I don't know how to deal with this!

[farmerjan]

One other thing I do when one wants to get overly "pushy"... besides a good smack on the nose, I loudly say NO.... and I repeat it everytime they get pushy. They do understand it and after awhile just the NO will stop them from getting too aggressive. I want them to know that it is me that they are crowding, so they get it when I say NO they all stop to look. I have a couple that are very friendly, and they get scratched behind their ears.... but ALWAYS from the side. I do not let them get attention from face on as that is a confrontation position for cattle.... even for playing... I have bulls that I can scratch but always from the side of their neck...

 

[greybeard]

('NO....NO....NO' )

I want them to know that it is me that they are crowding, so they get it when I say NO they all stop to look. I

Off topic, but that applies to a variety of circumstances. married men for instance, understand that statement 100%......................................

 

[Katpau]

I have tried the loud NO, but it doesn't phase her at all. I had also smacked her a few times at first, but it seemed like she got more aggressive. Like she thought it was a part of the game. She danced around and came in harder from another angle. After that I just would step around to an angle where she couldn't reach me. I am a little worried she might take kicking or hitting as a sign we need to set a pecking order. I don't want to end up in a fight I will lose.

I haven't been in the pasture with them much in the last few days, since we let them out on grass, but she came to the fence right away when we checked them through the fence yesterday. At least she didn't crawl through the barbed wires to get to me this time. I guess she learned that hurt when she did it the other day.

Part of my problem was that every time I walked through the cows in the pasture, I had with me a notepad and pencil to mark off eartags, a two way radio to communicate numbers with my husband, and a walking stick to stay upright on unlevel ground and move cows. My hands were more than full, so dealing with her too was a real pain. I need to go in empty handed, or with just a sorting stick, and work on just what is going on with her.

 

[Travlr]

I have tried the loud NO, but it doesn't phase her at all. I had also smacked her a few times at first, but it seemed like she got more aggressive. Like she thought it was a part of the game. She danced around and came in harder from another angle. After that I just would step around to an angle where she couldn't reach me. I am a little worried she might take kicking or hitting as a sign we need to set a pecking order. I don't want to end up in a fight I will lose.

I haven't been in the pasture with them much in the last few days, since we let them out on grass, but she came to the fence right away when we checked them through the fence yesterday. At least she didn't crawl through the barbed wires to get to me this time. I guess she learned that hurt when she did it the other day.

Part of my problem was that every time I walked through the cows in the pasture, I had with me a notepad and pencil to mark off eartags, a two way radio to communicate numbers with my husband, and a walking stick to stay upright on unlevel ground and move cows. My hands were more than full, so dealing with her too was a real pain. I need to go in empty handed, or with just a sorting stick, and work on just what is going on with her.

Well you better sort it out before she gets bigger. Teaching an already problematic cow as she grows too large to learn is a bad idea. If you need to, I'd use something bigger than a sorting stick. I think you have legitimate concern about pecking order. You don't want to get in a situation where you wished you'd solved the problem earlier.

Personally... I'd be selling her if she didn't straighten out immediately, and I'd be especially harsh to straighten her out.

 

[greybeard]

Take this to heart tho........
The nose is ok, but anywhere else on her head is way WAY harder than your hand or fist.....
(don't ask how I know this or how many decades ago I found it out)

 

[chaded]

Ok if you have smacked her and she wants to play that game she would get a hot shot right on the end of her wet nose. If that doesn't solve things she would have to leave.

I had a steer one time that was around 500 or so pounds that jumped up and got sideways like me and him was about to play like he does with the other calves and he got shocked right on the nose right there.

He looked at me like I was a party pooper but I never had another issue with him but it was stopped before it got started. I'm not big enough to be playing with cattle, I would be like a bowling pin getting hit with a bowling ball.

 

[50/50Farms]

It's something that has to be nipped young if you're gonna keep one. I have probably been hurt or almost hurt more by cattle in the 6-12 month range than by any other age range. They don't really understand just how big they are and they're subject to SFD when they're that age too.

 

[Nesikep]

I play with all my calves,, they grow out of it once they're on pasture

New video by Efrem Hug

photos.app.goo.gl

only danger I'm in is getting severely exfoliated, but some people pay good money for that


Fresh bedding is always fun to play with


When they're older, they just want chin scritches, guess I take my chances getting accidentally hurt as opposed to getting deliberately hurt


Zeus is still a big old suck

 

[Travlr]

I play with all my calves,, they grow out of it once they're on pasture

New video by Efrem Hug

photos.app.goo.gl

only danger I'm in is getting severely exfoliated, but some people pay good money for that


Fresh bedding is always fun to play with


When they're older, they just want chin scritches, guess I take my chances getting accidentally hurt as opposed to getting deliberately hurt


Zeus is still a big old suck
View attachment 29164

Can't say I admire that. I wish I could, but it's reality that pet owners get hurt as often as anyone else and perhaps more.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Like I said before....
If ya don't want em in your space, ya gotta show em who's boss. That boot heel to the nose does wonders. A good smack on the nose too.

Ya can't Be a Nancy about it tho. You Gotta mean it! Them critters are TUFF!!
Takes a real punch in the nose to get some attention.

Otherwise your just playing their game.....
Like wrestling with a pig. You'll get muddy but the pig enjoys it!

 

[Hereford2]

Take a gallon Metal can with you next time you go in there. Wear gloves hang onto the rim of the can and when she comes up to rub on you, smack her with the can across the bridge of her nose as hard as you can, it only takes one time of doing that to cure them. (In my experience).
I had a neighbor who had a calf that would charge people and when she caught up with them she would smack them with her head, she was about 6 months old when she charged me, I had a can in my hand so I stood my ground and when she got close enough I smacked her as hard as I could, she always ran the other way after that when she saw me.
With my first bottle calf I didn't know enough to stop the calf from rubbing on me, one day when he was 5or6 months old he pinned me to a post and I couldn't move, except my arm's, I'd just given him a can of feed, so I smacked him with the can and he didn't bother me anymore. There's Several Good suggestions on here on how to fix the issue. Follow one of them Before you get hurt.

 

[CowboyRam]

Can't say I admire that. I wish I could, but it's reality that pet owners get hurt as often as anyone else and perhaps more.

I agree. I prefer they be just a bit afraid of me. That new bull I bought being in the show ring is not afraid of me. I sometimes wonder if that could be a bad thing that he is not afraid. So far he has not gotten aggressive, but the other day my pup got out and he did kind of push me around just a bit. I think my dog got him riled up some beforehand.

 

[Nesikep]

Take this to heart tho........
The nose is ok, but anywhere else on her head is way WAY harder than your hand or fist.....
(don't ask how I know this or how many decades ago I found it out)

Yeah, I have a broken bone in my hand too

 

[Farm Family]

We had a calf that did this kid billy goat thing…charge jump and head butt. Kids called her "Billie"…well "Billie" is still here…five beautiful babies later, great mom and outgrew her annoying Billie goat habits. She is a friendlier cow, likes a chin rub and a hug every so often but no more Billie goat habits, lol. I am not sure what made her stop…perhaps heading to pasture with the herd no more people around every day and perhaps met her match on the open range. Good luck with your training!!

 

[Katpau]

I hadn't walked through the herd since we inventoried cows after rotating pastures 4 days ago. We always want to be sure we didn't leave any behind. That day I just kept avoiding her by moving to the other side of a stock tank whenever she tried to butt me. My husband was calling out tag numbers and I was marking them off. She eventually lost interest and just stood nearby and watched me. Yesterday we moved them again and did some sorting. I was ready to give her some discipline, but she came up and just stood there letting me scratch her butt. She licked my arm and made no attempt to rub her head on me. When I was ready to walk off, she put her head down like she was maybe going to do her thing. I knocked her on the nose and said "NO". She looked back up at me and licked my coat. Made me feel kind of bad.

 

[50/50Farms]

I hadn't walked through the herd since we inventoried cows after rotating pastures 4 days ago. We always want to be sure we didn't leave any behind. That day I just kept avoiding her by moving to the other side of a stock tank whenever she tried to butt me. My husband was calling out tag numbers and I was marking them off. She eventually lost interest and just stood nearby and watched me. Yesterday we moved them again and did some sorting. I was ready to give her some discipline, but she came up and just stood there letting me scratch her butt. She licked my arm and made no attempt to rub her head on me. When I was ready to walk off, she put her head down like she was maybe going to do her thing. I knocked her on the nose and said "NO". She looked back up at me and licked my coat. Made me feel kind of bad.

You did the right thing.