Mean Girls?

[Stocker Steve]

Had a heifer and a new calf in a corner of the pasture today. Another heifer was with her and going after the calf - - butting and then grinding after it went down. I reprimanded the mean girl loudly and ran her back to the herd. Can this be chronic?

 

[Dsth]

can be a problem if she returns to the newborn and repeats. I have only had that problem when the newborn tries to suck on a cow that already has a calf and they are close together. does the mean heifer have a calf, bothers other calves in the lot, or possibly be in labor herself? if it is a persistent problem, you may want to separate her from the others.

 

[TCRanch]

That depends. Is this heifer open, bred or have her own calf? If she's bred & close to her due date, I'd watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't pummel her own calf. If she's already calved, especially recently, she may have an overload of hormones & get over it - but I'd still watch her. I'm assuming she's never done this before? Regardless, in my world, that would earn her a top spot on the cull list.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Mean Girl is a close-up bred heifer. This is strike one in a two-strike league.

After 2021 drought downsizing half my herd are first calf heifers, and I am having more issues than usual. Huh. I am going back out now to make sure the calf is nursing.

 

[faster horses]

If I were you, in your situation, anything that causes extra trouble and work would soon be on the trailer to the sale barn.

 

[TJSideBiz]

I just went through something similar except it was the calf's momma being mean. She's a first calf heifer and was the first one of the herd to calve. I was glad I went out to check on her when I did. She head butted the calf and wouldn't let it get up and bellowed at it very loud and mean. Eventually had to put her in the chute to let the calf suck. Posted the situation here on CT and 50% answers said cull her, others said to wait and see what happens next year. Well, she's a great momma and raising one hell of a calf. She's everything (else) we want in a cow so we are going to breed her again. If she repeats her calving behavior she'll get culled.
*What's your situation today? Did the mean girl stop her bad behavior? If she's calved, how did she treat her own calf? *I'm curious, will you base your cull/keep decision based solely on this or evaluate how she performs as a momma and fits in your program?