cow challenges owner

KOHL HAWKE · #1 10/05/10, 10:22 AM

I have a 20mo old heifer that was a bottle calf and is halter broke, leads, loads, lifts feet. generaly a very sweet cow....except lately there has been a new behavior..challengeing, bucking, kicking out at nothing but only when near (just before she drops head to butt) she is getting very pushy. a bop on the nose just increases the frustration. the same for yelling and bopping nose..what used to work when she got pushy. When we then leave the pasture she rushes the round bail o hay and takes it out on that! She is not in heat when she does this. She doesnt do this all the time tho. Is there a way to get her to stop?! Its getting dangerous and we are in the pasture often. Can we brake this behavior? I dont want to sell her...but if I have to, I have to.

wendle · #2 10/05/10, 10:40 AM

Does she have a buddy? Watching my cows I notice they often shove each other around, so maybe she is just treating you like another cow.

mamahen · #3 10/05/10, 10:52 AM

Is she doing it in play: bouncing around kicking and bucking, taking off running and bucking.

Or is she mad at you: you moved food, and she shakes her head at you, paws the ground, aggressively charges (even mock charges)

Our heifer used to love to play.. If we ran, she would run, then pass us bucking & kicking. You could tell she was enjoying it. But she would calm down if you yelled (a loud, sharp, HAH or HEY), stomped the ground or if you tapped her nose, just a light tap.

She did get po'ed at a cat, one time. I have no idea why. The cat walked thru the barnyard and she let out this awful yell/bellow, started pawing the ground and charged the cat! Looked like a bull! She did that 2 times, the other was with our mule. NEVER us!

If your girl just gets angrier at your attempts to correct her, maybe it's time to go back to tying and leading for awhile. Tie her & bring her her feed. Let her know that You = Good things.

Has your weather changed? Ours is cooler now, and our calves are acting like brats right now, one shook his head at me, but a smack on the nose made him think twice. The temp changes make them feel like spring chickens again!

kmorisett · #4 10/05/10, 10:52 AM

I am told that bulls "challenge up" around 2 yrs. old, and if there is no other cattle to challenge, they will challenge you as the current leader of the "herd". Maybe this heifer is doing the same? Perhaps you will have to reprimand her much stronger to end the battle once and for all?

IMContrary · #5 10/05/10, 10:57 AM

Could she be in heat?

linn · #6 10/05/10, 10:57 AM

I would start carrying a livestock can with me. We used to have a big shorthorn cow that would shake her head at me. I whapped her across the nose with the livestock cane and that took care of that. As long as I carried a stick or a cane, she gave way.

DaleK · #7 10/05/10, 11:03 AM

Yep a good stout cane or ax handle, and don't play gentle. Hitting her with your fist won't do it, and she can kill you while thinking she's playing. I've had heifers I had to put on their knees before they got the idea that I wasn't putting up with it.

KOHL HAWKE · #8 10/05/10, 11:27 AM

Thanks guys! She used to play now she is challenging..not in heat. Ive given her hard corrections with a stick to the nose...maby I need a bigger stick? It has to hurt not sting..stinging will just make it worse. I will start tieing her when we go out to pasture..sigh, the kids havent been able to go out tho...we mix stock, and she does have another calf with her that is about 7mo old...I will try the leading and carry a heavier stick..any other ideas?

KOHL HAWKE · #9 10/05/10, 11:28 AM

oh and it seems like it starts when I wont stroke/pet her when she wants me to

bulldog · #10 10/05/10, 03:52 PM

I raised a heifer like that. She went on walks with us all the time and was generally babied. Around that age she started the same thing. My theory with horses is I'd rather let them have it once, get my point across, and have it over with, than let them think there was some possibility of them "winning". So my heifer got a whack as hard as I could give, then when she back off to think about I chased her off a few yards. Worked like a charm. The next few times I went in with her I was aggressive, insisting she back away from me. I am happy to say she is now a very fine milk cow for us, and is loving, but respects our space. So go ahead and "win", do it till she really has the picture, then start loving her up again.

cowkeeper · #11 10/05/10, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KOHL HAWKE

oh and it seems like it starts when I wont stroke/pet her when she wants me to

It's a dominance issue. I have noticed that the dominant cows demand grooming from the ones that are lower down in the 'pecking order'.ck

tatanka · #12 10/06/10, 09:59 AM

My kids grew up raising and showing cattle. What you are describing is commom in some but not all. Your animal wants to be the herd queen. It is common in the more dominant animals of our herd and their offspring seem to carry it also. They can be the most behaved well mannered animal and then just like teenagers they turn on you. You have to maintain that you are the herd queen by dominence. Use the big stick like recommended or a shock stick if needed. Usually they will tame back down after a while and trun into the nicest pasture animals you could want.

MArla

KOHL HAWKE · #13 10/08/10, 07:31 AM

Thanks everyone!! I went out to feed and she got pushy...I gave it to her good..untill she backed down..across the bridge of the nose. I had to do this twice. It worked!! I later (10min) went back and rubbed the stick on her to show her it was the behavior and not the stick that hurts..she was very respectful!! Thank you all for your advice I was in such need! Still am = )

Stonybrook · #14 10/09/10, 06:06 PM

A length of rubber hose will hurt like heck too, but not do any damage. Or, better yet, get one of those really springy privet "whips". That is really about the only useful purpose for privet that I can see. They are great for that. You can be a good distance from her and wallop her the minute the thought enters her brain.

Caitedid · #15 10/15/10, 09:18 AM

Kohl- I can second the idea to never hit them with your hands. My partner and I have both broken bones in our hands doing this without thinking. Turns out that both cow and ram heads are harder than your finger bones. I have had good luck using the defoliated stem of a buttonweed across the end of a calf's nose though. Had a steer calf that was getting too pushy, following me when I was feeding or moving anything in the pasture. Took a couple good whacks on the soft end of his nose, but now you can see him thinking before he comes anywhere near me. Hope she keeps respecting you, but be ready to have to repeat the lesson. Caite

Vickie44 · #16 10/15/10, 11:10 AM

I would reccommend that you go out there with out the stick now though . I had a rare occasion when the heifer just turned mean, she respected the stick but if I didnt have it she would go after me. You want her to respect you , not just the stick

Jcran · #17 10/15/10, 11:21 AM

Our yearling Jersey heifer has done the very same thing...total teenage behavior and "pushing buttons" to see who is in charge. She is also trying to dominate our boer buck. She is going to "boot camp" down the road next weekend with our friend's Dexters to learn how to be a cow.