Update on my new Brangus Heifer-& a Question

[Jovid]

I have several brangus cows. They breed back every year on first heat. Never wean a calf that weighs less than 600 pounds. All are gentle and will eat out of your hand. You can lead them anywhere you just cant drive em anywheres unless I use the austrailian cattle dog then they move. They have a very small flight zone and some I can even touch before they move away. I have to watch just one after she calves as she will try and kill me for two weeks. It is not necessarily in her breeding to be that way. Cattle just dont like some people. My oldest son and I can go in the pasture and the cows come up to us wanting to be rubbed. If my wife or other son come in the field they get snorty.

Your website says you only have 5 brangus cows. I guess that is several. :roll:

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I have several brangus cows. They breed back every year on first heat. Never wean a calf that weighs less than 600 pounds. All are gentle and will eat out of your hand. You can lead them anywhere you just cant drive em anywheres unless I use the austrailian cattle dog then they move. They have a very small flight zone and some I can even touch before they move away. I have to watch just one after she calves as she will try and kill me for two weeks. It is not necessarily in her breeding to be that way. Cattle just dont like some people. My oldest son and I can go in the pasture and the cows come up to us wanting to be rubbed. If my wife or other son come in the field they get snorty.

Your website says you only have 5 brangus cows. I guess that is several. :roll:

hey spin'slide got just one, and look how happy she is. having brangus can be pretty darn exciting
;-)

 

[spinandslide]

Alacowman-I SURE am! She actually came up to me this weekend and I got a big ole lick..checking to see if I had anymore cubes no doubt..but progress for sure.

Bugs were AWFUL this weekend, I told her she'd better let me get close if she wanted bug spray!

 

[KMacGinley]

I am amazed at the responses to this post. She is not protecting a calf, right? Get rid of her right now before she kills you or someone else. Just wait until she does have a calf. There are plenty of cattle out there that do not charge strangers, why keep one that does? :roll:

 

[TexasBred]

Kmac...we're not talking "rodeo stock" here, only a heifer with a new home going thru the process of settling in with a new owner. If she wanted to kill someone she'd probably have done it last week, then jumped the fence and headed downtown looking for the next victim.

 

[spinandslide]

Kmac...we're not talking "rodeo stock" here, only a heifer with a new home going thru the process of settling in with a new owner. If she wanted to kill someone she'd probably have done it last week, then jumped the fence and headed downtown looking for the next victim.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
that was a dang funny mental picture!

 

[KMacGinley]

Ignorance rules more and more on this site.

 

[TexasBred]

Ignorance rules more and more on this site.

Sorry you feel we're all ignorant. I certainly don't think that applies to the young lady. Don't tell me...... your cattle wear tutu's and are potty trained not to mention table manners and etiquette. Sure hope so cause it sounds as if you'd jump the fence if one burped behind you.

 

[spinandslide]

Ignorance rules more and more on this site.

Kmac
I apprec. your concern and taking the time to respond. Beleive me, if this heifer ever turns viscious for no reason, she will be down the road faster then anything. I wont have ornery animals. I laughed at Richard's comment, as I HAVE been chased up onto a trailer by a char. bull who jumped a fence and "went looking for a victim"..it wasnt funny then, but I can look back now and imagine how it must have looked to passerbys..everyone scrambling to get up on the highest thing possible

Based on my interactions with her over this week, Im optimistic that she will come around. She had only been at my place for 2 days when the incident happened and I realize now the error in taking my friend over to see her and allowing her to get that close to the heifer.

I handfed her cubes last night and she was very relaxed and content. Im beginning to watch her head and ears..when shes content her head is relaxed and her ears are kind of droopy. When she sees something, her head and heck are up and her ears are up and way forward. I always keep my eye on her, as with any animal you dont entirely know yet. but again, I dont think shes a "mean" cow by far.


Sarah

 

[KMacGinley]

Sarah: You seem like a nice person, but I find your attitude towards this animal alarming and somewhat offensive. Your cutesy "Owned by Jam" humanizes the animal.

Cattle are big powerful beasts. I know a little about them and I will repeat this for the slow learners. There are plenty of them that do not act aggressively. Why have one that does? If she would have carried out her charge on your friend, you might not own your 12 acre spread anymore, your friend and her attorneys would.

 

[bigbull338]

im gonna differ with you here.all cattlemen are owned by their cattle in 1 way or another.tending the cattle comes 1st.theres not much time for family wife an kids.unless you time things out.to where they dont interfear with eachother.being a cattlemen is a hard life.it can an does take a toll on some marrages.an it ruins them to the point of divorce.you plan to go somewhere.well cows get out or cow is missing or 1 is calving.so you stay home an do your work.you miss alot of things in life.the cows are your life.if you dont love it.then sell the cows an quit.SS this post isnt directed at you.its in your defense.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

im gonna differ with you here.all cattlemen are owned by their cattle in 1 way or another.tending the cattle comes 1st.theres not much time for family wife an kids.unless you time things out.to where they dont interfear with eachother.being a cattlemen is a hard life.it can an does take a toll on some marrages.an it ruins them to the point of divorce.you plan to go somewhere.well cows get out or cow is missing or 1 is calving.so you stay home an do your work.you miss alot of things in life.the cows are your life.if you dont love it.then sell the cows an quit.

• >>>>>SS this post isnt directed at you.its in your defense.<<<<<

i hope not BB cause it aint gonna help the cause much

 

[spinandslide]

Sarah: You seem like a nice person, but I find your attitude towards this animal alarming and somewhat offensive. Your cutesy "Owned by Jam" humanizes the animal.

Cattle are big powerful beasts. I know a little about them and I will repeat this for the slow learners. There are plenty of them that do not act aggressively. Why have one that does? If she would have carried out her charge on your friend, you might not own your 12 acre spread anymore, your friend and her attorneys would.

Well, I hate to sound crass, but be offended..
Ive been around horses my entire life. Im used to handling 1100 pound animals. Not that Im comparing my horses and this heifer..as cattle function abit differently then horses, but the fact of the matter remains, when evaluating a situation, a person has to determine ALL the factors that may have caused that situation. That was my point in posting this, to find out if this heifer is indeed mean or was "provoked"..not intentionaly, but from what Ive read and been told, it sounds like she was put in a situation that she shouldnt have.

I take responsiblity for it and am the wiser for it. Again, I was under the impression my friend knew what she was doing..Im the wiser for that as well.

Im not for pussyfooting around my animals..while I realize they are animals, I dont tiptoe.

As for humanizing... I enjoy this heifer alot and seeing her progress, and feel all this patient work will pay off...but I dont ever humanize my animals..they feel pain and have emotions, but they are still animals and in the end, work off pure instinct. The key is knowing what those instincts are..so you can use them when working with said animal and also know what to expect in a possibly stressful situation, to remain safe.

I dont claim to know everything and thats why I came on here to learn. My husband is the cattleman and Ive relayed every smidge of information regarding this heifer to him and he has not seemed alarmed one bit..in fact he echoed what many on here have stated...My life insurance isnt enough where he'd put me in harm's way...Im worth more to him working and alive then trampled into the dust.

Bigbull-I agree 100% with what you just said. Having animals entails sacrifices. We dont go on vacation, save seaworld in San Antonio once a year for 3 days..we have horses, dogs, goats, cats and now this heifer...but I wouldnt have it any other way.

I cant fathom what normal folks do when they get home from work...I feed and tend my animals(son included! :lol: )...before I even eat my dinner..and this is all by myself. Sure fills up your day!

 

[KMacGinley]

Oh well, I did my best. If I had 1 heifer it would be unprovokable. Has your husband increased the amount of your insurance lately?

 

[spinandslide]

Kmac-not to my knowledge