s
( I think the big guy :shock: is twitterpated )
:D :D :D :D

:D

I have seen folks make moves just like that owl while "loving" their cows. Only difference was a two hander "love" toy. :wink:

The story of white tag #104
... the guys were walking back out of the corral, minding their own business (using the sticks like walking canes), looking neither right nor left!
... me, I'm running the gate (and I really twitterpate my guys) but I'm bored ~ so I yell "HEADS UP, SHE'S COMIN' "
... they spun around like synchronized swimmers with sticks raised on extended arms (Soap - their piddly little sticks didn't make no fence)
... me, I'm laughing cause 104 is loving the furthest back corner of the pen.
Then I put A LOT of inches between me and them!
8) :D
 
S.S.A.P. said:
gcreekrch said:
S.S.A.P. said:
Dear gcreekrch ~ http://youtu.be/Mf4v4Yunm4s?t=10s
( I think the big guy :shock: is twitterpated )
:D :D :D :D

:D

I have seen folks make moves just like that owl while "loving" their cows. Only difference was a two hander "love" toy. :wink:

The story of white tag #104
... the guys were walking back out of the corral, minding their own business (using the sticks like walking canes), looking neither right nor left!
... me, I'm running the gate (and I really twitterpate my guys) but I'm bored ~ so I yell "HEADS UP, SHE'S COMIN' "
... they spun around like synchronized swimmers with sticks raised on extended arms (Soap - their piddly little sticks didn't make no fence)
... me, I'm laughing cause 104 is loving the furthest back corner of the pen.
Then I put A LOT of inches between me and them!
8) :D

I have a story that only old #44 and I took part in with no witnesses but her hour old calf.

#44 came in a group of 10 darn good black baldy cows. They stayed a long time and weren't heifers when I bought them. The whole bunch were fairly gentle compared to ours so when #44 calved her first time here I thought I was safe enough to leave the bike and walk in about 40 yards where the bike couldn't get to in the trees and windfall.

WRONG!!!!!!

#44 let me get to about 15 feet before she quit licking her now milk full baby and let out a bawl that meant business. I was wearing a big clumsy pair of those green pull on gumboots with the full liner.

I made about 4 strides for the bike with 44 in hot pursuit when I tripped over a root and landed face first in the snow/mud/cowflop. "The end is near" I thought. I looked under my arm and saw good ol' #44 standing there with her ears forward, wondering why the talking monkey was laying down.
She waited until I got to my feet before resuming the chase...... Yes, it was a repeat of the last one only this time I was withing 10 feet of the bike before I did the faceplant again.
This time she retreated back to her calf.

I caught the calf the next day when I could stay on the bike to complete the job. #44 didn't like that procedure much better but I did. :lol:
 
gcreekrch said:
S.S.A.P. said:
The story of white tag #104
... the guys were walking back out of the corral, minding their own business (using the sticks like walking canes), looking neither right nor left!
... me, I'm running the gate (and I really twitterpate my guys) but I'm bored ~ so I yell "HEADS UP, SHE'S COMIN' "
... they spun around like synchronized swimmers with sticks raised on extended arms (Soap - their piddly little sticks didn't make no fence)
... me, I'm laughing cause 104 is loving the furthest back corner of the pen.
Then I put A LOT of inches between me and them!
8) :D

I have a story that only old #44 and I took part in with no witnesses but her hour old calf.

#44 came in a group of 10 darn good black baldy cows. They stayed a long time and weren't heifers when I bought them. The whole bunch were fairly gentle compared to ours so when #44 calved her first time here I thought I was safe enough to leave the bike and walk in about 40 yards where the bike couldn't get to in the trees and windfall.

WRONG!!!!!!

#44 let me get to about 15 feet before she quit licking her now milk full baby and let out a bawl that meant business. I was wearing a big clumsy pair of those green pull on gumboots with the full liner.

I made about 4 strides for the bike with 44 in hot pursuit when I tripped over a root and landed face first in the snow/mud/cowflop. "The end is near" I thought. I looked under my arm and saw good ol' #44 standing there with her ears forward, wondering why the talking monkey was laying down.
She waited until I got to my feet before resuming the chase...... Yes, it was a repeat of the last one only this time I was withing 10 feet of the bike before I did the faceplant again.
This time she retreated back to her calf.

I caught the calf the next day when I could stay on the bike to complete the job. #44 didn't like that procedure much better but I did. :lol:

Both of those good stories could have made America's Funniest Videos if they had been caught on tape. :-) :-) :-)
 
I am pretty much a chicken when it comes to Momma cows. It all started when I was about 8 or 9. Dad had a bunch of Horned Herefords, and a bunch of black cows. He was pretty proud of the blacks, cause I think they were about the first in the country. Anyway, there was a 2 strand barb wire fence between the 2. Somehow, I got hung up in that fence, and a cow proceeded to blow snot in my face. To this day, I can't tell you if she was red or black. I was crying so bad I couldn't see. :oops: Had to be rescued by my younger brother.

The next go around was with some BIG Char/Pinzgauer cross cows. Other then right after they had their baby, they were about the nicest cows to be around of any I have had the opportunity to calve. You could ride about half of them to night check on. When they had their calves, now that was a TOTALLY different story. I have seen them crawl up on the back of a stackmover to get a person. "course it wasn't me, I was on the tractor, where I was safe.

The last one that finished me off with momma cows was a first calf, papered Black Angus. Snow was about knee deep, Picked the calf up to set him in the pickup to tag him. Tripped in the process, and the heifer proceeded to straddle me, and give me hugs and kisses.

Anymore, a momma cow bellows, I am gone. I am the laughing stock in the community, but OH WELL. Dumb part is, you get a bull or yearling on the fight, that everyone else is scared of, and they don't bother me a bit.

As to sorting sticks... I gotta have one, even if its a piece of grass. I just have to have something in my hand. And the "rattle paddles" only place I have ever seen them where they were any good, is when a truck driver has to start cows off a truck. If the driver is any good, he shouldn't have to use one there either.
 
I've got rattle paddles and at first didn't like them but if you don't over use them they are great. Just another tool the operator has to be smarter than.
 
Denny said:
I've got rattle paddles and at first didn't like them but if you don't over use them they are great. Just another tool the operator has to be smarter than.


I guess I know some people who aren't that smart. :P :wink: :lol: :lol:

They are of the school that "if a little noise is good, a lot of noise is better." :D

Funny how a cow watches behind her when there is a lot of noise, rather than in front to see where you want her to go...
 
Faster horses said:
Denny said:
I've got rattle paddles and at first didn't like them but if you don't over use them they are great. Just another tool the operator has to be smarter than.


I guess I know some people who aren't that smart. :P :wink: :lol: :lol:

They are of the school that "if a little noise is good, a lot of noise is better." :D

Funny how a cow watches behind her when there is a lot of noise, rather than in front to see where you want her to go...

This is precisely the reason I don't like cow dogs. Cows are always looking behind them at the dog rather than in front where I want them to go. :wink:

When rattle paddles first came on the market many years ago, one of the area senior citizens acquired one. He went to all the brandings and more or less always appointed himself to sort cows away from calves at the gate. He was always in the way, but because of his age no one could really just tell him to go sit in the pickup. Another oldtime cowboy, older than the rattle paddle gent, summed it up this way: "Old so-and-so is just like a bad dog. He can only see one cow at a time." :wink:
 

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