Smart Cow fixing to become steaks

[Andrew]

Hello,
I have a very nervous cow that put out a great calf for the past two years. This is my only problem cow. She won't get close to the range cubes, she'll baby sit the calves and drive them away when its time to pen them to take them to the sale. I'd put up with her because I couldn't pen her.

Last weekend, I moved my cows to a new pasture and moved them by trailer. She stayed out of the pen. Couldn't get her in.

Two days ago, I finally got her in along with another pair.

To my great surprise, this cow put her now under the pens and lifted them up and got out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She didn't study it or try several times or nothing. She did it on the first try and she apparently knew exactly what she was doing.
The pair remained inside and jumped into the trailer on their own.

I couldn't believe it. I thought cows were supposed to be dumb. This one is nervous and intelligent.

Needless to say, I called a cowboy and he's going to go rope her and take it to the sale. I might just call him and ask him to take it to a butcher.

Andrew

 

[cowspider]

Smart makes good steaks. :cboy: :cboy:

 

[cowtrek]

Maybe maybe not... I was reading an article in Stockman Grass Farmer recently that high strung cattle usually end up as 'dark cutters' that the meat is hardly edible. I was discussing this with a neighbor and he agreed. He had a similar cow, couldn't pen and was breaking out of the fences all the time. They just got her with the 30-30 and butchered her themselves (they do it all the time) and the meat was dark and bitter and tough as shoe leather. When they're high strung or nervous the adrenaline burns up the meat. The article I mentioned was talking primarily about grassfed beef and how delicate the marbling is, and if you chase the calf into the trailer to butcher him or if he gets nervous/rambunctious at the slaughter plant they can burn up the marbling really quick in grassfed. Cornfed is so fat it's not as much of an issue. The article said that slaughterhouses in France specializing in grassfed beef have very quiet, soothing, well sheltered holding pens with plenty of water and feed and they handle them very gently to avoid stress. You sure want to get rid of her for sure because her calves will likely be that way too, and even if not she'll teach the others to be that way. Keep one fence jumper soon you'll have ten fence jumpers.

We had a crazy bull calf here while back we had to get rid of. Darn thing was SO nuts you couldn't get within 50 YARDS of him or he'd bolt and run for the hills. We managed to trap him in a hay storage pen and he jumped the panels to get out, taking the panel with him! Luckily he jumped into the crowding pen and we got the gate closed, but he had about 20 cows in there with him eating cubes at the time. He wandered up into the old chute in the barn and we closed him in but were just waiting for him to tear the barn down. We parked the tractor against the gates and the crazy thing STILL tried to knock them down. I went to town and got some tranquilizer to put on some cubes, but the vet told me if he was riled up he'd burn it off before it took effect. When he tried to break the gates down I called the vet to come shoot him with the dart. He went down and we pulled him out of the barn with the tractor, roped him, and tied him off at the back of the trailer. The vet popped him with the antidote and with me cinching the rope and the vet and assistant antidoting him he finally jumped into the trailer. Hauled him straight to the sale barn with his head tied to the trailer wall and when the sale barn guy tagged his back he went crazy and nearly broke his own neck. When we got him in the sale barn we unroped him and he ran for the holding pens. Boy was I glad to be rid of him! Went for the check a couple days later and he only brought 60 cents a pound. I wonder if he didn't try to knock the auction ring down or if he slammed into the wall and killed himself (I've seen it happen) and they just paid me 60 cents to get rid of me. Oh well.... Crazy SOB like that needs to go straight to the dog food truck! Good luck! OL JR

 

[dun]

I thought cows were supposed to be dumb. This one is nervous and intelligent.

They're only dumb about the things you want themto learn, they're smart about the stuff that irritates you

dun

 

[Andrew]

Man, I just would hate to take her to the sale barn and have some poor sap (like myself) end up with her. I know someone will buy her on her looks. She is long, straight back, and extremely good body composition. Plus she's bred at least 5 months.

Andrew

 

[cowtrek]

I thought cows were supposed to be dumb. This one is nervous and intelligent.

They're only dumb about the things you want themto learn, they're smart about the stuff that irritates you

dun

That's for sure!!! I had three cows here I decided to sell when we were going to bulldoze all the old fences and start over. We got em in the old delapidated loading pen and the neighbor came over to help us load. Well, they didn't like being in that tiny little pen NONE and they were half Brahma anyway and crazy as a bessie bug. They started circling like sharks down at the trailer end of the loading pen and decided to make a break for it. Here's this 1500 pound cow sailing over 5 foot high cattle wire like she's jumping the moon! Caught the top wire with her hind feet and took it with her, the other two right behind her. The pen corner post bleated a creak and then 'SNAP' like a shot. Neighbor was standing right in front of it when it went and hit him in the back and sent him flying face first into a HUGE steaming pile of cowsh!t. It was all slow motion because I was worried he'd had it. I helped him up and the whole front of his shirt was covered with crap from his chin to his belt. Luckily nothing injured but his pride. He quickly went home in the truck to change and I and my brother set about rebuilding the demolished loading pen. We went to the lumberyard and bought some old gates that the forklift ran over the corner and ruined for cheap panels. We set some new treated posts to nail the gates to for panels and hinged a 4 footer in the corner to get into the pen. While I was nailing up the gates that lead cow came over and was watching me build fence intently, sniffed and stared and when I looked at her I could just see the wheels turning in her head, figuring if she could get out again. I looked her square in the eye and said,"No, you're not gonna break out of this one again you crazy b!tch I guarantee!" She snorted like she understood every word of English and turned and trotted to the far side of the pen to sulk with her herdmates. Later that afternoon, the neighbor returned and when we started working them toward that new pen gate it was the LAST place they wanted to go, but when we finally got 'em cornered and they went in, before I could even get the gate closed they went on and trotted into the trailer. They knew they couldn't break out and that the gig was up. I and the neighbor couldn't help but laugh about the whole thing.

Yep, those old bossies can be a lot smarter than we give em credit for, and a lot dumber too sometimes, but that's another story... OL JR

 

[Fred]

I would take her to the sale. She should bring you a good price being 5 months bred and a good looking cow. Someone who works their cows with horses and solid cow pens probably wouldn't have trouble with her.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Man, I just would hate to take her to the sale barn and have some poor sap (like myself) end up with her. I know someone will buy her on her looks. She is long, straight back, and extremely good body composition. Plus she's bred at least 5 months.

Andrew

Andrew

With this drought, only the most choice young cows are going back to the country. There is almost no demand around here for replacement cows. Most all are going to the packers. If she acts wild in the sale ring most locals won't buy her for a brood cow. Tell the sale barn to sell her as a packer cow so those genetics won't be passed on. Life's too short to put up with a crazy cow. The others are correct, when agitated animals produce adrenalin, which can make the meat dark & tough. Don't eat her. Just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck & happpy trails.

Brock

 

[Farminlund]

Trust me - you don't want to eat her. She will be a dark cutter & you will be hard pressed to feed the meat to your dog. Been there done that - a waste of meat for you but when mixed with tons of ground beef, goes into the food supply with no notice.

 

[Bez?]

Cattle that feel under pressure will attempt to go over AND under panels. This is normal.

Suspect this animal has serious containment issues and she will go for you if she is unable to retreat.

I would suggest she was a bit worked up - not snot slinging, but head up and eyes wide. I have seen them try to go under heavy boards and push to the point the boards are broken.

Usually start this by getting down on their knees and pushing any spot in hopes of finding a weakness - it is simply a desire to "get out".

She will require panel walls that are anchored. It may be a long time before you catch her again so you have time to set them up.

I just put a few T posts in around the panels and tie them with some rope.

Beware - when she finds she cannot lift the panels - she WILL likely make a serious attempt to go over.

This is why I always preach at least one SOLID pen with 6 foot or better walls - no boards on top - a rail is best - it will not break.

This one travels asap IMO.

Good luck on the next trap.

Bez?