Mud face momma cow

[Ouachita]

One of my old mommas calved 2 weeks ago. Ever since, she has had a muddy face. She's even getting it on her ears, front legs and shoulder. This time of year, I go to and from work in the dark so I haven't seen her do this but I have seen the place she's doing it. What is she doing? Is she lacking some mineral? I haven't changed anything with diet.

 

[Anonymous]

She ain't getting it on her by accident

 

[Isomade]

One of my old mommas calved 2 weeks ago. Ever since, she has had a muddy face. She's even getting it on her ears, front legs and shoulder. This time of year, I go to and from work in the dark so I haven't seen her do this but I have seen the place she's doing it. What is she doing? Is she lacking some mineral? I haven't changed anything with diet.

They're having mud fights during the day when you ain't around. Aparently she ain't very good.

 

[Ouachita]

She ain't getting it on her by accident

So you have some "stein" in the family tree? Thanks for the tip.
The forum is working really slow for me, so I did not try to do a search for this "problem".

 

[Anonymous]

Lol.
I'd bet she's either got an itchy face for some reason or she's eating the mud.

 

[Ouachita]

Lol.
I'd bet she's either got an itchy face for some reason or she's eating the mud.

I never considered itchy face syndrome. That is a possibility. This is not a serious problem, but I have never seen this before. Not to this degree. I am mostly curious about the "why".
Two others calved that week, one 6-7 year old cow, and one heifer. Neither of these nor any of the other cattle are exhibiting this behavior/condition. So this just piqued my interest. I am feeding a medium quality hay; not poor, not great. I keep loose salt out. I keep PVM Natural tubs out. I keep 2 kinds of loose mineral out; Purina wind and rain, and another good one I can't recall right now. Some of my cattle will not eat the Purina wind and rain. It has the IGR and I don't know if that is why they don't eat it. They just won't. So I keep out something for them all.
Yes, I do suspect she is eating the dirt/mud. I have seen the spot where she is doing this. I just cant figure why this one cow is doing so, and certainly can't figure out why she has to wallow in it too.
She is otherwise heathly. I think great body condition for an old SS. Still has a great bag. Starting to get a bit coke bottle nipplelish, but her calf is doing great, gaining well, and she is a great momma. She is not the boss, but don't take no shyt from the others. She eats as well as any.
I brought her in this evening to look her over and let her eat cubes without competion. Other than appearing like she is prepping for an XXX rated mud wrestling match, I don't see any other symptom that concerns me.
I'm starting to think Isom hit the nail on the head.

 

[M5farm]

Are any other cows laying in the mud and she is pushing or rubbing them with her head

 

[Isomade]

Y'all let me know what ya figure out. My 3 year old son has the same problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Y'all let me know what ya figure out. My 3 year old son has the same problem.

How much ear does he have on him?

 

[Ouachita]

Are any other cows laying in the mud and she is pushing or rubbing them with her head

The evidence seems clear (to me). No other cattle are guilty by association in this. All are red clay free including her calf

 

[Isomade]

Y'all let me know what ya figure out. My 3 year old son has the same problem.

How much ear does he have on him?

He could have gotten plenty ear from his sire, but luckily took after his dam and doesn't show any leather. Just can't keep him from rooting in the dirt.

 

[colleen]

We have a sand pile that we were filling mud holes up with. A few of the cows stick there heads all in it. Their head will be completely covered in it. All in their ears and on their noses and around their eyes. I worry about it getting in their eyes and lungs. But for some reason they love it. It's not bugs. And they arnt eating it. Kind of like the mud....I would think if it was some sort of deficiency she would be licking or eating it.

 

[Ouachita]

We have a sand pile that we were filling mud holes up with. A few of the cows stick there heads all in it. Their head will be completely covered in it. All in their ears and on their noses and around their eyes. I worry about it getting in their eyes and lungs. But for some reason they love it. It's not bugs. And they arnt eating it. Kind of like the mud....I would think if it was some sort of deficiency she would be licking or eating it.

Well the possible deficiency is what I'm curious about, and what that deficiency would be. Guess I could send in a mud sample. How would I write that up? What the heck happened to the smilies???? hahaha

 

[glacierridge]

Maybe she knows she's getting aged and she's using it as a masque to keep youthful looking.

We had one moron that wore down an ant mound with her head to nothing... no idea what possessed her, no one else did that...

 

[Alan]

From time to time I'll have one or two cows do the same thing, turn up with muddy faces and heads. I've caught them in the act, to me, all they're doing is just as a bull does. Some hard rubbing into a bank, tearing things up a bit. Like you I have plenty of feed, minerals, etc. It's just what some do. Mine don't do it all the time just sometimes, but after a little thought it does seem to be the more dominate ones that do it. I'm don't know if being a dominate cow is a factor or just coincidence. I never worried about it, they look to be having a good time.

 

[Deepsouth]

Ouachita, strange that you should post this. Sunday afternoon my wife and went to feed the cows and we noticed one had mud all over her face. It was a thick layer completely covering her face and both sides of her head even her ears. Today I noticed mud on her face again not as much as Sunday but It was there. We have probably had 4 inches of rain since Sunday so I'm sure it would have washed off and I didn't notice any on her yesterday. This is a first calf heifer that had her calf the day after Christmas. I have not looked for where she is getting the mud from. I have minerals out and have not noticed mud on any of the other cows that are with which are all also first calf heifers. I didn't pay much attention to it but thought it was strange. I'll pay more action to see if she keeps getting it on her.

 

[dun]

Occasionally we'll have a cow that gets her face covered in mud. I just put it down to cows being cows.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Simple your cows have not seen mud in so long she is the only one that remembers what it is.

 

[Ouachita]

Simple your cows have not seen mud in so long she is the only one that remembers what it is.

I'm leaning strongly toward this theory. Red Bull, I like the way you think

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

For whatever reason some cows really like to do this. But, I do think it is also related to dominance.