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wild snotty cows

J

Jinglebob

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
5,962
Location
Western South Dakota
With all the talk about EXT's on this site, and a comment Tap made, it made me think of something.

There used to be a guy named Faddis Kennedy, out in eastern Wyoming, who ran hereford cows. He would send the culls to Sturgis Livestock. He must have had a fairly good sized outfit as he would send 100 to 150 head at a shot, when he decided to cull. When we sorted them, they would tend to try and eat you alive.

I was riding the ring and trading off with another feller one sale and we had a bunch of his ol' beauties to sort, so I got in the alley horseback and just let one cow come down the alley at a time, as the other guys sorted them and put them in other pens. They respected a horse and it worked real well.

The guy who owned the salebarn at the time, ended up buying one and sending her out to me as I was running some cows for him.

All of the crew really razzed me about having one of them wild, snorty, ol' cows at my place. We turned her out and she trotted right off with the rest of the load. Never hardly noticed her that winter, other than she was about the only hereford on the place. Went up to feed one day that winter and found that she had prolapsed, anally. I called the vet and asked what to do and he told me. I'd never seen this in a cow before. It was cold and snowy, but I saddled up a horse and went after her, dreading the fight I was going to have on my hands. The ol' girl lined right out and wasn't no problem at all. Matter of fact, you could put her anywhere you wanted, as long as you were on horseback.

I got her in the chute and then, and only then did I get off from my horse. I treated her and kept her around until she died, and the vet said that was probably what was going to happen.

Long story, but here's my question; Do you notice that cattle that are handled more a horseback are fine to work, until you get afoot around them, or do you find that cattle that are good afoot are sorry to work a horseback?

We work our cattle ahorseback as much as possible. But there aren't any who are wolfy, other than a few who are protective when they first have a calf.

I don't mind cows who are a little snorty when someone is afoot, as long as they don't come looking for you. As long as they aren't looking to fight a horse and respect a man a horseback, I don't mind them if they are a little on the wild side.

We train on our cattle the same as we train on our horses and there are few things I hate worse than some sorry hand who doesn't make a critter go up a chute or lets one back and teaches her she can do it and get away with it. It just spoils the cattle.

We have a neighbor who's cattle used to be so tame, that when you got them, to the corrals, they'd just stand and refuse to go in and then just run over and under your horse to leave. It sure ain't very handy. They just have no respect for a horse. They have gotten better, but there are several guys around here who need waaayyy more help than they should have, just to get their cattle penned. Portable corrals in a different spot every year or two, have helped some guys, but some refuse to work their cattle anywhere, but at the same corrals they use every year and the cattle get real sour about going in and being pocked and prodded.

Whats everybody's feelings and thoughts.
 
Jinglebob, the ranch we were on in Wyoming bordered the Faddis Kennedy outfit. Some really rough country there. The man on the ranch was named Ben Briles. He was there when we were.

That place used to be part of Kennedy and Brown Cattle Company; the Brown being Bill Brown of The Big Dry. Bill Brown is Taylor Browns father.
When the partnership split Browns moved to Montana.

Small world.
 
Depends on what we're doin at the time, but we work em both ways.
Pen on horses, sort sometimes from a horse, and sometimes afoot. When it gets to the runnin em in the chute part, we have a smaller holdin pen in our corrals, and in that pen usually there's one person on a horse, and two workin the gate goin into the alleyway. Sometimes we rope and drag calves sometimes we crowd em in a corner and do it from afoot. Guess it just all depends on everyone's mood that day. Don't know. never really gave it much thought as to why we do it one way one time, and the other the next.
We've found that after alls said and done if we throw out a couple bags of cubes to em, they are more willin to go in the pens the next go around. Guess they think it's all part of gittin a treat. "gotta go thru this to get to that" LOL
 
The problem, if you could call it that, on our operation is that after we wean our calves, we feed them all winter with the feed truck and don't walk thru them much. They are out in small pastures, where they have room to move around, but that doesn't lend much towards walking through them.

We have a bunch of 2yr. old heifers that came from our neighbors ranch. He bucket fed them as calves in bunks. They are so darn gentle that they are not threatened by a person afoot or horseback. It is almost comical how trusting they are. The only drawback is that when you try to put a pair out, they just hang around the gate, and the ones you put out earlier come back up to the ranch, like they want back in the yard. It is almost frustrating that it will cause mixups.

Our home raised ones on the other hand, got gentle to look through in a couple nights, but I still try to handle one very easy afoot. When I turn the pairs out, they take their calves way out in the pasture and mostly just stay alone with them for a day or so before they feel it is ok to bunch back up. I think I prefer that quality over one that just hangs around, but I like the gentleness of the first bunch a lot too. Maybe there is give and take.

One thing that I do if we get an occasional wound up heifer of our own, is that I just ride my horse right into the pen that I have put them together in after calving. I sometimes have reached down and tagged the calf without getting off my horse. This same heifer might eat me alive and tear the pen down if I was afoot, but they just chew their cud while looking at me if I am horseback.

Just whatever they are trusting with I guess.
 
Our cattle here are broke to every thing under the sun. Pick-up being a horse back on foot and even one of those 4- wheelers. The heifers I'm calving right now don't care much for the 4-wheeler a little spookey with it, don't like to use it anyway in calving.but you can walk thru them or go a horseback. 41 of them came from the south ranch and are wild but with the storm earlier I had to pen them close to the barn and walk thru them alot and that help settle them down. We got cows that are pretty mean to tag, one of us just runs the cow off while the other one tags it, they always come back to their calf. Are weaned calves are were we ready do everthing under the sun to. You never know where their going when sell thru the salebarn. They'll come to the pick-up we ride thru them a horseback and drive thru them with that 4-wheeler, when we break them to the bunk I'll start feeding them out of a sack first then they used to you walking around and the sound of the cake hitting the steel bunks then use the caker on the pick-up. Even broke to the sound of Suuuu calf, my grandpa and dad have always used a call to bring the calves or cows in along with the horn on the pick-up.Helps if their broke to both in case your horn goes out on your pick-up.
 
I think it's what they are used to seeing and being around. I work mine here on foot....horses seem to irritate them and just makes it harder.

When I was in NE @ the ranch there....when I'd walk into the cattle, pen or near the windmills, they'd freak out. Get on a horse...not even notice me.

We all know cows HATE change!
 
Well these heifers come from one of the best guys I've seen at handling cattle and they just have a crazy streak-imagine 60 Salers on crack. Even my wife says our Brahma rodeo cows are easier to work and she's not a big fan of them-the good thing about EXT's is no tears are shed when they cull themselves.
 
Jinglebob said:
Long story, but here's my question; Do you notice that cattle that are handled more a horseback are fine to work, until you get afoot around them, or do you find that cattle that are good afoot are sorry to work a horseback?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've found its pretty much whatever they're used to, although I've had some of those little short legged old fashioned Angus's around here that it didn't matter. On foot, they'd try to eat you. On horse, they'd pop out of a stand of trees and try to take the horse out from under you. Four wheelers they try to turn into scrap metal. About the only thing they had respect for was a tractor, but I was pretty sure I could hear them mulling over how to take it too.

Around this place, cows gotta get used to everything. Horse, foot, four wheeler, truck. I don't mind a little snorty, as long as they don't try to hunt me down.

Rod
 
The cattle here are pretty much accustomed to horses, people on foot, 4-wheelers, and even bicycles. It seems they can get used to about anything if shown it enough.

However seems to me the cattle do better in the sorting ally if we stay on foot and keep the horses out of there they seem to keep calmer.
 
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Yeah, I've found its pretty much whatever they're used to, although I've had some of those little short legged old fashioned Angus's around here that it didn't matter. On foot, they'd try to eat you. On horse, they'd pop out of a stand of trees and try to take the horse out from under you. Four wheelers they try to turn into scrap metal. About the only thing they had respect for was a tractor, but I was pretty sure I could hear them mulling over how to take it too.

Rod
Click to expand...

Oh man1 I still have tears in my eyes from laffing at this! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

So, did you get a bigger tractor? :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Long story, but here's my question; Do you notice that cattle that are handled more a horseback are fine to work, until you get afoot around them, or do you find that cattle that are good afoot are sorry to work a horseback?
Click to expand...

Definetly both, in my experience. They seem to have to be taught to respect each method. I am allways amazed at how quickly they get used to me walking through them with the million candle power light during calving (by the second or third night they dont even get up). But after the pairs are turned out, they seem to re-learn to not like me walking through. But it allways seems to me that once they've been taught to respect a horse, they allways respect it.
 
I had a cow come hunt me the other day thank god for big oak trees she charged from at least 50 ft away. ended up throwing a loop on the calf from the cab of the tractor then crawled underneath and tagged him never weighed him he's steer material anyhow.I dont mind those wild cows at least if someone steals one I know it was a real cowboy who did it. :shock: :cboy:
 
Denny said:
I had a cow come hunt me the other day thank god for big oak trees she charged from at least 50 ft away. ended up throwing a loop on the calf from the cab of the tractor then crawled underneath and tagged him never weighed him he's steer material anyhow.I dont mind those wild cows at least if someone steals one I know it was a real cowboy who did it. :shock: :cboy:
Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Funny thing about those mean new mothers.... we used to send them off to town if they got real mean at calving. Since bse we've been forced to keep alot of those cows and to my surprise it turns out that just because the old girl threw a fit at calving last year in no way means she'll do it this year. For that matter, that ole cow that was as sweet as pie every year when she calved could be your new worst nighmare this year. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to it. So my feeling is that I don't like to judge too harshly anymore unless she gave me a real good reason to hold a grudge.
Now, having said all that, I will also agree that there are those cows out there that will just hunt you down every year after they calve like clock work. :? Sooo... now I'm thinking... TWO strikes and you're out??? :???:
 
Silver said:
Funny thing about those mean new mothers.... we used to send them off to town if they got real mean at calving. Since bse we've been forced to keep alot of those cows and to my surprise it turns out that just because the old girl threw a fit at calving last year in no way means she'll do it this year. For that matter, that ole cow that was as sweet as pie every year when she calved could be your new worst nighmare this year. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to it. So my feeling is that I don't like to judge too harshly anymore unless she gave me a real good reason to hold a grudge.
Now, having said all that, I will also agree that there are those cows out there that will just hunt you down every year after they calve like clock work. :? Sooo... now I'm thinking... TWO strikes and you're out??? :???:
Click to expand...

Weeelll, I'm going to catch hell for saying this, but you know, you've got to handle all them new mothers, with kid gloves. And I mean ALL them new mothers. :lol: :lol:

After all, they are females. :wink:


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

OK ladies, let the slings and arrows commence. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
For myself it comes down to how the herd is used to being worked, For instance ive worked outfits wher everything was done horseback the cattle actully "herded" from pont A to B with the cowboys in charge, Then i worked for a Californian whos cows were insulted at the presence of a horse and dint really herd worth a damm but more apt to follow a pickup or a 4 wheeler yeildin a bale of hay or hay cubes. Ive also noticed the same with cows that are used to good cow dogs, cattle thats been dogged tend to move a bit nicer with the use of a good dog or 2 and less riders, on the other hand if ya got cows that aint used to dog.. ya got a mess on hand of dirty dog fightin cows and pretty much mass Kaos and confussion.
When i was workin my camp job, the cattle on that particular range were used to horses and dogs, It often amazed passers by how 1 man could move a bunch of cows from 1 unit to another with the use of a few good dogs and not really have to work hard at it. Every move i made i would ride a circle git things broke off center and pointed in a general direction ( what people dint know... thers some of them old cows been thru this program for many years and knew what the deal was) the older cows would line out and head for the next spot of greener grass. even tho i had on the better side of over 2800 head, I pushed the same 30 every wher i went.. the same cows at the drag, the sick,lame and lazy or the new cows somebody bought, while all the others would string out and head for the gate. I also had my share of "wolfy" cows , in my opnion they kept life intersesting , rather it be running under somebodys horse or over the top of the dude that volenterred to be a cowboy for a day, them kinda cows just kept ya payin attention. The guys i worked around pretty much had the policy " if she brings home a calf= shes still got a home" We never culled a cow based on her dispostion. Wich might bring me to my closin point. " it aint what yer cows are used to..... It what yer ranch is used too"
 
My two cents worth is: Hand feeding makes them very gentle and easy to handle. But there comes a point when you can't pack enough buckets fast enough to feed calves. One of the best buys was our feeder wagon. Now when we feed newly weaned calves, after they get settled down, we walk through them everyday... And that works just as well... I have no problem with new mothers being protective, it's when they permanently have p.m.s, that's when I draw the line..
I love my herefords, but we had an old hereford we bought that we simply couldn't handle. She would take a horse. And I will never let an animal hit my horse, so my hubby got the loader tractor out to handle her. Told us to stay away and let him do it.. no help...... And he got her in the corral all by himself with the tractor....... He is quite a tractor jockey....
 

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