aggressive mommas

[Bogeyjoker]

I band and tag as soon as the calf is dried off. I expect my cows to understand the difference between "The Boss" banding and tagging and coyotes or bears. Any mama who can't figure out that distinction goes away in a hurry. I had a first calf heifer kill her calf once, more out of annoyance than over-mothering...I ate her.

 

[sunnyblueskies]

Well, learned something new again. I didn't know or think of types of behaviour coming from the bull genetics.
Can't quite picture how bad the cows toss their calves. Oh I believe you, just have never seen anything like that. Ours (not Angus) will maybe nudge their calves to sit up and get moving, which I like, it stimulates.
Be great to see a video of how bad your cows treat their calves, sure, I realize, calving is done and that is not possible.
Guess everyones measure of cow behaviour and what is acceptable is different. If it makes YOU feel uncomfortable to be around........ off they go. There are too many things to worry about as it is, to worry about a calf being killed/hurt by it's mother intentionally.

 

[faster horses]

I've heard of some lines of cows being crazy when they calve and some apparently actually kill their calves. Would not want to perpetuate that behavior.

Agreed. Years ago it was known that the GDAR 2100 daughters had that tendency.

 

[Stocker Steve]

She hit him and knocked him down. I yelled at her and after hitting the calf again she took off back down the hill towards her own calf. To this day I have no idea what she was thinking.

The guardian cow was protecting you.

 

[Warren Allison]

Life's too short to tolerate this nonsense. There's a lot of other good cattle available that you won't be risking injury owning. Their genetics don't mean much if you get hurt.

There is zero danger or risk of getting hurt. Like the OP said, she (I assume it is a she) mis-labled this thread. There is nothing aggresssive or dangerous about these cows. They just bellow more than "normal" and push their calves to get up as soon as they are born. The OP stated that these were excellent mothers after the 1st hour or so, and would let them get in the pen with the cows and their calves. Reading between the lines, the OP had these in a pen, corral or lot was there watching the births? If so, then it was just instinct for these cows to get their calves up so they could get them away from the other cows and the OP. Were these cows in a 100 acre pasture like we have around here, or in a thousands of acres pasture like our NW and Canadian friends on here have, then this wouldn't have happened, or, the OP wouldn't know it if it did.

 

[Rocking DC]

Did you say they were angus cattle or was that assumed?

 

[Rocking DC]

Did you say they were angus cattle or was that assumed ?

 

[Chevy]

We have one Angus mother she is very protective of all the babies. She will chase me almost every stinky time I get around her. I don't like her and she hates me but she is a good mother. She will always protective all the calves and keep every cow in line. She isn't the leader boss cow she is the manager. She has good calfs as well. Sometimes you out weigh the bad with the good. She doesn't do that crap with my husband she just hates me. I believe it's my voice and I talk to her, she doesn't like that.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We have one Angus mother she is very protective of all the babies. She will chase me almost every stinky time I get around her. I don't like her and she hates me but she is a good mother. She will always protective all the calves and keep every cow in line. She isn't the leader boss cow she is the manager. She has good calfs as well. Sometimes you out weigh the bad with the good. She doesn't do that crap with my husband she just hates me. I believe it's my voice and I talk to her, she doesn't like that.

Stop talking to her.

 

[Mossy Dell]

but they calve in a barn where I'm sure they can and do watch them

Yep, that's the key, in my experience selecting a sheep flock for lambing on pasture. The ability to mother is made up of many abilities and behaviors. It is cumulative and complex. Mothering is impaired in sheep flocks very quickly when they barn lamb. Maybe after 3 years. The owners have no idea if they can mother, though they will say they are great. A barn cannot approach the demands that pasture makes. A crazy mother is more likely to lose track of her baby, at the least. And stir everyone else up, harm others' bonding.

I learned I had to buy ewes and rams from others who lambed on pasture and culled flaky ewes. I never, ever bought from those who showed since they usually barn lambed and did not tend to emphasize economically important traits. Starting with mothering ability.

 

[TCRanch]

Well, learned something new again. I didn't know or think of types of behaviour coming from the bull genetics.
Can't quite picture how bad the cows toss their calves. Oh I believe you, just have never seen anything like that. Ours (not Angus) will maybe nudge their calves to sit up and get moving, which I like, it stimulates.
Be great to see a video of how bad your cows treat their calves, sure, I realize, calving is done and that is not possible.
Guess everyones measure of cow behaviour and what is acceptable is different. If it makes YOU feel uncomfortable to be around........ off they go. There are too many things to worry about as it is, to worry about a calf being killed/hurt by it's mother intentionally.

8 years ago one of my purebred Angus (ironically named Satan) had twins. Initially claimed both & 3 days later decided to ditch one. Searched 3 days before we finally found the calf, amazingly still alive, and immediately took her to the barn (copious amounts of electrolytes ensued, then replacer). Caught mama & the other twin and brought them down as well, hoping for a happy reunion. Satan threw her rejected calf against the side of the barn, trying to kill it - never seen anything like it. So, I had a bottle calf, currently on her 7th calf & nothing like her mama. And I didn't have to worry about selling Satan because she ended up with lymphoma. Karma's a bytch!

It happens. And there's a big difference between aggressive mamas & protective mamas. Aggressive towards their calf or me earns them a ride. Protective, but understanding she needs to keep an appropriate distance when I work their newborn, is a good thing.

 

[OzssieDave19]

Persevere please. We had several years of drought. We had heifers and experienced cows calving. Some would bellow roar and belt their calf some straight out rejected others pushed the calf through a fence calmed down and then moo-ed gently please come back. The ones that rejected we had to "foster" their own calf into them like a spare. Anyway drought finished up and so did this behaviour. I put it down to the long drought.

 

[Vschoettle]

I decided to bring in some new blood. Bought a half dozen bred second calvers (my favorites since they've already had one calf but are still young). Different genetics but all from the same place. Very well known place selling a bull or two a year to ai studs. Have been great people to work with. No issues.

My issue:

As soon as they calve the are all EXTREMELY excited and almost freaked out about their calf. Screaming at it and rolling it around. I've even felt compelled to step in to "save" a calf or two from its momma and let it figure out how to stand up and such without its momma pushing it around. Once the mommas settle down (couple hours), they are great mommas. When my normal cows calve, they moo a little. Clean off the calf. Mother up. But stay sane. What's odd is that EVERY ONE of these six cows from this other place did the same thing even from different genetic backgrounds. This did NOT seem to be a difficult birth dilemma. I did have to pull twins out of one of them - but she ended up being the least freaked out. The rest just squirted right out. They weren't brand new to my place either. I bought them last October and they've been at my place all winter and calved in May. I feel like one of these freak shows is eventually gonna kill its calf (even though after an hour or so, they really are owning it and being great). If one does kill its calf, it won't be because she hates it, it will be because she's just lost her mind.

Is this normal? It must be genetic even though the cows all have different blood lines? Am I just used to my cows and mine are ABnormal?

Nope.
Yours are normal. Some demon blood in those genes somewhere. I am sorry: ship em and wow, what an experience!
Vanessa

 

[FungusProudKY31]

But the old bulls were GREAT! They never tell you the details. EM31 and 707 both had that reputation. Get me out of here, Percy!

 

[Chevy]

Stop talking to her.

That would be to easy. I don't much I give her sign language instead letting her know she is number 1.

 

[BFE]

Had a heifer do the same thing this spring, she was bawling so much I thought something was wrong. She was super excited by that little booger she just dropped, I thought I was going to have to separate them. Had another one years ago do the same. Turned out fine in both cases. I would rather them be more interested than less.

 

[Bum Steer]

Sounds to me like you're interfering, when you dont have to, a "couple of hours", leave em be, and let them do their job. It works in the human world too, sometimes we need assistance and as you discovered momma was gratefull.

Ya, Thats what I thought when a roan recipient cow I had bought was pretty loud and aggressive with her newborn. She did calm down once she had killed the calf though. Gut wrenching to come back out to that. She immediatly began her new career in the food industry......

 

[sunnyblueskies]

And there's a big difference between aggressive mamas & protective mamas. Aggressive towards their calf or me earns them a ride. Protective, but understanding she needs to keep an appropriate distance when I work their newborn, is a good thing.

Oh absolutely agree.

 

[damengineer]

I have a couple of longhorn cows and a longhorn bull that run with my Angus cows. I got the bull when I lost several calves that were too big at calving. I had a first calf heifer that had a newborn calf. It had nursed once already, but it was winter and a real cold wind had picked up from the North. The heifer was trying to get her calf to get out of the fence row and go with her to the windbreak. She worked for 20 minutes to get the calf up but it would not move. One of my old longhorn cows came up, twisted her horn right down along the ground and picked that calf up and set it on its feet. I wish I would have got a video. I had cussed that old girl the day before and told her that her days were numbered. That was 3 years ago, she is still here.... My longhorn calves are wild as can be until they are weaned. The longhorn cross mothers are some of the best mothers I have. Some stay with their calves 24/7 and others hide them for 3 weeks. I try to cull the ones who hide their calves. The longhorn blood costs me when I sell, they really take a hit if they are not black. However, I have only lost 2 calves in 5 years out of 40 mother cows since having the longhorn bull.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I have a couple of longhorn cows and a longhorn bull that run with my Angus cows. I got the bull when I lost several calves that were too big at calving. I had a first calf heifer that had a newborn calf. It had nursed once already, but it was winter and a real cold wind had picked up from the North. The heifer was trying to get her calf to get out of the fence row and go with her to the windbreak. She worked for 20 minutes to get the calf up but it would not move. One of my old longhorn cows came up, twisted her horn right down along the ground and picked that calf up and set it on its feet. I wish I would have got a video. I had cussed that old girl the day before and told her that her days were numbered. That was 3 years ago, she is still here.... My longhorn calves are wild as can be until they are weaned. The longhorn cross mothers are some of the best mothers I have. Some stay with their calves 24/7 and others hide them for 3 weeks. I try to cull the ones who hide their calves. The longhorn blood costs me when I sell, they really take a hit if they are not black. However, I have only lost 2 calves in 5 years out of 40 mother cows since having the longhorn bull.

I'd much rather have a calving ease Angus bull but I'm glad this is working out for you.