Careful when feeding

[denoginnizer]

Last week I needed to catch a lame bull in the catch pen. I have two bulls on this particular leased property. I grabbed a bag of cubes and headed towards the catch pen . The next thing I know I looked to my left and my healthy bull was about to run over me. He impacted me just below the left hip and sent me and 50 pounds of cattle cubes flying through the air , over a very large rosebush. After I landed , he showed no other concern for me . He was just interested in the cubes. Got a bruised hip, scratched elbow and a good reminder that cattle farming is dangerous. I am selling this bull in September.

 

[jt]

Last week I needed to catch a lame bull in the catch pen. I have two bulls on this particular leased property. I grabbed a bag of cubes and headed towards the catch pen . The next thing I know I looked to my left and my healthy bull was about to run over me. He impacted me just below the left hip and sent me and 50 pounds of cattle cubes flying through the air , over a very large rosebush. After I landed , he showed no other concern for me . He was just interested in the cubes. Got a bruised hip, scratched elbow and a good reminder that cattle farming is dangerous. I am selling this bull in September.

been lots of conversation about making pets out of em.... :roll: all he was doing was getting to the feed bowl as fast as he could... you just happened to be in his way. i have some cows that are not afraid of me, and it makes me nervous feeding them... seems to be a fine line between keeping them catchable with feed and having them too comfortable around you...

be careful,

jt

 

[bigbull338]

right all the bull was wanting was the feed. was interested in hurting you.i had samething happen to me yrs ago.was feeding cows in the corral and they squeezed me between them.well i fell down in between them.1400lb cows above me.lrggs under them where they could really stomp me.i layed there for a min felt a cow put her foot on my legg then pick it up.after that i slowly pulled myself from undere them . got up and went back to work . scott

 

[TheBullLady]

Yep.. mine will pretty much run me down if I have a bucket or feed also. Which is why we nearly always feed them in the pens, which I keep closed. Then I can back up the truck, fill the bunks, and be safe. I open two sets of gates and run like he!!. :)

 

[sidney411]

One of my bulls almost did the same thing to me. I was walking them out on one field into another and he wanted the cubes I was carrying and bunted me, didn't knock me over but sure gave me a wake-up call.

 

[Susie David]

It is interseting that we easily have lapse in memory and believe that our cattle are more interested in our conversation and companionship than the feed pail that we are carry. We condition ours to the candy bucket early on but make sure there is a gate available for a quick escape...and always grain in the bunks, makes it easier and safer when the dinner bell rings.
If the bull has earned his keep this season why wait until September unless y'all breed year around or are using him for catch-up...

 

[jkwilson]

When we bought the place we live now, it was planted in corn. As we built fence, I closed off the back with hotwire to let the cows glean the field. I put a strip of polytape up to help the deer see the wire. When the fence was done, I was rolling up the polytape, and a couple of cows thought I had feed. Bull walked up and stepped on my foot in his excitement to get feed. Leaned on him but couldn't get him to back off. He finished the step, shifting his weight to my foot. I limped for two or three weeks. Luckily it had thawed a week or so before so it was soft ground.

 

[jt]

One of my bulls almost did the same thing to me. I was walking them out on one field into another and he wanted the cubes I was carrying and bunted me, didn't knock me over but sure gave me a wake-up call.

i have a friend that once got butted square in the back as he was walking away with the feed bucket. sent him sprawling across the ground, and he is a big man.

all the bull wanted was some more feed.

needless to say, he sold that young bull and quick. he had become too much of a pet.

jt

 

[Rustler9]

One of my Longhorn heifers used to run you over to get to the feed bucket-she had horns way into the 40's" tip to tip before she was two years old. One day as :) I was taking a bucket of feed out to the troughs and she would come up to you and side swipe you to try to get her head in the bucket. I was trying to swat at her to get her to back off and she raised her head up and as she did the tip of one of her horns caught me hard in the upper lip. I wound up with a bloody mouth and it was swollen for a couple days-looked like somebody busted me a good one. I gave her a good a** whipping with my hand. I know she didn't mean to do it. Still have her, she's too good to get rid of.

 

[dcara]

One of my year old steers I'm feeding out used to always come running up to me when I walked into the paddock with the feed bucket. Two weeks ago he bunted the feed bucket I was carrying against me hard so I gave him a swift kick in the nose. Now he keeps his distance. But I've heard others say they've been nailed after kicking the cow in the nose. At a year old they're big enough now that I am starting to keep a fence line between them and me but thought I'd ask if ya'll thought it was generally a good or bad idea to try and get their respect when they get to close.

 

[Tod Dague]

My bulls are gentle. I've started sending them off to reconditioning after I'm done. Gets them out of my way, keeps them from tearing everything up, and they come back in great shape, not to fat or thin.

 

[Muratic]

thought I'd ask if ya'll thought it was generally a good or bad idea to try and get their respect when they get to close.

Just my opinion here so take it for what you think its worth...I think that the whole dance starts with you respecting him.
You need to respect the power and the weight that he has behind that head of his. Once you respect him...then you can move on with demanding cooperation from him.

 

[jt]

thought I'd ask if ya'll thought it was generally a good or bad idea to try and get their respect when they get to close.

Just my opinion here so take it for what you think its worth...I think that the whole dance starts with you respecting him.
You need to respect the power and the weight that he has behind that head of his. Once you respect him...then you can move on with demanding cooperation from him.

excellent point muratic.

imo, dcara you want to get their respect, but it needs to be before they get too close. if they are continually getting too close, then they dont respect you enough.

jt

 

[jt]

i will add this too, it is easier said than done sometimes.. :lol:

when that feed bucket shows up and you have a crowd of somewhat friendly cattle, then all the pushing and shoving can get you in a delicate situation. i have some that get closer than i want, but only when the feed bucket is around. i totally respect their area and try to keep from getting in a tight spot when feeding.



good luck

jt

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

I guess Im lucky with my bull at feeding time. He doesnt come near me when I have the feed bag. As soon as he sees me, he runs right over to his feed trough and waits for me. When I get close, he will put his head down in the trough just waiting for me to dump feed in.

 

[milesvb]

I usually try to stay ahead of them when I put out cubes so the sack is empty by the time they catch up but a few months ago our herd matriarch snuck up behind me and gave me a jab in the back of the leg. She's the last one with horns and she's gettin' real close to trailer bound.

If they crowd you expecting feed, which is sometimes hard to avoid, it's just a matter of time before you get kicked, step on or squashed between cows, etc. I figure bumps and bruises are part of the business but gettin' dead sure ain't. Be careful.

 

[Bama]

I guess Im lucky with my bull at feeding time. He doesnt come near me when I have the feed bag. As soon as he sees me, he runs right over to his feed trough and waits for me. When I get close, he will put his head down in the trough just waiting for me to dump feed in.

Cattle become conditioned. If they only get feed from a trough thats where they expect it. If one ever tries to stick its head in the bucked I slap it. If they figure out they can get a bite from the bucket they will continue to try it. I only feed in a trough. They soon learn where to go if they see me with a bucket. Even if I'm roundiing them up with a bucket most of the time I just have to shake a little feed in the bucket and they come. They stay about 10 feet behind me until they figure out which trough I'm going to. Then head over to the trough before I get there. If I'm just wanting to get them together in the pasture I'll put some of the small 5 foot troughs on the back of the truck and take them out there.

 

[MoGal]

I think its important to carry a cattle prod with you just for that reason (whether its a shocker or a stick).

I got run over 2 weeks ago by one of my cows because I was trying to turn her (learned my lesson well as my face hit the feed trough, turned all black and blue and I now have multiple facial fractures and have to go to the specialist tomorrow).

This past winter we had 17 bulls in the north pasture (my boss leases them) and I made sure I put the feed out BEFORE I called em up.

 

[Medic24]

I usually carry a handgun with me , and any of them try that I simply put a bullet in the head.. that will learn em! Fresh meat tonight kids! :cboy: JK

 

[msscamp]

Last week I needed to catch a lame bull in the catch pen. I have two bulls on this particular leased property. I grabbed a bag of cubes and headed towards the catch pen . The next thing I know I looked to my left and my healthy bull was about to run over me. He impacted me just below the left hip and sent me and 50 pounds of cattle cubes flying through the air , over a very large rosebush. After I landed , he showed no other concern for me . He was just interested in the cubes. Got a bruised hip, scratched elbow and a good reminder that cattle farming is dangerous. I am selling this bull in September.

You trained him to do this! I learned the 'pet' lesson at about 10-12 years of age. Never had one since.