Berserk cattle (cause)

[manhill]

During the summer I had two newly calved cows inside. Normally quiet but something triggered them to go mental, one having a go at me which made me do my jumping jack act sharpish. I was lucky. I don't know what triggered it but suspect a feral cat that appears from time to time. Suppose to a cow a cat appears as much a danger to its calf as a dog. Cows attacking dogs are a regular occurrence but cats?? Anyone had problems?

 

[Jackov Altraids]

It's usually just hormones and mothering instinct.
It is a risk with any newly calved cow.

 

[manhill]

I've never seen such intensity before, luckily a calf wasn't trampled.

 

[milkloss]

We have a yard cat and they’re not too keen on him. I wouldn’t say the cattle react any worse than they would with a dog though.

we had more protective mothers than usual this year.

 

[Werzle]

Mine go berserk if swans or geese land in the field or any field if they can see them, they will even roar and chase the chickens out of the shed. They have trampled a few swans over the years and mauled a neighbours store lamb who broke in

 

[JSmith]

I would say one of the top ways to die on a livestock farm!! The quietest of cows can be overwhelmed with hormones after calving and become extremely protective, if everything is ok then best to respect their wishes an keep out of the way!! Week to ten days an they get over it, hopefully

 

[Tubbylew]

Remember pulling a calf a few years ago, I reckon she'd of calved herself but dad was fretting, as soon a the calve popped out it was a race to the door, didn't have time to get the ropes off, thought she was goin to nose the calve into the floor, you can't be too careful!

 

[unlacedgecko]

 

[clod hopper]

Mine go berserk if swans or geese land in the field or any field if they can see them, they will even roar and chase the chickens out of the shed. They have trampled a few swans over the years and mauled a neighbours store lamb who broke in

Bloody hell what breed do you keep???

 

[yellowbelly]

One of these would be handy....

Says it's a donkey but it looks more like a mule to me.

 

[BRB John]

Yeah I would agree there is certainly something that can happen to cows that can cause them to just lose it and it's not just hormone thing or just a bad cow. We had a cow go berserk this summer broke a lot of new fences before eventually collapsing from what I presume was internal damage caused by the fence wrecking never seen anything like it she was completely out of her mind almost drunk with rage.

 

[manhill]

Yeah I would agree there is certainly something that can happen to cows that can cause them to just lose it and it's not just hormone thing or just a bad cow. We had a cow go berserk this summer broke a lot of new fences before eventually collapsing from what I presume was internal damage caused by the fence wrecking never seen anything like it she was completely out of her mind almost drunk with rage.

scary alright, first time I've heard cows howling like that. Normal relations resumed very soon after.but it was some adrenaline rush!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Ours got that good at the bottom left one I stopped calving outside for a few years! Now it’s all in one specific field if they aren’t inside! One with 2 big oak trees and nothing else too hide behind.

Anything that tries the bottom right nowadays gets run barren until weaning then off she goes!

 

[Werzle]

Bloody hell what breed do you keep???

limx and bbx. Only takes one to upset a group, they are fine with dogs and dog walkers though

 

[dave6470]

bought a simintal cross first caver with calf at foot last year now know why she was sold
shes lethal for about a week after she caved

 

[unlacedgecko]

One of these would be handy....

Says it's a donkey but it looks more like a mule to me.

Those South American mules are very impressive. Some awesome videos of them loading themselves with no ramp.

 

[windymiller]

Couple of people has told me that low mag is ment to send them close to the edge, then when they calf or get handled it don't take much to push them over it. Me, dad and brother had a hiding during calving a couple of years ago by normally ok cows, got rid of about 10 cows that year becaus of temperament. Bad tempered cows just ain't worth the hassle.

 

[som farmer]

when we had sucklers, any calf needing a visit, loader and round feeder, drop feeder over calf, and use the loader as a safe passage. Doesn't seem a problem with the dairy, except for some i/c aryshires we bought, as no longer nimble, banned from calving yard, when they were calving.
When we used to farrow a lot of sows, in either out door pens, or 8ft square indoors, they could be some very nasty pigs ! Vividly remember dad taking a decent length long jump, from a standing position, he cleared the fence, stock fence, + 2 strands, the sow failed to clear, but flatten the fence, we were well out the way by then, but that sow, was going round looking for us. Easier in the indoor pens, you could always shove the brush into their open mouth, as she charged, after that, clean out from the next door pen ! Good old sow could bark well, at least you had a warning.

 

[unlacedgecko]

when we had sucklers, any calf needing a visit, loader and round feeder, drop feeder over calf, and use the loader as a safe passage. Doesn't seem a problem with the dairy, except for some i/c aryshires we bought, as no longer nimble, banned from calving yard, when they were calving.
When we used to farrow a lot of sows, in either out door pens, or 8ft square indoors, they could be some very nasty pigs ! Vividly remember dad taking a decent length long jump, from a standing position, he cleared the fence, stock fence, + 2 strands, the sow failed to clear, but flatten the fence, we were well out the way by then, but that sow, was going round looking for us. Easier in the indoor pens, you could always shove the brush into their open mouth, as she charged, after that, clean out from the next door pen ! Good old sow could bark well, at least you had a warning.

When I worked on the indoor pig unit the farrowing house manager has a permanent limp from a sow destroying her knee. Certainly kept me sharp and switched on around the sows, especially fresh farrowed ones!

 

[som farmer]

some of those old sows were some evil barstewards, as by coincidence, were some of those old fr dairy cows. Breeding docility into farm stock, is something we overlook, they are certainly quieter than they used to be, as an example, we had a little shoot here friday, most of the guns, with their dogs, walked right through our milkers, in the yard, which took no notice of them at all, great !