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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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Andrea
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 2260 Location: Portugal
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Andrea
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 2260 Location: Portugal
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46217 Location: yes
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crofter
Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2252
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Andrea
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 2260 Location: Portugal
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46217 Location: yes
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crofter
Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2252
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 15 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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crofter wrote: |
dpack wrote: |
in the open i agree,tis better to stand ones ground and try convince them not to go for you with noise /arms as big horns etc etc and leap sideways at the last mo if needs be.that can lead to a "matador"type situation but it does take them a while to do a 180 degree turn from high speed so getting to safety is possible.if they run past the often loose interest . |
Yes, always stand your ground. Remember you are the boss, show no fear and maintain a dominant attitude. Talk to them, sternly but without shouting, use your body language as well. Only exception would be a newly calved cow (protective behaviour) or maybe an animal which has been wound up to a frenzy, (separated from the rest of the herd by dogs, or something like that) then keep well clear! |
Couldn't agree more - particularly about the latter. I was charged, matador-style, several times by a heifer that had escaped and got out into the fields when the others were all inside. Despite being in the middle of a 5 acre field with plenty of options where to run, she was properly going for us as we tried to urge her towards the gate. Once she was back in the herd you couldn't tell which she was and now I can't even remember which one she is, but she's definitely still in the herd.
On a similar note, we took on a heifer & a steer that had become unhandleable for the owners. They were supposed to go straight to slaughter, but with one thing and another it wasn't practical, so we kept them on. The behaviour was changed almost immediately by being part of a larger group and the steer in particular became much calmer.
Never under estimate the effect of solitude on cattle behaviour. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46217 Location: yes
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NorthernMonkeyGirl
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 4630 Location: Peeping over your shoulder
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 15 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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NorthernMonkeyGirl wrote: |
Rob R wrote: |
Piggyphile wrote: |
Surely people have been keeping one or two cows for home and draft use for centuries? |
The EU has since outlawed keeping single animals, but plenty of people still do it with disasterous results. The behaviour tends to be worse (from the human's point of view) where they are kept alone.
The main issue with an underworked bull is that he might have urges on the 364 days of the year that he hasn't got a job for, particularly if he must be kept on his own to avoid serving his daughter. We prefer to keep the daughters and the bulls on different farms if at all possible, as they can detect an on-heat female from quite a distance.
These are all practical problems that can be overcome, with a beef steer to keep the bull company and well fenced fields with some distance between them, or a secure building to house the bull and his buddy during the off season. The animals can be rotated between the grazing & the building if grazing is limited. |
If the first calf is a male, that could become the companion beef steer until it reaches edible weight, which would take a couple of years at least? |
Yes, but if you're depending on it being a bull, you can guarantee that it'll be a heifer. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46217 Location: yes
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