Aggression vs. Play

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I was in the pasture a few years ago and a bull got too close. He wasn't being aggressive; probably just hoping I had some feed. Anyway, he got close enough for me to bust my beer bottle on the top of his head. He didn't try it again.
 
Difference between aggression and play, aggressive cows/bulls don't usually let you get away with anything less than a bruise.
 
Sounds like she is being young and playful. A good bullwhip or a hot shot will teach her that she has her space and I have mine and those spaces do not need to cross. I see all these post about shipping heifers and young cows just because they are high headed, standoffish, good mommas protecting their babies, or haven't learned to stay back and I just shake my head. I have known a few people who got killed by cattle every single one of them outside of rodeo was killed by a cow they considered gentle or a pet. When I help people work cattle I would rather work a bunch of high headed cattle than a bunch of pets.
 
I'd rather take calm cows over high headed cows any day, just saying. Just because they're calm, doesn't mean they're pets.
 
Muddy":3elhzjaq said:
I'd rather take calm cows over high headed cows any day, just saying. Just because they're calm, doesn't mean they're pets.


I said high headed over pets didn't mention calm. I like high headed if you handle them right they are pretty easy to work you just can't get excited with them.
 
wacocowboy":2uyykhvw said:
Sounds like she is being young and playful. A good bullwhip or a hot shot will teach her that she has her space and I have mine and those spaces do not need to cross. I see all these post about shipping heifers and young cows just because they are high headed, standoffish, good mommas protecting their babies, or haven't learned to stay back and I just shake my head. I have known a few people who got killed by cattle every single one of them outside of rodeo was killed by a cow they considered gentle or a pet. When I help people work cattle I would rather work a bunch of high headed cattle than a bunch of pets.


:nod: :clap: This is as about as honest and real as it gets. Great post waco.
 
Muddy":2harwj90 said:
I'd rather take calm cows over high headed cows any day, just saying. Just because they're calm, doesn't mean they're pets.
Bingo!
 
Just last weekend I got slammed into a fence by a high headed mean bull.. thankfully he was a bout a frame 4 and only 1000 lbs, bruised my hip, but it could have been a lot worse.. I'll gladly take my cows any day of the week.. I'll just halter them and lead them where I want them to go.. I don't like *any* aggression in them.. Yes, a pet is still capable of hurting you, no doubt, but if you're down it's a lot less likely they will take a second run at you. Bulls you need to keep an eye on at all times, but I like mine as they are.. big, lazy babies that don't get worked up.
 
Bought a few pets in the past. Don't mind when they follow you for a treat, but don't tolerate pushing. Had one that would come over by herself and graze within 20' from you as long as you were in the pasture. Brought along her daughter in later years. It was hard to see her go.

Our cows move a couple times per week. They will come to call and then follow a long ways for a paddock shift. They can build up some speed when you call them from a ways away. Some usually buck, kick, and swirl along the way. Scares the **** out of some folks if they get overtaken and have cattle flow around both sides of them.

Only way to totally avoid this would be buying old cows that limp. ;-)
 
One perk of having docile hand-feeders is they are so much easier to doctor. Most of them will let me take their temp in the pasture if I throw down a couple cubes or scratch their hind end. Depending on the season & where they are it's also easier to hand-feed Sustain boluses at the 1st sign of sickness (foot rot, snotty nose, coughing, etc). Doesn't always cure what ails them but if we have to get them to one of the chutes or move the corral they generally follow me - with cubes as incentive. Having said that, I did end up with 2 black eyes last summer. Not a good luck but it wasn't all bad because my husband offered to run any errands in town the next couple weeks :)
 
My old arthritic cow forgot all about her ailments when she saw a bucket.. she wouldn't quite toss her butt in the air, but she'd moved with a a very determined, long stride. Her last daughter is one that is a little more frisky than I'd like... but age will slow her down.

Mega's mother was a cow that was really easy to work.. I'd have to give her uterine boluses after calving, and a flake of hay on the ground was all that was needed to keep her still.. now THAT is easy doctorin'
 
I prefer the middle ground cattle. Good, solid even tempered cattle that take care of their calfs, stay pretty calm when you work them. I have had some that were too gentle. Couldnt hardly move them around the pen because their natural prey mentality was gone. Same ones would be all over you with a grain bucket in your hand. I prefer them to come when called, but also respect space and respond to me working them with simple body positioning. About 90 % of my cows are this way. Still have a couple that are more 'tame' then I prefer.
 
bball":zr4wp0vq said:
I prefer the middle ground cattle. Good, solid even tempered cattle that take care of their calfs, stay pretty calm when you work them. I have had some that were too gentle. Couldnt hardly move them around the pen because their natural prey mentality was gone. Same ones would be all over you with a grain bucket in your hand. I prefer them to come when called, but also respect space and respond to me working them with simple body positioning. About 90 % of my cows are this way. Still have a couple that are more 'tame' then I prefer.
Yup, ours are the same way. But I prefer it to the high headed knotheads. Been down that road!
 
Muddy":2kahzf0y said:
Brute 23":2kahzf0y said:
Why are yall having to doctor yalls cattle so much?
Why we can't take care of our animals?

I've never doctored one cow for hoof rot, pink eye, cough or any of that other stuff :lol: ... and have never lost one to it. Pulled a few calves and penned a few for soar legs.... but never needed to doctor one.

That is funny to keep calm cattle so they can be doctored. Really, sounds like they need to be hamburger if they have to be doctored that much.

How do you know your cow has arthritis? Why would you keep her offspring?
 
Muddy":inepovb9 said:
Brute 23":inepovb9 said:
Why are yall having to doctor yalls cattle so much?
Why we can't take care of our animals?

Our main problem is foot rot, primarily in the winter months when it's wet & muddy. We always have loose mineral with CTC available but our pastures are are steep, rocky & there are a lot of trees; we have to dig out a lot of small rocks & sticks that get stuck between their toes. Calves are our primary concern during early Spring with all the new green grass (scours) & fluctuating temps ((snotty noses, potential for pneumonia). They would probably adjust & get over it but I would rather be proactive & treat early then wait until we have a really sick calf. Overall our herd is extremely healthy & we don't have to doctor them very often but when we do, having a docile animal is a plus.
 

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