PET COWS

[Beef11]

I don't see anything wrong with a pet cow that lives by the house but a whole herd of them would be troublesome. I like them tame enough to where you can look at them for problems (within 50-60 ft). If they are to tame they don't herd and are problematic in working conditions.

What is yalls preference?

 

[Dave]

I have two that I could actually pet if I wanted to. The rest will let me get within 5 to 20 feet before they move off. That is about right for me. Almost all of my cows came from the sale yard originally so when they come here there is a varying degree of tameness. I don't have and try to avoid any that you don't want to turn your back on. But other than that I don't worry about tame. Doing IMG and moving the cows very regularly really tames a cow down.

Dave

 

[nathanm]

Its good to have tame cattle so you can look 'em over up close. And if by some chance they get out they won't be so flighty. But sometimes it is hard to tame your whole herd down if you have 10+ head it can get a little hard to tame them down, especially if you get them wild and mature, but if you are there when they are born and are around regurlarly they stay at least semi-tame. However, they usually go through a stage of a little distrust and craze but as long as you are around them some they usaully will stay tame. Or at least, that has been my observation of expierences I've had.

If anyone thinks I'm full of BS, please let me know.

 

[mcdowedd]

I like 'em tame...much easier to get them in a chute and I can look them over whenever I want. The other day I was messing around with a fountain though and realized they might be a little too tame...I think there is a fine line between tame and too tame.

 

[Frankie]

We have a few cows that can be petted. Their "tameness" varies according to the season. They're tamer in the winter when we're feeding, less tame during the summer when they're out eating grass. Some are tamer when they're dry and much less tame when they're nursing a calf. Then there's the former show heifer that chases the feed bucket. She's way too tame. All of ours will follow the 4-wheeler anywhere and will come into the lot without a problem. That's ok with me. I have a dog; he's a fine pet and won't run over me.

 

[sjr725]

I agree, I like them tame - I have a couple that you can pet while they're eating - One expecially, she was a bottle baby & is now about 12 yrs old and she still comes when you call her which is nice because the others will sometimes follow. When they are home for the winter, I always walk around amongst them while they are eating - they get used to you. Since the old ones don't mind me walking close to them, seems like the young ones pick up on that and don't get so skitty either. When you have to put them in a corral or something they all stay calmer. We have to gather in the mountains every fall and it's nice that the older ones will see you coming on horseback and they'll come toward you and already know where they're going, so you can start them off down the road and go back for straglers, and the older girls just keep going. The calves learn not to be afraid and they stay calm and everyone is happy! I won't keep an agressive or high headed cow - just not worth it no matter what her calves look like, it disrupts the harmony of the whole herd.

 

[Victoria]

At least half of our cows are tame meaning you can walk up to them on the field and pat them. The other half you can get within three to five feet of, to me that is a normal cow. There are pluses and minuses of having a lot of really tame cows around. They don't chase as well as a herd like the wilder cows do. So for shot day you need to have a lot of patience and some oats on hand. The other 364 days of the year makes up for it though in my book. Someone has a crack in their hoof you can walk up and coppertox them on the field. That holds true for any other time you want to find out what's going on with their health, they don't need to come to the corral unless it is a vet call. We are switching to purebred Red Angus and that means weighing at birth. We don't have a great set-up for easily separating the baby so I like to just be able to ear tag and weigh in front of the cow. I've found cows you can pat are less likely to freak out when you touch their calves. They stay far calmer for AI'ing and there is no problem getting them in the chute in small numbers. A bucket of oats and they will follow you off a cliff. It actually takes less time to get 10 of our really tame ones through the chutes than it does to get 10 of our normal cows.
A few years ago one of our commercial "pets" had a very tall calf that was having a problem looking low enough for the milk. It was a freezing cold day. With a normal cow this would mean either stealing the calf feeding it and then hoping with more strength it would figure stuff out or getting the cow and calf in from the pasture putting her in the chute and fighting with them both. Instead I walked up to her in the field and help position the calf correctly, no stress and less time. It doesn't happen often but when there is a problem I like dealing with my tame cows. I've had my days of running cows over the field and I'm sick of it.
I've had cows both ways and for our set up here life is simpler if they are really tame. I've got to be able to do everything I need to do with them alone. We also don't have a fancy set up with fifty pens that work so well that you never actually have to go in with a cow to do what you need to.
It depends on your management style and set up as to what kind of cows work best for you. The point is to get the job done and for me that is easier to do with my calm cows.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

There is nothing wrong with TAME cattle, to me, a PET is a 2000lb steer that lives in your backyard and like to have his belly rubbed. Most all of our cows will let a familiar person come near them but usually, no nose rubs.

 

[Beefy]

i hate pet cows. they are nothing but trouble. once in a blue moon one might come in handy but for the most part they are just in the way. they are hard to work, you basically have to physically push them to get them to move. they are always wanting something to eat. and if you dont feed them on time they moo so obnoxiously.

 

[MillIronQH]

I would just as soon they didn't come at me slinging snot and beyond that I agree with Beefy. Of course I'm not going into the pen on foot anyway but that's a different issue. I'd a lot rather be looking at their heels then their horns. There's plenty of time to get your hands on them when they are in the chute.Z

 

[HOSS]

All of my cows are tame enough to touch and work on with the exception of two. They are not wild they just will not let you get closer than 10 feet. Even my bull doesn't care if I walk up and touch him. When he is laying down in the pasture I can walk up and sit on his back like a bench. He doesn't care he just keeps chewing his cud and dozing. Sometimes I use him for a seat when feeding the catfish. I prefer tame over non-tame any day. I work my cows slow anyway and they have been taught that the 3 foot long, bright orange fiberglass pole in my hands means that they need to move. I have no problems loading them or getting them thru the chute for shots / tags etc. It is better for calving to. I can work on the calf and have less fear of momma stomping me into the ground. On another note I watch every cow and bull like a hawk no matter how tame or un-tame whenever I am in the pasture. Doesn't make sense to let the ol' guard down.

 

[Susie David]

We don't have a mean cow on the place and yes, we do have some that want to be pets.
Have a baldy cow that I calved that has always been a pet, oh yeah, Susie's pet Herf, follows her like a puppy and comes when called.
Don't trust a cow...any cow. Its the pets taht hurt folks...had the pet herf step on my foot at the feed bunk and wouldn't move. That was a real rodeo, me holding on to her horns and slowly sinking into the cow goo, finally grabbed het tongue and she moved her hoof, still had to change my overalls. Haven't made that mistake again. Thank goodness she hasn't a mean bone in her.
Just my two bits worth...Dave Mc

 

[MillIronQH]

I've known two men in my life that were killed by pet cattle. One was a bottle raised yearling Brahman bull that penned the older man that had raised him up against a fence and crushed his chest and the other the guy got out of his truck to feed cubes to his cows and in their excitement knocked him down and walked all over him trying to get at the feed. He was still alive three hours later when his son found him but he didn't make it through the night. On the places I caretake for the cows will come to feed but they know that if they get to close they are going to get a face full of feed sack.Z

 

[Hasbeen]

There's a big difference between tame and pet. My girls allow me to get withing a few feet but that's close enough for both of us. A few head of "pet" cattle pushing and shoving for feed is a disaster waiting to happen. They're not smart enough to respect me so a little fear is a very good thing.

 

[rattler]

I don,t want any pet cattle simply because they can hurt you and not mean too.I don,t want them to go to the other side of the pasture just because i walk in it either mine will let me in a few feet of them but that is it.I sure dont won,t no pet Bull he weight,s a lot more than i do. Now i know when you are workin them you have to be colse to them but that is wen you for sure dont let your guard down.


rattler

 

[backhoeboogie]

What I really don't want are wild eye cattle when you pull into the pasture that bust fences at the drop of a hat. All it takes is one cow like that and the whole bunch gets unsettled.

As far as "herding them" I don't. When I call them, they come. Once they are in the pen, I can do anything with them.

I give them cubes periodically, in the pen.

It is easier for me personally to call them versus herding them. When I move them from pasture to pasture they have to cross the county road at times, since they built the road down the middle of the property. So when I call them then I want them to get across without have to chase them up and down the road.

Anyway, "pets" they really aren't but I don't have a problem with getting teased about them in this forum. The truth doesn't hurt any. It works for me.

 

[Jogeephus]

I don't want a pet that is bigger than me. I respect them and they respect me. I like calm cows. I have a few that I can touch but I don't encourage this. I can walk amongst them without any big concern - strangers best stay close to me during calving season. I do have some eared cattle that I keep a close eye on but so far the peace has been kept.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Pets are dangerous you let you guard down and old Belle swung her head at a fly and just knocked you for a loop.
If I wanted a pet I would get a dog. I raise cattle for money not to pet.

 

[redfornow]

I think CALM is the word we are looking for.
Cows that follow you around are a big problem and go as quick as cows that are crazy.
With that said, I like it when I can grab alittle feed and they come running.
Makes workin em so much the better. Less stress on them, less stress on me, and less stress on the equipment.
Less stress equals more dollars...

MD

 

[KenB]

I've known two men in my life that were killed by pet cattle. One was a bottle raised yearling Brahman bull that penned the older man that had raised him up against a fence and crushed his chest and the other the guy got out of his truck to feed cubes to his cows and in their excitement knocked him down and walked all over him trying to get at the feed. He was still alive three hours later when his son found him but he didn't make it through the night. On the places I caretake for the cows will come to feed but they know that if they get to close they are going to get a face full of feed sack.Z

I was concerned about this happening to me, (I am getting old and clumsy).
I now feed my cows in the lot with them on the other side of the fence, after I put the feed out I open the gate and let them in to eat it.
That is the only time my cows have gave me a problem is when they are after the feed.