Docility!

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I’ve maybe had 3 in ver 30 years that was so calm it would remain laying down when you walked up to them, two of those were dairy cows.
Most of our cattle have a flight zone of just a few feet, a few are more distant. Have probably four that will allow petting for a brief moment especially if feed is involved.
 
Logan52 said:
I think the ideal docility is not the petting zoo type. A 1500 pound beast with no flight zone can be a bit of a problem at times. I find it much more difficult to load cows that just stand there and ignore my gentle persuasion to move.
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You're not wrong. And yet, I can generally check & treat for foot rot, various ailments, get a calf latched on, pull a calf, etc. in the pasture with no chute. And when I do need to get them in, they'll follow me with a bucket.

Loading? I've learned to just stand back and let them think it's their idea. Work smarter, not harder, and it's faster in the long run.
 
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There are many factors that determine the docility of animals including cattle. Genetics are one part of it. Amount of Exposure to humans is another. We have cattle that will let us scratch them or be within a few feet that scatter when a stranger comes up. I can scratch the back and railhead of all my bulls but only a few of our cows. There are sire groups that are naturally curious and gentler. We want all our bulls where we can pull in a section pasture and load them where we find them. How cattle are handled is another big factor. Some of our pens are over 50 years old and in disrepair. We have no issue handling them.
I always remember what and old cowboy told me years ago that if a person would spend a fraction of the time they spend training their horse on training their cows. Our cattle I can scratch know when I want them to move. I can sort them by myself or with the 80 year old that is my companion. I have penned neighbors strays in our pasture in our feeble pens and load them in a trailer. One bull had hit an ATV and after I loaded him in a trailer in our 4’ high pens he cleaned the alley at the sale barn. The owner was going to have him roped. I can handle all types but prefer the gentle ones. I never let one rub on me. My cattle are like my horses and dogs they know their limits.
 
There sure are pros and cons to levels of docility. Yes it's nice when there are a few you can go up to and scratch and socialize with, or a few which know what a bucket of oats is. But even with those, come calving time, you shouldn't trust your life on.
I prefer quiet, but stay out of my space when I cut strings off of haybales or if I have to tag a calf. Found out that the scratchy scratchy lovey dovey ones can loose that respect from you and get in your face. Like push you out of the way while cutting strings off of bales, so even if it is not intentionally mean........ it becomes a problem.
Few years back we had a pure bred bull which was raised just like a pet by the breeder. He wasn't halter trained or anything like that, just very docile. You could walk up to him and give him scratches when he was laying in the middle of the pasture, he wouldn't get up or nothing. Problem out of this was, you couldn't 'herd' him on foot or on a quad, which is how we move our cows/bulls, a pain in the ass if he didn't want to go with the main herd, or on the path we needed him to go on.
I do like me a good quiet docile cow though, one that isn't going to think of killing me at any time I have to work with her.

Just my five cents. Stay safe, a cow is not worth your health or life.
 
years ago, I had a 2300 lb. Bramer bull that I could do anything with. I would go out in the evening and catch and kill horse flies off of him. If I happened to miss one, he would point to it with his horns until I caught it. One of the toughest things I ever had to do was to put him down.
 
sunnyblueskies said:
There sure are pros and cons to levels of docility. Yes it's nice when there are a few you can go up to and scratch and socialize with, or a few which know what a bucket of oats is. But even with those, come calving time, you shouldn't trust your life on.
I prefer quiet, but stay out of my space when I cut strings off of haybales or if I have to tag a calf. Found out that the scratchy scratchy lovey dovey ones can loose that respect from you and get in your face. Like push you out of the way while cutting strings off of bales, so even if it is not intentionally mean........ it becomes a problem.
Few years back we had a pure bred bull which was raised just like a pet by the breeder. He wasn't halter trained or anything like that, just very docile. You could walk up to him and give him scratches when he was laying in the middle of the pasture, he wouldn't get up or nothing. Problem out of this was, you couldn't 'herd' him on foot or on a quad, which is how we move our cows/bulls, a pain in the ass if he didn't want to go with the main herd, or on the path we needed him to go on.
I do like me a good quiet docile cow though, one that isn't going to think of killing me at any time I have to work with her.

Just my five cents. Stay safe, a cow is not worth your health or life.
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That is what I meant about training cattle. They are smart like a horse. In the winter I kept ten bulls in a large pen and fed them twice a day and kept round bales out. I could scratch the back of everyone. But when I was feeding or putting out a bale after a few weeks they would stand back until I was done. They also know when I want them to move and when it is ok to stand still. It is a matter of taking the time to teach them like you would a dog or horse. Neither of them respect you naturally.
 
Just came across this pic and thought I'd share. This is the Director of Cattle Procurement at Creekstone Farms Premium Beef on one of the farm-to-table tours. Creekstone has brought out world renowned chefs and a lot of their customers to learn where their beef comes from: cow/calf operation to feedlot to the actual processing. Clearly, my girls are dog gentle, but they also know when to back off. See aforementioned training by @elkwc. And I do have a few that get a little testy when they calve. But I know how they roll and simply wait a day to tag/work their newborn - and always have an escape plan.
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