What technique or tool do you use to make your cows mind?

[Stubbornhillfarm]

On occassion, our cows don't want to listen to us. Like for instance when we feed them grain independantly and one finishes and goes to the next guys bucket and starts eating. I try to tell them no, pull them with their halter, etc. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! It's ok, you can laugh

I have heard of some people that use a tube of some sort to bop them on the nose to get their attention. Please don't get me wrong. I don't want to be abusive to them in any way. Just looking for good solid techniques that experienced farmers have used. Thanks!

 

[animalfarm]

Other then shooting them before they get to the other guys bucket you need to tie them up providing they are trained. If not, you do it the hard way. If the cow is low on the totem it isn't getting any but if its high on the totem, its getting it all unless you get yourself higher up the totem as well. To do that you need to stand there between them and make them believe you mean it. I think you already know this but are simply unsure if its allowed. Its allowed; cows are too big to have no respect for you. You will get hurt. The tamer cows are actually the ones you are most in danger of. Plan B is: call the vet. They will run like He..when they seem him coming.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

If they know your voice sometimes a nasty snarl or growl at them from you will get their attention. Your body language will also let them see you mean boss. You can't THINK you are sure of yourself, you have t be absolutely sure that you are sure of your self, that you have enough confidence (some call it grit or sand) to stride forward and get an animal to get out of the way. Like AnimalFarm said, the tame ones are the worse because they have little to no flight zone and often will not move for you until you give them a good swat with whatever you have in your hand at the time. They may not tolerate that if they know you're not sure of yourself and/or knows that you are not really Boss Cow. If the latter's the case, then you have to stand your ground and be assertive towards that bossy cow.

 

[goodhors]

The hollow tube is usually sold as a "pig pipe" and available at TSC and farm stores. Bright
colors are nice because you can FIND them easily! We got a free one for attending a feeding
seminar at the local Elevator. Has come in handy a couple times.

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/search.asp?camid=LIV&ss=pig+stick&search-submit=GO

Pipes are quite effective for bonking a bovine on the nose when they get pushy! Long enough
to "reach out and touch them" to maintain your "personal space bubble" for safety. Didn't take
much of a nose bump with the pipe, to stop the calf in his tracks, QUIT trying to rub on us or
running up behind while walking fences. He needed to be respectful of our space. Didn't make
him shy at all, just not obnoxious anymore.

I agree with tying up the cows until everyone is finished with their bucket. Being tied daily is
good for them, keeps them used to being handled and tied, rewarded for the tying process. Lots of benefits
to YOU doing this with cows.

 

[kstaven]

With the girls on the milking line all I have to do is clap my hands once.

 

[77Herford]

Cattle prod will get the more stubborn ones attention but I rarely every do that. I use a walking stick and just tap them on the shoulder but they need to know you. I walk with my herd every day and have known them since they were calves so that helps.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

All really great tips and suggestions! Thanks. I totally get that they have to know you are boss. The "big boy" will not hardly let my husband get hear him as he has had to wrestle him too many times in the past and now he figures my husband is up to something everytime he comes near. They are all actually really well behaved. Come when called, are ok with us touching them, etc. It is really only during grain feeding time that their mind is taken over by thier stomaches.

animalfarm and goodhors, I think we will investigate into tying them. They all have halters on and we can lead them by halter (when they feel like it!) Really valid points on how it will be a help at other times as well.

77Herford, I will try a walking stick or tube as goodhors spoke of this weekend too and see how they react. They definately know us. They let us brush them, etc. We spend time with them everyday. I am amazed at farmers at the fairs that train their oxen to pull etc with the use of a stick and don't even touch them with it!

kstaven, Wow! They know who the boss is! That's awesome.

WildRoseBeef, I get what you are saying. And as they are getting older and bigger, I know that I can't "move" them on my own strength. I need to make them understand who the boss is before they get even bigger!

Again, thanks to you all for your suggestions and willingness to share your expertise. We will check them all out and let you know what works for us!

 

[77Herford]

Lol, yeah Kstaven is the boss around the cows.
I bottle fed one of my Hereford bulls and he is around six now and a big puppy around me. Wants to be scratched on the head and neck but if he knew he out weighted me by over 1500 pounds I would be toast, lol.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Lol, yeah Kstaven is the boss around the cows.
I bottle fed one of my Hereford bulls and he is around six now and a big puppy around me. Wants to be scratched on the head and neck but if he knew he out weighted me by over 1500 pounds I would be toast, lol.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/3569_big_bull.jpg

Wow! He is amazing! Thank you for sharing. I have always had this thing about not liking cows that have white faces, really the pink eyes used to creep me out. And even when we got our baldies, it still did creep me out. Now....I love our hereford and our baldie! We are going to stick to herefords as our very limited experience with the baldies has shown us that the angus in them makes them a little high strung.

I have to ask, again, it's ok to laugh at me! So do you scratch his head and neck like he wants or do you just ignore him? I like giving our cows that kind of attention, but I don't want to be negatively effecting how they see things. I can't wait to show my husband the picture of your bull!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

In my experience (sorry to butt in here), scratching the head of a cow or bull is never a good idea because it will encourage the butting-instinct in that animal, which means he/she will think you are encouraging them to butt you by scratching their heads. The one method I heard of that probably works is that if an animal tries to push you or head-butt you when you're petting it, stop petting immediately. This is supposed to teach them that they won't get any attention if they try to be pushy with you, but they will if they stand nice and quiet. If the pushing gets too carried away, a quick bop to the muzzle will teach them that you don't tolerate getting pushed around.

You CAN scratch the neck, on the cheeks, and under the chin, and along the back but try to avoid the head as much as possible. Another method you can try is to try to feed the animal so that they are reaching up high above your head with their heads pointed in the sky. This is supposed to encourage a passive response to them because it mimics the stance they used when getting their mother's attention or suckling from their mommas, and is supposed to also get them more submissive towards you. I've never tried it, but it would be neat to hear or see of someone doing this.

A confession: I regret not knowing this sooner when I had a steer become a bit of a pet one year. I never really knew much about avoiding scratching the head and the head-butting thing and standing your ground and all that until after we sent him with the rest of the steers to get fattened up for butchering. He would head-butt me, but in a gentle way when he was younger, but I never thought of nor knew to correct him at the time. There were a lot of things that I had experienced when I was younger with cattle that I never knew at the time that I wished now I knew then. I guess we all just have to live and learn. :/