Bizarre behavior in pregnant mommas

[raykour]

I had my cows separated into 2 groups for awhile....about a month. These cows have lived together for years but some of the mommas were still nursing heifer calves and until I got them moved out I had to keep them separate from the bull since the big heifer calves should have been getting close to cycling the first time.

Anyway, today, I put all my mommas back togethers. One of my middle of the pecking order cows, Sam, and another cow number 910 got into a squabble. They were really going at it good and 910 was taking the brunt since she is much smaller than Sam who is charolais. Oddly, in the middle of all of this head butting and pushing 910 started aggressively butting Sam's udder and attempting to grab a teat and even odder was that Sam started to return the behavior. So now I ahve these 2 full-grown mothers cows running in a pinwheel as they both try and grab a teat.

Finally I went in and separated them and 910 got back to a pile of hay while Sam went and found a new cow to squabble with, but there was none of the attempted nursing going on in that fight.

I have seen some bizarre behavior but this one was a new one. These cows are due to calve in April. 910 is a 3 year old and Sam is 5 so they have each had a calf before.

Any explanations?

 

[Taurus]

I don't think they are trying to grab a teat. It's all part of pecking orders and that is how the cows sort out the pecking order. I won't be too worried about it but it's unwise to try to stop a squabble between the two cows as you can get hurt.

 

[colleen]

I have 2 cows that do that, fighting to be the lead cow.. ive seen them fight for an hour. They put their head up under the other ones back leg, at their bag. And they will stand like that and hit or push and they just go round and round in a little circle. And we go try to break them up and they are right back at it again! Crazy girls!

 

[glacierridge]

I have 2 cows that do that, fighting to be the lead cow.. ive seen them fight for an hour. They put their head up under the other ones back leg, at their bag. And they will stand like that and hit or push and they just go round and round in a little circle. And we go try to break them up and they are right back at it again! Crazy girls!

My brother like to refer to them as "Angry Women"

 

[Nite Hawk]

Have seen cattle "doing the pinwheel" trying to figure out their pecking order, but instead of teat grabbing their head was under the other cows hind quarters / belly, trying to lift the other cows hind end off the ground. Am guessing they were trying to throw the other individual off balance.
Nite Hawk

 

[inyati13]

I have seen the pinwheel thing too. I notice that even if you put one cow up and release her in say a week, they will fight to reestablish the pecking order. My lead cow, Blackie (I sold her recently because she was open; she weighed 1890 lbs) and the second cow, Big Bertha, who probably also weighs about 1900, got into a fight after I had Big Bertha up. Bertha got her head under Blackie's left side and rolled her down a slope. Hope you never have to see a 1900 pound cow rolled completely over with all four legs pointing to the sun; I thought I had lost her. She got back up, put her head into Bertha and pushed her around like she was a toy. Blackie keep here dominant position. I miss her every day :cry2:

 

[raykour]

Thanks for the input everyone.

There was tongue coming out and lips moving like they were trying to grab a teat but maybe that is some kind of primitive reflex.

WE always have little squabbles also after separating the herd. Apparently, Sam is looking to move up the ranks!

I do know the dangers of 2 1200+ lb. animals at war but the ferocity of this particular battle made me think I needed to step in.

 

[colleen]

My husband has had to get the one cow off the other one. She had the cow on the ground and she just kept slamming into her over and over. He thinks she would have done some major damage to her if he hadn't. I have seen a couple of our cows reach over and pull on another ones teat. But not in an aggressive way. Yet.

 

[B&M Farms]

My husband has had to get the one cow off the other one. She had the cow on the ground and she just kept slamming into her over and over. He thinks she would have done some major damage to her if he hadn't. I have seen a couple of our cows reach over and pull on another ones teat. But not in an aggressive way. Yet.

I had a cow that was way too agressive. Although cows will fight to establish dominance, this cow would take other cows to the ground and wouldn't stop. She was not the dominant cow and she wouldn't do this to cows more dominant then her. It was usually younger cows. She went to the salebarn.