Temperment

[Justin]

After reading Soap's thread on the shark cage and reading the comments, I thought I'd throw this one out there.

What kind of temperament do you expect from new mother cows and why?

seems like a silly question.

Must be a lot of silly people on here that answered, huh? :wink:

While moving the neighbors cows to summer pasture late last May, all of a sudden there was wild things going on to the front of the bunch, cows milling and bawling. When we got there, there was a baby fawn, if real poor shape. Most had month to 2 or 3 month old calves following them. I'd say that is good mothering instinct.

Some guys who have been having trouble with coyotes need a couple big longhorn steers with HORNS, which God gave to bovines to protect them selves. Man, in his wisdom, has taken most of their defenses away from them.

By the way Justin, now I remember why I quit coming here.

oh really? :lol:

 

[4Diamond]

The most dangerous predator you can find is a pack of dogs. When they get to packing up watch out.

I agree 100%

 

[Kosmo]

The seven year old baldie, discussed by Soapweed in a previous thread, was hot after me from the comfort of my pickup cab. I had her calf up close to the floor board with the door somewhat in between the cow and myself. Everything would have been fine if I could have reached down and tagged the calf but she kept "taking" the pickup door and/or my arm before I could achieve my goal. I gave her several good kicks to the face but only managed to severely stub my left toe. I didn't have any good blunt objects to finish the job with and I couldn't quite get the calf and myself to the flatbed for safety so I used a little country boy ingenuity. I knew that my bloodhound "Archimedes" usually follows at a distant pace while I feed cows so I called him over. Like a trusted hound should, he came at once but was very reluctant to come further when he discovered the situation. I had a bit of a hard time coaxing him past his "distance of comfort," but he finally conceded to my request. Like clockwork my cow chased Archimedes to a nearby tree lot which gave me just enough time to get us to the flatbed safely.

The moral of the story, is that I found the perfect use for my hound dog... and maybe his only use...

Aside from this particular cow, I don't mind if my cattle are a little "too protective" after they have calved. This mind set only lasts a month and they will be just fine come branding season when they become perfectly tame and manageable cattle. We have several first calf heifers in which I have no qualms tagging their calves afoot with them present. I have also personally seen coyotes travel through these heifers with them not giving it a second thought. This fact worries me when checking the heavies at night and hearing the coyotes howling amongst the paired out cattle.

 

[3words]

The seven year old baldie, discussed by Soapweed in a previous thread, was hot after me from the comfort of my pickup cab. I had her calf up close to the floor board with the door somewhat in between the cow and myself. Everything would have been fine if I could have reached down and tagged the calf but she kept "taking" the pickup door and/or my arm before I could achieve my goal. I gave her several good kicks to the face but only managed to severely stub my left toe. I didn't have any good blunt objects to finish the job with and I couldn't quite get the calf and myself to the flatbed for safety so I used a little country boy ingenuity. I knew that my bloodhound "Archimedes" usually follows at a distant pace while I feed cows so I called him over. Like a trusted hound should, he came at once but was very reluctant to come further when he discovered the situation. I had a bit of a hard time coaxing him past his "distance of comfort," but he finally conceded to my request. Like clockwork my cow chased Archimedes to a nearby tree lot which gave me just enough time to get us to the flatbed safely.

The moral of the story, is that I found the perfect use for my hound dog... and maybe his only use...

Aside from this particular cow, I don't mind if my cattle are a little "too protective" after they have calved. This mind set only lasts a month and they will be just fine come branding season when they become perfectly tame and manageable cattle. We have several first calf heifers in which I have no qualms tagging their calves afoot with them present. I have also personally seen coyotes travel through these heifers with them not giving it a second thought. This fact worries me when checking the heavies at night and hearing the coyotes howling amongst the paired out cattle.

Thin those coyotes out a bit,and they will soon figure out your place isn't a very safe place to be,and they will move on.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Our two dogs and the Kosmo Kid's bloodhound all fall into the "useless" category, but when they do inadvertantly show up among the cattle, they don't get ignored. The cows don't like having them around, and that is fine with me. I don't like having them around, either. Our cows don't like having coyotes around, and quite a commotion is stirred up when any canines appear. I think a coyote is less able to slip in and do damage with this mindset in our cattle.

Are you saying your cows are stupid? Can't tell the difference between a coyote and a dog? :wink:

I'd say a cow that has just calved has raging hormones, possibly equal to or worse than wimmen with PMS. :wink: A newly calved cow cannot be trusted to think in normal "cow logic".

Any canine, any small animal like a cat or a skunk is seen as a threat. This also includes little kids who should not be in possible harms way around newly calved cows.

I've seen a cow get very involved with a porcupine and it wasn't pretty.

I'd like to know how John knows so much about wimmen with PMS? :shock: :???: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[John SD]

I watch too many pseudo-medical infomercials on TV! :wink:

 

[Big Swede]

A sorting stick to the nose will stop almost any cow. For those few that it doesn't stop you need a little imagination, kind of like Kosmo's situation. Carrying a stick, a tagger, and a loaded vaccine gun got kind of hairy sometimes. :lol: :lol:

 

[rancherfred]

What works even better is a trucker's tire thumper. Mine is a Louisville Slugger style aluminum bat that is about sixteen inches long. I can swing that thing pretty good, one of the downsides is that when I miss I about dislocate my shoulder. The other downside when I miss is that I have managed to cream my plastic tagging box. I had to buy another box after that dance.

 

[Big Swede]

That made me chuckle rancherfred, been there done that.

 

[VB RANCH]

there's only 2 kinds of cows i don't put up with
open when they ain't spose to be
and continually loose neighbors
i tend to treat those like that red rider guy or whoever he was
that got in a pissin match on here with ol denny
alltho i wont waste my snoose on any cow