Does every herd have a boss cow?

[herofan]

Does every herd have a boss cow, and do they have certain actions that display it?

I bought 7 heifers in December, and one of them seemed pushy to the point that we named her, "The Boss." It never appeared to be anything that would cause damage, but she would often just walk up and push another heifer to the side for what I saw as no reason. She would root her way into the feed trough wherever she wanted, but again, nothing destructive, but just pushy.

I bought ten more in February of the same age. There was a Red Angus among them who displayed the same behavior. When we turned them together, I didn't notice anything between the two for a while. At times, however, they will lower their heads at each other and push each other around. This goes on for several minutes. I don't notice either one getting the upper hand. I notice that they either totally ignore each other, or they display this behavior.

So, are these two wrestling for who is boss, or is that just their personality. I've wondered if these two heifers were not here, would another one begin this pushy behavior to show her superiority?

 

[rjbovine]

From what I have seen with the cows that I have. If you take the boss away then another will take the boss position. Then if you reinterduce her back to the herd she has to take that boss position back.

 

[3waycross]

My buddy had a boss cow in his Shorthorn herd a few yrs ago. She had got down after calving so he pulled her out of the herd for 2 weeks with her calf. When we reintroduced her the other cows got her down and if we hadn't intervened I think they might have killed her. They were rolling her around pretty bad. After we rescued her they ostrasized her and she was never anything but an outcast after that.

 

[fitz]

My herd is often split up. But yes there is a dominant boss cow. Only one here with a name. Actually, second generation as her momma was a lead cow, same name. Agree with rjbovine and 3way, if one ever loses the position she may have a hard row to hoe.

fitz

 

[herofan]

Very interesting. I had always heard that when cows are unfamiliar with each other and turned together, they will often fight a bit, but it sounds like it can be rough sometimes.

So, when someone here introduces a new cow to their herd, do you usually have problems? Do you have any special routine for introducing a new cow, such as putting them in an adjoining field for a while and letting them rub noses first, or just turn them in with the others and forget it?

 

[highgrit]

I leave my new cows in a catch pen. And I feed and water the herd next to them for a week or so. And they will still push and shove each other for a while.

 

[dun]

Very interesting. I had always heard that when cows are unfamiliar with each other and turned together, they will often fight a bit, but it sounds like it can be rough sometimes.

So, when someone here introduces a new cow to their herd, do you usually have problems? Do you have any special routine for introducing a new cow, such as putting them in an adjoining field for a while and letting them rub noses first, or just turn them in with the others and forget it?

Depends on the individual cow. It's not necessarrily the boss cow that will go head to head with a new cow, it's usually one further doen in the pecking order. We just quarentine the new cow for a couple of weeks for health reasons then just turn them in with the others.
We have one cow that when Granny is separated for whatever reason or span of time she kind of takes over. But as soon as Granny is put back she's back to being the boss. She's awfully slow these days but when I open a gate to a new pasture she'll start towards it first, she won;t get there first but the others see where she's headed and take off. If I'm moving them to a further pasture they others will get sidetracked and start browsing along. Ol Granny will just keep on plodding along and the others will follow.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Yes, we have a boss cow, head-bytch-in-charge here. First, it was that mean-tempered cow that now lives in little white packages in the freezer, and now it's the heifer we bought at the same time -- so, our first cow, and then former heifer, who now bosses 11 out in the pasture Her disposition with us is much better, though, than the old gal.

 

[Alan]

Does every herd have a boss cow, and do they have certain actions that display it?

I bought 7 heifers in December, and one of them seemed pushy to the point that we named her, "The Boss." It never appeared to be anything that would cause damage, but she would often just walk up and push another heifer to the side for what I saw as no reason. She would root her way into the feed trough wherever she wanted, but again, nothing destructive, but just pushy.

I bought ten more in February of the same age. There was a Red Angus among them who displayed the same behavior. When we turned them together, I didn't notice anything between the two for a while. At times, however, they will lower their heads at each other and push each other around. This goes on for several minutes. I don't notice either one getting the upper hand. I notice that they either totally ignore each other, or they display this behavior.

So, are these two wrestling for who is boss, or is that just their personality. I've wondered if these two heifers were not here, would another one begin this pushy behavior to show her superiority?

Simple answer is yes, there is a boss cow.

 

[HOSS]

My boss cow is a 7 year old, 1500 lb red angus x Limi that is a big pet. I named her Ellie. She has a Lieutenant named Nelly that takes over when she is not around. They have been doing this shared boss duty for years. She keeps all the others in line....sometimes with just a halfhearted shove and sometimes with some real authority behind it. She leads them to new pastures, water and even to the mineral feeder but she always has time to come up to me for an ear scratching. She will probably be here until she drops dead from old age. Some cows just become part of the landscape and the place just wouldn't be the same without them.

 

[Jogeephus]

Yes, and her name is Bertha. She is a 1500+ lb highly pettable genetic melting pot of love. She is sometimes challenged but never dominated. If I need to calm some newly weaned calves or bought in calves that's her job and mission in life. Don't care if she ever has another calf cause she's worth her weight for what she does.

 

[MO_cows]

In my experience, albeit just a few years worth, I have observed a boss cow and a lead cow and they aren't necessarily the same cow. Our lead cow that everybody follows is not the same one that can push everybody else around. The lead cow had twins awhile back and we locked them in the corral the first couple nights to let her get used to keeping track of two, make it easier for both to get to nurse, etc. The rest of the cows never strayed far from the corral gate waiting for their leader. But it was a different cow that was dominant and could push everybody else around. We sold her last summer and the lead cow's daughter appears to be the new boss but not as pushy or aggressive as the old boss.

 

[Herefords.US]

In my experience, albeit just a few years worth, I have observed a boss cow and a lead cow and they aren't necessarily the same cow. Our lead cow that everybody follows is not the same one that can push everybody else around. The lead cow had twins awhile back and we locked them in the corral the first couple nights to let her get used to keeping track of two, make it easier for both to get to nurse, etc. The rest of the cows never strayed far from the corral gate waiting for their leader. But it was a different cow that was dominant and could push everybody else around. We sold her last summer and the lead cow's daughter appears to be the new boss but not as pushy or aggressive as the old boss.

Like you, most of my "lead" cows are not the boss cows. Also, in my herd, many times there is not a single boss cow in a pasture, but it ends up in a round-robin situation where dominant cow(#1) runs another dominant cow (#2), then dominant cow (#2) runs another dominant cow (#3), but dominant cow (#3) runs the dominant cow(#1). I've also found that it depends on the year and situation. I move my cattle around into different groups a lot and one cow may run another when they are in the same pasture one year, but the pecking order is reversed the next year.

George

 

[robertwhite]

Since lots of folks have already answered affirmative, I have nothing to add but this................. You bought 17 heifers? Please let us know how that works out at calving time.

 

[herofan]

Since lots of folks have already answered affirmative, I have nothing to add but this................. You bought 17 heifers? Please let us know how that works out at calving time.

I assume you will be expecting some troublesome experiences come calving time. I recall another thread here where a guy was asking about heifers and nobody recommended buying heifers. It seem like the way people do things around here is different from what people do on here. I know a guy down the road who recently went out of the dairy business, sold his dairy herd, and bought 25 Angus heifers to start a cow/calf operation.

 

[greatgerts]

Since lots of folks have already answered affirmative, I have nothing to add but this................. You bought 17 heifers? Please let us know how that works out at calving time.

I assume you will be expecting some troublesome experiences come calving time. I recall another thread here where a guy was asking about heifers and nobody recommended buying heifers. It seem like the way people do things around here is different from what people do on here. I know a guy down the road who recently went out of the dairy business, sold his dairy herd, and bought 25 Angus heifers to start a cow/calf operation.

It's totally different if you have been in cattle for some time and you go and buy a bunch of heifers. The reason folks on here suggest not to buy heifers is for those that have not had cattle, or that have not had any cattle since their dad or granddad did. Heifers can be a lot to handle for someone new, that may not know a whole lot about them. We have had cattle my entire life, but I am still leery about buying heifers most of the time.

 

[herofan]

For those who don't recommend heifers for beginners, what are the most common problems that usually arise? Is it trouble giving birth, cow and calf dying, cow not owning the calf, cow not giving milk? How many heifers out of 10 would you predict will have problems?

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

For those who don't recommend heifers for beginners, what are the most common problems that usually arise? Is it trouble giving birth, cow and calf dying, cow not owning the calf, cow not giving milk? How many heifers out of 10 would you predict will have problems?

Any one of those (and many more) problems could happen or even several of them with the same heifer. As far as how many out of 10 that depends on alot of different factors: sire, dam, BW, age of heifer when bred ect.: might be one might be all 10. For a beginner who is most likely not able to detect signs of complicated births or how to remedy them it can be a very daunting and expensive ordeal. Best to learn with cows that have already been to that rodeo before, there is still no gaurentee there won't be problems but less likely.

Were the heifers your bought bred? do have info on the sire if so?

 

[herofan]

Since lots of folks have already answered affirmative, I have nothing to add but this................. You bought 17 heifers? Please let us know how that works out at calving time.

I assume you will be expecting some troublesome experiences come calving time. I recall another thread here where a guy was asking about heifers and nobody recommended buying heifers. It seem like the way people do things around here is different from what people do on here. I know a guy down the road who recently went out of the dairy business, sold his dairy herd, and bought 25 Angus heifers to start a cow/calf operation.

No, they are not bred. they were young when we bought them and won't be ready to breed until around December.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

My herd is actuly spilt between the cows that live here year round, and the one that spend the summer at the other pasture, and for both groups they have a boss cow. The boss cow of the herd that stays year round is a big white cow that probly weighs about 1700 lbs, so it's no wonder she the herd boss. Then the other one is a about 1400 lbs 5 year, and she is always looking for the white cow, and they usely stay on spetrate hills while they are in the same pasture.