Snot slinging

[dcara]

My boss cow has become more and more demonstrative over the past few months when I bring out the feed bucket. She has recently started swinging her head while blowing which slings her snot around (usually at me). Though she still keeps her distance (5 feet or so) I can't help but wonder if this isn't an escalating aggression, and what I should do about it. Any suggestions?

 

[TheBullLady]

Definately aggressive behavior! It may just be because you have the feed bucket, but regardless, you are putting yourself at risk.

Since any time I have a bucket I risk getting trampled, I've got a solution that works very well. We put the feed bunks in a large corral. That way, I can close the gates, put the feed in the bunks, and THEN let the cows in. Also makes it very convenient to catch and haul anything.. they are only too anxious to come to the corral.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

My boss cow has become more and more demonstrative over the past few months when I bring out the feed bucket. She has recently started swinging her head while blowing which slings her snot around (usually at me). Though she still keeps her distance (5 feet or so) I can't help but wonder if this isn't an escalating aggression, and what I should do about it. Any suggestions?

one day when you least exspect it she aint gonna keep her distance. right now shes calling your bluff. if peta seen how i handle such problems yall would see me on the evening news.but you need a stick in one hand when your feeding she well soon knock you on your ... just to get to the feed.when she makes a move at you go to work on that nose they cant stand it. its better than broken ribs

 

[Hasbeen]

Definately aggressive behavior! It may just be because you have the feed bucket, but regardless, you are putting yourself at risk.

Since any time I have a bucket I risk getting trampled, I've got a solution that works very well. We put the feed bunks in a large corral. That way, I can close the gates, put the feed in the bunks, and THEN let the cows in. Also makes it very convenient to catch and haul anything.. they are only too anxious to come to the corral.

That is exactly the way I do it. The only drawback is that I sometimes wonder if by doing it this way I miss out on the signs of aggressive behavior that will come back to haunt me later.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Caustic believes in petting his bulls so you may try that. :lol:

 

[Susie David]

You are being warned...she will push the safe zone some day.

We use a feed bunk set up, we're on one side the cows on the other. We do have a pet herf that is a pain to load or move anywhere that she doesn't want to go...gentle but no fear.

The cows love and respect you....drop the feed bucket and see how quickly they come to you. With an animal that has a stomach that is thirty so times larger than it's brain figure out which one governs it's behavior.
DMc

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Doug

Lot's of good responses here.

I feed under an electric fence. Cows on one side & me on the other. Also keeps them from tromping on their feed without troughs.

Good luck & best wishes

Brock

 

[Texan]

If she's acting like that, 5 feet is too close. Take ALACOWMAN'S advice and take a sorting stick or ax handle with you. The only thing I would do differently, is to pop her across the nose as soon as she got in my space and started blowing. I wouldn't wait until she made a move at me. Blowing snot at me is a mistake punishable by knots on the nose.

 

[dun]

If she's acting like that, 5 feet is too close. Take ALACOWMAN'S advice and take a sorting stick or ax handle with you. The only thing I would do differently, is to pop her across the nose as soon as she got in my space and started blowing. I wouldn't wait until she made a move at me. Blowing snot at me is a mistake punishable by knots on the nose.

I whole heartedly agree, but.......................Be prepared for the eventuallity that it may have the opposite affect.

dun

 

[Victoria]

I'm in agreement with everyone. She's definitely getting too big for her britches! I too would carry a stick and threaten her (raise the stick and your voice) if she backs down make stay after her until she turns from you. When they turn from you and lower their head submissively they are are accepting you as boss. Dun is right, if you start the battle and smack her on the nose she may decide to fight back. So make sure you are in a position to get out of their quick. That's why I suggest the threat - if she gets more serious about the whole thing instead of fighting a battle you may just want to ship her out. If you have to back down from her though then you have to get rid of her. She'll remember that she won forever. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[Rod]

I will agree with everyone on this one, not just because i've been reading all this, but because I had the unpleasent experience of living it. There's no room for aggressive animals on my place!

 

[Craig-TX]

If she's acting like that, 5 feet is too close. Take ALACOWMAN'S advice and take a sorting stick or ax handle with you. The only thing I would do differently, is to pop her across the nose as soon as she got in my space and started blowing. I wouldn't wait until she made a move at me. Blowing snot at me is a mistake punishable by knots on the nose.

I whole heartedly agree, but.......................Be prepared for the eventuallity that it may have the opposite affect.

Across the top of the nose is the sweet spot to land a blow on a cow. It makes an odd hollow sound when you really connect and they HATE taking a shot there. I agree with Texan and with Dun. Don't wait to apply it, make it count and don't do it without a plan of retreat, such as into the bed of your pickup.

 

[coolwater]

You are being warned...she will push the safe zone some day.

We use a feed bunk set up, we're on one side the cows on the other. We do have a pet herf that is a pain to load or move anywhere that she doesn't want to go...gentle but no fear.

The cows love and respect you....drop the feed bucket and see how quickly they come to you. With an animal that has a stomach that is thirty so times larger than it's brain figure out which one governs it's behavior.
DMc

:lol: :lol: i love that analagy of the stomach vs the brain.that cracked me up.

 

[dcara]

Thanks for all the great insights folks. I'll definately heed ya'lls advice. She's also my poorest do'er, so I think maybe next month she'll be sporting wheels for a day.

The brain vs. stomach thing, :lol: I can relate to that myself sometimes.

 

[cypressfarms]

She's also my poorest do'er, so I think maybe next month she'll be sporting wheels for a day.

Poorest performer and agressive = sell quick, before you or someone else gets hurt.

 

[brownmule]

getting stomped isnt a good thing for sure, like barnny fife "nip it in the bud!" {if you can} i ran into a problem last summer with my friend huge belgin gleding, he had been fine all summer till i decide to take my arab mare out for a ride{we farm togeather} my mules and mare with thair horse. hes 3 yr old nothing been done with him in over a yr. his name is jake but i call him "big bad jon" he got agressive with me over stormie, i tryed to lead him away, he slug his head, :shock: which slung me like a rag doll. i yelled at him, he stop for a min laid his ears back and came toward me, i picked up a stick and wacked him on the nose, talk about poking the bears! he rared and came at me again. i hit the gate just as his dinner plate size feet came crashing down where i was standing.still yelling at him hanging off the gate.then he walked off. i want so bad to but a boot up his but! he's so big you cant hurt him, he has charged me a few time since then, i hate having to carry a club and looking over my shoulder when i go in the field, with my guys as big as they are, they would never hurt you . hopefully big bad jon will go down the rd..too big to be bad!
be carefull with that pushie cow dont become field a target

 

[Lammie]

I was out in the pasture looking at a new donkey foal just born, a day after I was out of the hospital following major surgery, and I got knocked over by a big ol red angus heifer from behind. She'd been bottle raised, although we had gotten her as a weaner. I had to go back to the doctor the next day and stay in bed for a week.

I was glad to see her go to sale.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

i had a bull a couple years ago that id just bought and payed a fare amount for maternal purpose. but he thought he was cock of the walk.every time i was around he wanted to snort & blow and paw the ground. well i got him up and put a nose ring and log chain on him.then turned him out of the catch and waited for him to hit the ground. when he did i was there to address him with a piece of wood i wore his head out . i swear i have never heard a bull scream in my life like that it sounded like bigfoot. any way it made a differant animal out of him after that we had a pretty good understanding

 

[Alan]

My boss cow has become more and more demonstrative over the past few months when I bring out the feed bucket. She has recently started swinging her head while blowing which slings her snot around (usually at me). Though she still keeps her distance (5 feet or so) I can't help but wonder if this isn't an escalating aggression, and what I should do about it. Any suggestions?

Many people suggesting and stick, when my Bull was a long yearling he would pull some agressive stuff when I came up with the grain bucket. So one day I came up with the grain bucket empty and in my throwing hand, had a club in the other hand. As soon as he started the aggressive stuff, about 10 feet away I threw the bucket at him (hit him in the head) and yelled, this got him to turn then I threw the club at him (again hitting him), this got him moving away so I chased him out of the pen into the pasture stopping to pick up anything I could throw at him. I did make sure he gained more distance from me in case he decided to turn and fight. All I was doing was trying be be boss cow. For me it worked. Looking back on it I don't know how smart it was to chase a bull threw the pasture but I do have plenty of trees to get behind. He is now 4 and going on 5 and we get along fine, I don't pet him but he gives me a wide birth and I respect his space. Polled Hereford.

Alan

 

[dun]

Tried the bucket deal with a neighbors yearling Holstein bull when I was feeding for them. Galvanized bucket flew way over my head and past me and he just took to throwing more dirt. I hopped the fence and never went in with him again.
I prefer my bulls in liquid nitrogen

dun