Cows that will get ya

[hillbillycwo]

I grew up around a farm spending each summer on my uncle's dairy. My wife grew up on a dairy in central kentucky. We purchased 100 acres in Kentucky to retire to in two years after I retire from the Navy to raise calves to sell as stockers. We bought some "good " looking stock from a local farmer and I bought four nice looking older cows from the local livestock market. I have always heard that lots of times when you buy stock from the market you get another man's troubles. I must agree with that but then again you can buy money makers too and I have had good luck over the years there.

One cow I bought from the market was a very nice red angus/limo cross. Of course bred to a black bull. We brought her home vaccinated and turned her out two weeks later. She had a very nice black angus bull last month when we hapened to be home on leave. My 18 year old son went to check the cows. 20 minutes later he was back to the house madder then you know what. It seems he was the first to see the calf and went ot band it well momma didn't like it and ate his tail up. He got her interested in the 4 wheeler and hit the fence. Needless to say that calf gets banded in February when I get my cows up to vaccinate and pregnanct check them. You must always be mindful of even the apparent gentle ones was the lesson he learned tht day. Young lads sometimes learn these lessons thee hard way.

 

[Tatertot]

Glad your son is all right. One of our cows with the widest flight zone is also one of our meanest right after she calves.

 

[TexasBred]

Just another good mama looking out for her baby. ;-) Sounds like she got her message across.

 

[bigbull338]

no cow is ever completely gentle esp when she has a new calf.she was just doing her job protecting the calf.ive got a cow that hates dogs.an she will go after the dog if it messes with her.so i watch her around the dog.

 

[hillbillycwo]

She was definitely doing her job. I actually laughed at him. He was pretty PO'ed. But the cows are not use to us yet and they will calm somewhat. She definitely was not going to let us get close enough to handle that calf, probably why she was sold. Hopefully I can get her up okay she is really a nice cow and I would like to get a few heifers out of her for replacements unless she is too hard to handle. I will feed them in the lot for a while prior to getting them up to make thinks easier. Even the most contensious cows love that feed and will come to it.

 

[HOSS]

I've got 4 or 5 red angus / limo cows. They are very gentle....most gentle we have....until they calve.....5 days later they will let me do whatever I want to the calf. That first 3 to 5 days they will eat you up if you get too close to baby. After that they don't seem to care. They make great mommas and raise my best calves. I'm not saying yours will be the same but she might if you give her a litttle time....she just might take a little longer.

 

[novatech]

She was definitely doing her job. I actually laughed at him. He was pretty PO'ed. But the cows are not use to us yet and they will calm somewhat. She definitely was not going to let us get close enough to handle that calf, probably why she was sold. Hopefully I can get her up okay she is really a nice cow and I would like to get a few heifers out of her for replacements unless she is too hard to handle. I will feed them in the lot for a while prior to getting them up to make thinks easier. Even the most contensious cows love that feed and will come to it.

Always make the assumption the cow will get you feed or no feed. The odds are in your favor when you think that way. Even after a few weeks always keep an eye on the cow. I am amazed how a 1600 pound cow can be so quiet just before she decides to throw you for a loop.

 

[angie1]

Always make the assumption the cow will get you feed or no feed. The odds are in your favor when you think that way. Even after a few weeks always keep an eye on the cow. I am amazed how a 1600 pound cow can be so quiet just before she decides to throw you for a loop.

Good Advice from the brahma breeder!! I wouldn't step into a pasture with one of them, let alone be crazy enough to get near a calf. :shock: They will eat your lunch!! :help:


OK ~ we're even now. No more flannel cracks. :lol2:

 

[dun]

We have cow that we raised from a yearling, 5 calves and I walked righht up and tagged the calves no problem. Number 6 and she wouldn;t let me within 100 yards, number 7 I walked right up and banded. Cows are only predictable when you realize how unpredictable they are.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Cows are only predictable when you realize how unpredictable they are.

Aint that the truth. I have a char/brahman F1. She is the self appointed guard cow. If anything on the place is calving, she's on guard. Two calves ago she calved about 50 yards from the stock tank. The calf kept getting up and stumbling. Eventually it stumbled all the way to the stock tank and down the embankment. Next thing it is out in the stock tank about to drown. I went in after it in the middle of winter. The cow was stressed. I drug the calf to her without incident but was puckered the whole time.

 

[novatech]

Cows are only predictable when you realize how unpredictable they are.

Aint that the truth. I have a char/brahman F1. She is the self appointed guard cow. If anything on the place is calving, she's on guard. Two calves ago she calved about 50 yards from the stock tank. The calf kept getting up and stumbling. Eventually it stumbled all the way to the stock tank and down the embankment. Next thing it is out in the stock tank about to drown. I went in after it in the middle of winter. The cow was stressed. I drug the calf to her without incident but was puckered the whole time.

Sometimes I don't understand why we do this sort of thing. Of course we don't think about it until after we do it. Risking life and limb for a calf sometimes is pretty dumb. I have never hesatated, I guess it is something built in. If we sold completly out and took the money and reinvested we would be far ahead.
I have used my truck, backhoe, skidsteer, run around trees, and whatever else is available to save a calf.
Jumping in a lake in the winter is something I have not had to do. I hope I never have to but I guess I might. Only because I wouldn't take the time to think about what a dumb Azz I would be for doing it.
The sorryest cow I own is one I pulled out of a bed of cactus in a gully. It cost me a $500 vet bill.My grandkids made it into a pet. Her first calf had to be put down. I would have dumped her but she is the grandkids pet. So far I figure I have at least a grand tied up in saving that calf.

 

[farmwriter]

The sorryest cow I own is one I pulled out of a bed of cactus in a gully. It cost me a $500 vet bill.My grandkids made it into a pet. Her first calf had to be put down. I would have dumped her but she is the grandkids pet. So far I figure I have at least a grand tied up in saving that calf.

That sounds like horse talk! We've had some horses get banged up bad, and I've heard my Daddy say more than once, "Well, we know he (or she) ain't worth anything now. If he was, it would have killed him."
Seems it's always the scrubs that make it through the worst trouble and the prizes that don't make it.

 

[hillbillycwo]

Father-in-law always tells me the farmer is never rich till he's dead and the kids sell the farm off. But he will live the richest of lifestyles. I firmly believe this and that is what I want to farm for the rich lifestyle. I have lived the rat race long enough time to get back to my roots. Following the Lord's will and doing the best I can.

 

[I luv herfrds]

We watch our backs the whole time we are banding and tagging a calf. I like to do it in the barn. Kick the cow out and have the calf in there alone.
The crazies hit the road around here. Had one that tried to take the hubby, several times. Even a few days after she had the calf she tried to take him.
Had one cow take me and put me up a fence. Reason was my dog followed me down there. She never did it again, but then the dog was tied up.

 

[hillbillycwo]

I learned this lesson a long time ago. Had a bull (holstein) push me, tractor and hay into a pond. He didn't make it to the sale barn. But he did make pretty good steaks. I always watch them. They get shipped when they start being hard to keep in the fencing or when they don't have a reason to come after me and do or if we can't get them vaccinated safely. There is always risk associated with cattle and we try to manage it as best we can. Cattle are an investment that is long term and I don't make pets out of them. Of course we have our favorites but they are too powerful to trust them like I do my Jack Russell and Lab. Lee

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Ladies and Gentlemen!!

These stories sound so familiar to me it makes my hair stand on end! In my years with animals I have been bitten, butted, stomped on, kicked, struck (mule!), struck again (Rattlesnake-broke fang off in my boot heel! Talk about "pucker time"!), squeezed against a fence (this time it was the Angus bull Ankonian Dynamo!), crowded in a barn stall by a mule until I stuck him in the belly with a knife, rolled on a rock pile by a steer I was trying to load, chased by bulls, cows, Billy goats (!), and Fighting Cocks and Goose Ganders, and bitten in the thigh by an African Antelope. Thrown from horses. Never been bitten by a horse - yet. Just lucky, I guess.

My point to this nostalgic monologue is this: ANIMALS ARE WONDERFUL CREATURES, but you have to watch them - CONSTANTLY. Their psyche is to protect themselves and their offspring. We carefully select our breeding animals for "Maternal Instincts and Characteristics". One usually gets what one asks for! Get your animals to KNOW you, but DON'T make them your 'buddies'. Except your dogs and cats!!

DOC HARRIS

 

[alacattleman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JF ... re=related

 

[novatech]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA&feature=related

If I had to give credit to only one person in the world for more tender beef that would be Temple Grandin.

 

[AngusLimoX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA&feature=related

If I had to give credit to only one person in the world for more tender beef that would be Temple Grandin.

She just made a tour through here. I wonder what king of handling equipment she would recommend for newbies?

:lol:

 

[3waycross]

My ex partner had a Shorthorn Boss Cow that hated him. He let her get away with it for years. Then one day he was bent over cutting the strings on a bale in Jan. 3 months after we weaned her heifer calf. the heifer was close by but he didn't think anything of it. When he bent over she hit him head on. Luckily her horns went on either side of his head. I would have gone to the house got the gun and shot her. He let her calve out and even then I had to MAKE him ship her. :dunce:

Sometimes the herd needs to be thinned out both ways :nod: