Had a new experience today

[S&S Farms]

Was feeding the girls in the pasture saw one of my donor cows lookin a little thin, but I did not see any mess on her tail or a calf nearby. I had seen another cow of licking a new one when pulling in to feed. So I feed the cows and as I am turning around i see a calf laying out in the sun was not sure if it was dead or alive from the way it was laying. So I go over to see if it is ok. It jumps up and starts bellaring and I look to see if a cow will come off of the chow line to claim it. It was all dry, hit the ground last night or early this morning. So I decide to move it a little closer to the cows. As I approach it it turns and charges me and head butts me in the thigh. In 20 years of managing the calving I have never had this done to me by a day old calf. I will be keeping an eye on him as he grows. It was out of my donor.


Anybody else have this experience with a new calf not the mamma.

Jeff

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, we had a calf only hours old do the same thing to me. Would beller and charge at me. I thought "well he's just frightened and doesn't know what to do" - wrong. He was nutso from then on. Beautiful - but NUTS if alone. If you kept him with the group, he was fine. Just couldn't seperate him. Warned my feedlot guy, and he was fine with it, so he took him. Didn't have any trouble with him.

I think that first contact with people should be a somewhat "pleasant" experience - even tho we give them two shots, eartag them & hang them to weigh them. I still like to keep them as calm as possible. There was no calming that calf down. Screw loose from the getgo.

 

[dun]

I thought everyone had that happen at least once or twice. Last year we had one that knocked the wife down and started pounding at her with his head. Little turd wasn;t even dry yet. She wasn;t that close but he ran the 20 feet to get to her.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Lots of the calves from my old bull will do that trying to get away, bellar, butt, and run. I wait a few days on his calves and they will licking your hand.

 

[bigbull338]

yes ive had new calves charge an butt the fire out of me.an then they settle right on down.an you learn real quick to watch the new calves.

 

[Susie David]

Sounds like some instincts are stronger than others. Wonder how thoes calves will grow up. Will be interesting to hear how that one develops. Keep us posted DMc

 

[sizmic]

Sounds like a good opportunity to try out a new knife.

Sizmic

 

[hillsdown]

I had one born just this morn that is a real piece of work..He was really gentle and cooperative when he was born but after a few hours with his mom he is a real @ss..I was just out and he was laying in the snow so I got him up and "tried" to move him to the straw pile but the twit just kept balling and balling it sounded like someone was trying to kill him and then he started charging at me...I just walked away and he is on his own; I don't need more bruises especially from a 127 lb 12 hour old bull calf.. :lol2:

I still have to tag and band him tomorrow so if I don't post in the next couple of days you know he got the best of me.. ;-)

Btw his mom is going down the road this fall..... :nod:

 

[3waycross]

I had one born just this morn that is a real piece of work..He was really gentle and cooperative when he was born but after a few hours with his mom he is a real @ss..I was just out and he was laying in the snow so I got him up and "tried" to move him to the straw pile but the twit just kept balling and balling it sounded like someone was trying to kill him and then he started charging at me...I just walked away and he is on his own; I don't need more bruises especially from a 127 lb 12 hour old bull calf.. :lol2:

I still have to tag and band him tomorrow so if I don't post in the next couple of days you know he got the best of me.. ;-)

Btw his mom is going down the road this fall..... :nod:

Hillsdown! If you don't mind me askin what in heavens name did you get a 127 lb newborn calf out of?

 

[S&S Farms]

Today when I went to move him and tag and tattoo him he was fine. He was a 84lb bull out of SHF Treasure R117 T58. We will keep an eye on him and see how he matures. I just won't forget that first experience with him. I will try to get some pictures posted of several in the near future.


Jeff

 

[hillsdown]

I had one born just this morn that is a real piece of work..He was really gentle and cooperative when he was born but after a few hours with his mom he is a real @ss..I was just out and he was laying in the snow so I got him up and "tried" to move him to the straw pile but the twit just kept balling and balling it sounded like someone was trying to kill him and then he started charging at me...I just walked away and he is on his own; I don't need more bruises especially from a 127 lb 12 hour old bull calf.. :lol2:

I still have to tag and band him tomorrow so if I don't post in the next couple of days you know he got the best of me.. ;-)

Btw his mom is going down the road this fall..... :nod:

Hillsdown! If you don't mind me askin what in heavens name did you get a 127 lb newborn calf out of?

I do not know what she is..She was a commercial heifer we bought in 2004 and I think she has Charolais and Simmi in her ,,your guess is as good as mine though. She calved on her own and it is the largest birth weight so far this year . The rest out of this bull have been between 72 lbs and 107 lbs.. So she must be the freak this year..Hey, as long as they calve on their own who cares how much they weigh... :lol2:

Btw her heifer calf last year out of a different bull weighed 98 lbs.. :?

 

[Jim62]

I was under the impression that newborns were not able to see much more than shapes and shadows and such. If that's the case, those first few days must be pretty scary times for them. I've had some try to run from me, and it sure looked like they were just running blindly, usually slap-dab into a barbwire fence. I always thought any butting was purely coincidental.