teenage behavior??

[Christina]

My 19 month old holstein heifer has been acting goofy the last month. She was bred in Nov (due in Aug.). She has been acting friskier, running around when I'm out there, wanting to come up to me and push me with her head, kicking up her heels, etc. I this due to her age, her pregnancy, or the beginning of a bad habit? She is our only cattle, but she has 3 pygmy goats for her herd. She has always been gentle with all of us. She is still calm and gentle around any neighborhood kids. She's kind of had one time during the day that she was always a little frisky, but I thought I'd ask the pros. Everyone has always said that these gals settle down after they have their first calf, and I've always thought, "She's not wild to begin with." Is this the behavior that they settle down from? I've always wanted to deal with a teenage child and a teenage heifer at the same time

 

[rick1500]

I'm no expert. But one thing I have noticed is that the cows/bulls that are closests to us i.e... our cow we milk, is usually a reflection of us.

I'd be curious to know if you can find any traits/behavior in your cow that might resemble your own.

Our cow is more spirited, like my wife , and our friends milk cow is more laid back like she is.

I find this aspect of things interesting.

 

[Christina]

I keep telling my students I'm the strictest, fussiest teacher they'll ever have. To think I may the goofiest, friskiest, etc. may be looking at things in a new light!

 

[dun]

The running and kicking up her heels is just feelin good. The oushing is more of the same but she sees you as one of her buddys. Stop the playfull interaction with you now. It's amazing how bad a playfull cow/bull/steer can hurt you without really realizing it. As the doc told me, remember that even a little cow is whole lot stronger and heavier then you are.

dun

 

[Anonymous]

Dun has it right, you need to curb the "bad" behavior. My show steer started the same way rubbing his head on me, laying his head on my shoulder, I thought it was "sweet" at first....then I got knocked down by the Rubbing and he got excited and started kicking etc, and I got a broken ankle. I have since cracked him on the nose a couple times, and although we are "out of love" for a day or so after a whap in the nose, he has respect now, and has been a gentleman.

 

[kjyoak]

I agree with dee. We have a holstein steer and he likes to get a little frisky as well. A slap on the nose he backs off. He likes his neck to be scrtched but after a few slaps he waits for me to come to him now. But he still knows what the feed buket is but atleast he lets me pour it into the feeder first.

 

[Ellie May]

Yeah we have a couple that way just have to remind them what they are.

 

[Anonymous]

If you are feeding alot of sweet feed it might cause her to have alot more energy.Maybe apply apply a pour on just in case parasites are bothering her.Other than that she's probably alright.

 

[Christina]

I have always given her sweet feed morning and night. Dun just mentioned on another post talking to me about her not letting me fiddle with her udder (in prep for when I milk her this Aug) to give her a litttle grain. Have I been doing something wrong giving her Dairy 14 with her alfalfa? I probably give her about 5# a day. Now that she is bred isn't even more important that she has proper nutrition and TDN? A 60# 2 wire bale of great quality alfalfa lasts me about 4-5 feedings (each am and pm). This is my only expereience with a heier and even though I've owned her since she was 5 weeks old, I'm still pretty green. She has great body condition scores from what I can tell. Thanks again everyone! Oh, about the pour on, she had an ivomec shot back with her other vaccinations in Oct. I don't think it's parasites, I think she likes rubbing and butting. I have been hitting her nose with the brush when I brush her, but she isn't getting the message as quick as I want her too. I guess that is where I'm trying to condition her to think if she is gentle she gets brushed, if she plays around, no brushing.