Stupid cow questions

jnap31 · #1 10/11/06, 10:21 AM

I had a jersey for a year and she did great and I raised a bull up and butchered him at 9 months. But I was wondering when you have a mature bull does he need to be seperated from the heifers when they are pregnant? I think no as Cows are not rabbits right. Also would I have to worry about my little kids being around a Dexter bull? I am assuming that Dexter bulls are a lot safer than other breeds from what I have read. I use to have a small chain I kept on Bessie like a collar so that I could tie her up to graze in the front yard Could you leave a halter on a cow all the time? I have never used one. My little pasture area is across the road so I would need to lead any cows back and forth everyday to and from the barn for milking I could use a chain like before but I was just wondering if a halter is better? If I was a cow I think I would rather have the little chain around my neck seems like it would be more comfortable. Here in Kosovo lots of folks I have seen tie a rope around the cows horns when they tie them up to graze though more often then not an old man or youngster just watches them when they graze as their is very little fencing here.

Up North · #2 10/11/06, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnap31

But I was wondering when you have a mature bull does he need to be seperated from the heifers when they are pregnant? I think no as Cows are not rabbits right. Also would I have to worry about my little kids being around a Dexter bull?

No, you don't need to separate bred heifers from a bull, unless he poses a danger to you while working with heifers.

Yes, You DO need to worry about kids being around a Bull. Little kids should not be allowed around ANY BULL, of ANY BREED, at ANY TIME. Unless you are standing right beside them ready to remove them from harm's way AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE. NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON ANY BULL.

PS I wish you a safe tour of duty and a safe passage back to your home & family.

montysky · #3 10/11/06, 12:49 PM

On the Bull Question, watch that Dexter Bull

, remember a 900 pound bull can kill just like a 2400 bull. all Bulls can hurt or kill you just some smile when doing it.

Oxankle · #4 10/11/06, 01:39 PM

I would never allow a child in a pasture with a bull, or for that matter in a pasture where cows have very young calves (birth to a week or so).

On the halter; If you can find a leather halter the cow can wear it all the time. However, all I see now are the nylon halters, and they will rub the hair off and break the skin causing a sore if left on. I would use a soft rope halter (cotton, polyester, sisal) before nylon. When I was a boy we had a cow that never had her (leather) halter off.

Chain around the neck: I would not ever leave anything around a cow's neck on a permanent basis if there is any chance whatever that brush or anything else could get caught in the noose. I also prefer not to put a chain or rope around the horns. Rope halters are so simple to make and so inexpensive that if a cow is to be staked out that would be a simple way to go.
Ox

jnap31 · #5 10/12/06, 03:09 AM

Thanks for that guys, Thanks upnorth I will be home mid dec Godwilling and done with the army for good after Marches drill.

Up North · #6 10/14/06, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnap31

Thanks for that guys, Thanks upnorth I will be home mid dec Godwilling and done with the army for good after Marches drill.

Godspeed to you. Have a lot of respect for you folks in the Services......

mpillow · #7 10/14/06, 01:35 PM

My daughter is almost 11yo and a whopping 67 pounds. She feeds Lucky Cow Pattie his bottle...he is still intact and 4.5m old. He is Holstein. She loves to play with him in the pasture....but she is quick and has things to climb on if he gets frisky...but mostly he just follows her around and she hugs him but he does get jealous when the goats want some love too and he "mounts" them in dominance

His collar is one from Jeffers...adjustable nylon with hook...but he comes to us quite freely....but he will be steered soon

I hope maybe you can find a bottle fed bull as I think they are much easier to handle and more trustworthy. Of course with any animal....if love is in the air watch out!

Someone local has a bred jersey/devon heifer for sale but my husband says "NO"

How long do you think I can hide her?

ozark_jewels · #8 10/14/06, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpillow

but mostly he just follows her around and she hugs him but he does get jealous when the goats want some love too and he "mounts" them in dominance....but he will be steered soon

He can really hurt a goat this way especially as he gets bigger........and it won't stop with steering....they do it anyway, bull or steer. I think I would consider getting him out of there.

mpillow · #9 10/14/06, 04:49 PM

Yes in Dec he will be separated. He actually "plays" with our 7m old buck and loses! He's about 350-400# and the buck is 70# but the calf gets down on his front knees to play

The winter pen is very small 8*20 so I'm waiting as long as possible to confine...

My daughter is a daredevil and good w/ animals....she can sit and have whitetails(deer) come w/i 10ft of her....talking to them the whole time.
She has also been the only one to get this calf to eat as he was a real sick baby

She asked me if she could ride him....I said "no" but I wont be surprised to see her prove me wrong.....

I watch her when she goes out to play in the pasture....when she was 3-4yo one of the goats butted her and she never cried...she held up her fist and said " you do that again and I'll roast you goat"

I know your thinking she'll get hurt in the blink of an eye.....I agree to some extent but at the same time I respect her abilities too

ozark_jewels · #10 10/14/06, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpillow

know your thinking she'll get hurt in the blink of an eye.....I agree to some extent but at the same time I respect her abilities too

Oh, I'm sure she is very able. Just hate to see a child get hurt and it only needs a second in time......I was just like your daughter at that age and I shudder to think of some of the things I did. Rode the Jersey bulls, hooked our Jersey hiefer up to a plastic sled with just a rope and hopped on...oh the list goes on.

Karin L · #11 10/14/06, 07:28 PM

Holstein bulls (and steers) I don't trust. They are the meanest animal of any cattle breed (except for the cows), and once this little 4 month old calf gets bigger, unless he's halter-trained or something like that, he's gonna be an animal that you gotta be careful around. Even when he's like a pet now as it is.

jnap31 · #12 10/15/06, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Oh, I'm sure she is very able. Just hate to see a child get hurt and it only needs a second in time......I was just like your daughter at that age and I shudder to think of some of the things I did. Rode the Jersey bulls, hooked our Jersey hiefer up to a plastic sled with just a rope and hopped on...oh the list goes on.

LOL I am sure my kids will be the same way, DW says they have taken to riding a tricycle down the hill by our house now and on a 45 degree slope they are only 3 and 4 years old not special you say, well they do it standing up!!! The neighbors could not believe it.LOL I will probably have a heart attack when I see them play now when I wa home a year and a hlf ago we use to all jump off the chairs on to pillows now I guess they have moved up LOL theres a thought I dont need to get them a pony I will just teach them to ride our Dexter bull! Thats right I am buying a dexter bull from a friend in newton county I met on homestead.org he is wonderful he is shortlegged and his dad is really gentle so I bet he will be also. I just found out yesterday about him now all I need is a heifer to keep him company. And a few more acres of pasture.

Ken Scharabok · #13 10/15/06, 08:53 AM

On bulls under about a year they might hurt someone out of playfullness than anything else. 1-2 now longer a calf, but not a bull yet either. Bulls over about 18-months are the ones to really be leary of.

I remember hearing in Wisc. it is the gentle bulls which will kill you. If a bull is high-strung you know to be careful around him. On the gentle ones the tendancy is to get careless. How many dairy widows have said, "We still can't figure it out. We bottle raised that bull, gentle as a kitten and one day he just killed Harry."

Dairy bull in particular have a bad reputation for being unpredictable.

My Angus bull is now 4-5 years old. Last time I went to resoak the fly rub he came up to see what was up. Since he was there I told him to follow me up to the house and I'd give him some fed. A couple of 'come ons' and he did, staying about 20 feet behind me. About halfway up I heard something which caused me to turn around. He was about halfway to me in a playful, head swinging, heel kicking charge. I hollered to him to stop and he did. Had he reached me he would have only likely head butted me. However, he is around 1650 pounds - a whole lot bigger than I am.