Cow attacks another cow in labor

[damengineer]

This is a new one to me. Had cattle for over 55 years. I have a herd of about 60+ Angus and Angus/Longhorn cross cows & calves. This afternoon I had a 6 yr old Angus cow away from the herd in labor. The calf's hoofs were showing. About 20 head started toward her and 2 Angus cows of the same age started butting her. Finally after my wife ran our Ranger UTV into side of one of the fighters, one was left. I rolled this one over with a bale on the loader of the tractor, but she got back up and continued to fight. This continued for another 30 minutes in the brush where I could not get to them. Luckily the calf was born and got up and sucked. After the birth, there was no fighting.
I have recorded the numbers of the agressors and they are going to the sale after Thanksgiving along with 20 or more calves.
My methods to stop this may seem extreme, but at our age, we cannot afford to have agressive cattle in the herd. My wife has to cut the bale wrap and I operate the tractor due to a bad knee. A dead cow is less cost than an ER visit and not near as painful. I have one cow that seems to always be in a fight when feeding, but that one was not involoved this time!!! She is still going to the sale. I lost a door on a good pickup a few years back due to 2 cows fighting over the water trough. They got put in the freezer.
.....

Any experiences like this???

 

[Redgully]

There is always a group who are fighting for their place in the pecking order and i find its best to just let them sort it out and not get involved.

 

[alisonb]

Could it have been a mixture of  maternal aggression and herd hierarchy?
A cow secluding itself from the herd to calve in peace. Suddenly 20 inquisitive cows come rushing up. She feels threatened, her birthing hormones are at work. She acts aggressively towards the closest cow who happens to be the herd matriarch. Fight on...maternal aggression vs hierarchy. Do you know the 'pecking order' of the herd? Well, not quite the whole herd but more who the boss lady is? ;-)

Had a cow that was being attacked by bees a time back. She was panicking trying to get away from the bees and mistakenly bashed in to the old matriarch...there was he!! to pay, matriarch took her full on.

 

[insurman]

Have never seen that happen but you are spot on...run that B straight to Taco Bell and don't think twice about it...adios.