Your thoughts

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I've got a cow who is a bit of a pain for about the first three weeks after calving. If you get close, she gets all weird and stirs up the rest of the herd. Unfortunately, she's about the best cow I have when it comes to producing really good calves. Well, last night, she was giving me the evil eye, so I tried to shoo her away and she charged me. So, I took an axe handle out and then she kept her distance. So, I was out for my evening walk and I thought I was being fairly careful not to get too close and she charged me again. I tripped while I was trying to run away and she pulled up short. The issue I have with her is that she has some fairly nasty horns and she knows how to use them. I talked to a couple of the neighbors and told them I was thinking about cutting them off. The one neighbor thinks that it should improve her attitude quite a bit. The other neighbor says that he thinks that if she ever get you down, as long as she has horns, you've got something to grab hold of. As I said, she'll be back to her normal docile self in a week or so but right now, she's a bit of an annoyance. Any thoughts?

 

[Frankie]

I don't think taking the horns off makes you any safer. The worst anyone ever got hurt here was being stomped. Our cattle don't have horns, of course, but they run predators off. They can do a lot of damage with their feet. Good luck and be careful.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Personally, I don't think removing her horns will change her temperament. As far as making her a 'safer' cow, when a cow wants to mash you, they can and will mash you whether they have horns or not.

Katherine

 

[hillsdown]

Edit this> sorry didn't mean to address it to you Frankie

I have one really "maternalistic" PB and you need to keep your distance for 2 weeks as she will go out of her way to go after you.But then the novelty wears off and she doesn't care.The first time she came at me I would have put a bullet in her if she didn't cost me so much to buy her and she always raises the best looking calves.Thank goodness I have never let her get close enough to touch me let alone take me down.I have another one that is just plain mean after she calves.But I took her first calf away from her when she was a heifer and she has never forgotten.She will be going down the road shortly with a big red X on her sides.

Dehorning probably won't make a difference and why would you want to make her even angrier cows go nuts from the smell of blood.If you really like her then just make sure you stay out of her way until the novelty of her new baby wears off.The other thing you can do is give her an education with a cattle stick and give her nose a good thump everytime you see her for a couple of weeks even when she is minding her own business.Have done that ,didn't like to but she knows who the boss is now and when she sees me coming she moves out of my way.
Good Luck and be careful.

 

[Bez>]

Chop 'em off pard.

Wire saw does wonders.

I have done this in the past with pretty good success.

In the end only you can finally decide. You might even let her go to the great pasture in the sky - but until then a chop job might give you a little pleasure.

Stay safe

Bez>

 

[Anguscollegekid]

Don't know what the correlation was, but we had a really stupid 2 year old that was crazy-not take you, but she wouldn't take her calf and was just really stupid and high headed (little Saler in the background). After a couple weeks of putting her in the chute to let the calf suck, she hit her horn (it was probably 3-4 inches) on something, broke it off, and it was like her brain turned on. After that, she took the calf and has been fine to work. crazy...

 

[dun]

Neighbor bought a bunch of generic stock cows, SS to BM, only one had horns. He was top dog and regualry bullied the other cows and all of the calves. She had a pretty good sized set of hooks so they cut them off. She is now at the bottom of the pecking order.

dun

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Chop 'em off pard.

Wire saw does wonders.

I have done this in the past with pretty good success.

In the end only you can finally decide. You might even let her go to the great pasture in the sky - but until then a chop job might give you a little pleasure.

Stay safe

Bez>

Yep, I thought there might be a bit of satisfaction in cutting her horns. i think I'll wait until she calms down a bit, though,

 

[Beefy]

its not going to help her attitude towards you when she calves.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Chop 'em off pard.

Wire saw does wonders.

I have done this in the past with pretty good success.

In the end only you can finally decide. You might even let her go to the great pasture in the sky - but until then a chop job might give you a little pleasure.

Stay safe

Bez>

Bez I disagree... Cutting off horns with 99.9% probability will not change a temperament (personality) of an animal. It's not like you are castrating a bull...even that doesn't always change behavior.

Some cows are VERY protective after calving...even for several months. IF she has a quality calf...keep out of her way. If NOT, then take her to sale barn with a "X" painted on her...

Some animals are just down right dangerous...should't be kept in one's herd...

 

[msscamp]

Chop 'em off pard.

Wire saw does wonders.

I have done this in the past with pretty good success.

In the end only you can finally decide. You might even let her go to the great pasture in the sky - but until then a chop job might give you a little pleasure.

Stay safe

Bez>

Some animals are just down right dangerous...should't be kept in one's herd...

Based on Cattle Rack's post, this is not one of them - a 'down right dangerous' animal would probably not have pulled up short when he tripped and fell.

Cattle Rack, I believe I would take her horns off. Granted, it probably won't change her disposition, but it will give you one less thing to worry about/watch out for during the 2 or 3 weeks post calving - and, as an added bonus, it will probably give you a whole lot of satisfaction!

 

[bward]

I have one like that. This one is a polled simmental; gorgeous looking cow and raises a great calf. She charges us for no reason whatsoever. Her head comes up and she goes ballistic.
I could have shot her soon after she calved as she was such a danger to have around. Since then she has calmed down somewhat but on a whim she'll take you if you are in the vicinity. I put up with her for a couple years but she is getting worse by degrees every year. I am shipping her and she is going to slaughter as soon as her calf is weaned. I am too old for this nonsense.

 

[mnmtranching]

If she were in my herd the horns would have been gone a long time ago. And she most likely would have been a mother only once. Be careful.

 

[vs_cattle]

get rid of her in my mine stuff like that is passed down to her offspring and also all it takes is one time for someone to get hurt is she really worth some one getting hurt over
-Isaac

 

[Northern Rancher]

So once you get ahold of her horns then what-I'd get some bear spray and give her a blast-axe handles break in the heat of battle don't ask me how I know lol.

 

[Victoria]

I'd personally get rid of the whole cow not just the horns, my safety is worth more than a nice calf. That said if you have to keep her then I would keep her horns on and carry something heavy and metal. My mother had a Highland charge her years ago and what saved her butt was the fact that she had a heavy metal bucket in her hand. She smashed it against the cows horns as hard as she could and the cow came to a stop and did a bit of staggering and head shaking, long enough for Mom to get back in the truck. The cow never charged again either.

 

[KMacGinley]

Let me see here. She raises a good calf. / Someday she might put you in the hospital or worse.

She raises a good calf/she could kill you.


She raises a good calf/You have to watch her so she doesn't kill you.


Gee I don't know what I would do. I wonder what could have happened if she didn't stop when you tripped. I wonder if she will stop next time.


I have quite a few cows that raise a good calf, but don't seem to want to attack me.


Let us know what you decide. This is a tough one.

 

[peg4x4]

No use putting up with a bad one when there are soooo many good ones..

 

[GMN]

I have a cow like this, every time another cow calves, she takes over and gets agressive, she does not have horns, but honestly any animal can kill you, horns or not, I sure would be very careful, and might be a good one to ship in the near future.

GMN

 

[Chris H]

I think it's a matter of your preference, would you rather be gored while you're being trampled & crushed, or do you want to settle for just being trampled & crushed?
It's hard to give advice without knowing the situation as you do. We had a cow that was about 6 when she started giving me the evil eye at calving. The next season after she calved she started hunting for me and never quit until we shipped her with instructions she go in the 'kill pen'. Other cows never progress past the point of giving a cautionary headshake when I get close. I can live with that. I will not live with a cow that charges me under any circumstance. Our cattle are in paddocks of (usually) less than 10 acres and are moved every couple days. A good temperment in the cattle promotes a good temperment in their owners ;-)