Sort of a funny story

cjc

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I don't know why these things happen to us when we are super busy or under the weather but yesterday was one of those days. I have been feeling super under the weather and was at my day job just trying to get my work done. All the sudden I get a call at 10am saying "There is a steer standing at your front gate". I thought Steer? I don't even have any on the farm right now. But oh wait! We have 4 we moved to the neighbours across the highway to graze. The neighbor is right across the street but the street is a very busy road, basically a highway. I got in my car hoping and praying it wasn't our cow because I really wasn't in the mood to try and round up some crazy steer. Sure enough, there he was! One of our calves from last year, standing at the gate on the highway.

Now everyone tells me there is no way this happened but I am telling you that cow walked home. He has been at the neighbours for 4 months. He some how got out in their back pasture, left behind 3 other steers (odd they usually stick together) and went through a few acres of bush, many ditches, walked across a hardware store parking lot, across the highway, down our driveway and walked right back to his Dam! The reunion was adorable. They were both calling for each other the moment he set foot on our property. But now he is constantly on her trying to nurse again, after 4 months away from her! She is about to calf soon so we will either have to put a nose flap on him or move him to another field. But I think the decision has been made, he is staying with her and he will not stand for anything else!
 

WildRoseBeef

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'Ere be the days when we well and truly underestimate just how smart bovines truly are. Apparently the 6 week "standard" period was not enough, nor even taking them that far away from their mothers! I think the nose-flap idea is a better one because then it will be his mom's responsibility to teach him that he's too big to be suckling, but he can still stay with her. Hopefully he won't be too naughty when his new little brother/sister arrives.

Bovines: Incredible creatures.
 

cjc

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I think the nose flap idea is better as well but it will be my first time using one. Is it easy to do? His dam is actually pretty adamant about pushing him off, she doesn't want him to nurse as much as I don't. Because he is in the field with 1 heifer that just calved and 2 cows that are about to I think the nose flap is needed regardless. I don't want him going after the others even though his dam is pushing him off.
 

WildRoseBeef

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It's really easy to put on. Just need to bend the two ends apart so that they stick inside the nostril and are held by the piece of cartilage that sits outside of the divide of the two nostrils, like this:
1012mg_nose_flap_4-B.jpg


The flap comes in different shapes/sizes, but it looks like this (for those of you reading this thread who may not know):
quietwean-noseflap-RGB.jpg


You can get the type that have the spikes sticking out too that poke in the udder and encourages the cow to kick out. It works most of the time, but some calves get real smart and learn that they can flip up the nose flap and continue to suckle their dam. Fortunately not all calves are that smart, and hopefully your calf isn't either.

And the flaps only need to be in for 3 to 7 days at the most.
 

cjc

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Awesome thank you! I bought a few but you know I think his Dam did it for us. I haven't put it on as she set him straight pretty fast. She wants absolutely nothing to do with him nursing. She will gladly lick him and curl up in a ball next to him but the moment he goes for her udder, she loses it on him haha. He hasn't tried, that we have seen in quiet a few days.
 

Kusanar

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I have horses and had a colt that had recently been separated from his mother (at over a year old) climb over a pile of manure outside of the manure pit, use that to climb over the barbed wire fence into the manure pit, go to the back where there isn't a fence, go into the woods, all the way around my riding ring and another paddock, to get to a fence line where he could see his mama.... funny thing is, other than that one escape, he was fine with leaving her, she was the one that wouldn't let us separate them, we tried, she would gallop straight through a 4 board fence without slowing down or jumping.... he was still nursing at over a year old too! Not full time, but when she got upset about something he would nurse and calm her back down.... Strange mare...
 

Blue Sky

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I have a steer (recently separated from his brother and bored) who enjoys the fine spray of water that sprayed from the hose/faucet connection when tubs are being filled. All summer my husband and were scolding each other for leaving the water on to the point of questioning mutual sanity. Well yesterday I almost caught Brisket turning the water on -that has to be what's going on- if I can get it on camera, hello YouTube. I had no idea cattle were that smart. If I could only get him to turn it off...
 
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