How to make a cow stop mounting people?

[Melky]

Well she has a halter, but I would like her to know not to do it when shes not on a lead, rather than having to physically pull her down all the time. She is usually on a lead around people anyway but like, you can put a muzzle on a dog that bites but that still doesnt mean its okay that it does bite

That’s probably true but for example if you know this dog has this behavior it is safer to use the safety equipment during handling.

 

[Dona Worry]

Right, should have known better than to speak from actual common sense and experience. Why bother, when we have so many armchair experts in cow behaviour?

Love the philosophical 'ALL UNKINDNESS BEGETS UNKINDNESS '
and of course, my favorite 'my grandmother had cows AND NEVER HIT THEM!'

I have and will continue to fire people for harsh handling of cows.

But, the only reason Jasper was ever a problem to begin with was because someone thought they could turn her into a pet.
She did not turn mean from rough handling. She turned mean because people were hand feeding her little pies, letting her walk up for face pets and chin scratches.
Some cows, true, you can do that with, and they turn into funny pets that would no sooner headbutt you than walk into a lake of lava.
But plenty of cows will go ahead and turn into a Jasper, and then, hard choices need to be made.
A cow that jumps on a human is TELLING YOU she does not see you as her boss. She is TELLING YOU that you are lower in the herd hierarchy. She is TELLING YOU that you already have a communication gap.

Y'all would rather see OP hurt or dead than a cow smacked twice with a rubber hose. You'd also rather see the cow sent to slaughter than smacked twice with a rubber hose. Ok. I wouldn't.

 

[Melky]

This employee has already been knocked to the ground and had a bone broken. Not every cow is sweetness and light, and pretty sure every farmer knows that.
And let's be realistic here. You may want to call it abuse, but keep in mind that cows are REALLY BIG. Even I, as a large human, using a piece of chain for goodness sake, did nothing more than inconvenience Jasper.
Using something softer, like a hose, does nothing more than shake things up and sting a little. You aren't going to do any damage, but you might save a human a hospital bill.

It isn't abuse to smack a cow that is on track to seriously injure you, just like it isn't assault to pepper spray a man who pops up behind you and tries to kidnap you. Context matters.

Negative behaviors with animals breed negative behaviors from animals. Here is an article on cow behavior that will help you understand better positive management practices that improve not only milk production but behavior. This behavior is natural instinct and cows kept under strict control without ability to graze in open pastures may exhibit thus behavior. Hope you choose to learn about the animals natural learning process and instincts than abusing an animal. Laying an unkind hand to an animal will never help the animal or you. Hope this helps.

See publish.csiro.au

The short web address may not get you there:
Here: publish.csiro.au/ebook/chapter/9781486301614_Chapter4

I also attached pdf version that you can download. It’s important to respect the animal and remember it doesn’t ever want to intentionally hurt you. Animals behave out of fear and instinct. They do have a learning style and will respond to positive interactions.

 

[Dona Worry]

Also I wonder if all these people crying 'abuse' have ever watched two cows vying for dominance. It reaaallly highlights just how tiny humans are, and how very little damage we could actually do. And how brutal cows can be amongst themselves. Cows don't ask, they tell. If the cow they told to step away from the water is too slow or refuses, cows don't sit and wait. They bull in there and forcibly remove the smaller cow.

My vet says that "99% of herd health problems are social problems", and he's right.

 

[Melky]

Also I wonder if all these people crying 'abuse' have ever watched two cows vying for dominance. It reaaallly highlights just how tiny humans are, and how very little damage we could actually do. And how brutal cows can be amongst themselves. Cows don't ask, they tell. If the cow they told to step away from the water is too slow or refuses, cows don't sit and wait. They bull in there and forcibly remove the smaller cow.

My vet says that "99% of herd health problems are social problems", and he's right.

Your vet is probably correct. But you have to ask why? Improved management practices and positive interactions will have better results and improve your milk production. Aggression only breeds aggression and fear causing more problems not less.

I doubt your vet would ever recommend hitting an animal. If so, shouldn’t be a vet. Let me smack you in the face and see if that sting felt good and tell me how you felt afterward. I bet you felt only negative feelings. My guess is you would prefer someone to correct you with positive interactions. Put yourself in the situation. An animal is no different. It may also cause the animal to become more out of control leading to a more dangerous situation. Enough about this let’s move on by providing a positive direction and a good example to others. It looks like to me you both need to go back and study proper animal management practices that are positive and safe. Also take the time to learn the animals natural behavior so you know how to prevent these experiences in the future. Safety first in an unsure situation. Please don’t take offense.

 

[Dona Worry]

It’s important to respect the animal and remember it doesn’t ever want to intentionally hurt you. Animals behave out of fear and instinct.

Ahahahahahahaha
What is much MORE important to remember is that cows, like humans, chickens, dogs, etc, are all INDIVIDUALS and there is no one size fits all solution, and while a cow does not set out to hurt you out of malice, they often set out to do damage.
Behaving out of instinct does not mean a cow isn't trying to hurt you! When a cow rams another, she is both behaving out of instinct and deliberately inflicting pain. When Jasper was jumping on and ramming people from behind, she was behaving out of instinct and deliberately inflicting pain.
Cows assert dominance over each other by a combination of leadership and overt threats. There is no malice-- cows are incapable of it-- but there is the deliberate use of force, and the purpose of the force is to cause pain. Stop reading articles, and go watch a herd of cows. They are totally peaceful. . . As long as everyone remembers where their place in the herd is.

 

[Dona Worry]

Your vet is probably correct. But you have to ask why? Improved management practices and positive interactions will have better results and improve your milk production. Aggression only breeds aggression and fear causing more problems not less.

I doubt your vet would ever recommend hitting an animal. If so, shouldn’t be a vet. Let me smack you in the face and see if that sting felt good and tell me how you felt afterward. I bet you felt only negative feelings. My guess is you would prefer someone to correct you with positive interactions. Put yourself in the situation. An animal is no different. It may also cause the animal to become more out of control leading to a more dangerous situation. Enough about this let’s move on by providing a positive direction and a good example to others. It looks like to me you both need to go back and study proper animal management practices that are positive and safe. Also take the time to learn the animals natural behavior so you know how to prevent these experiences in the future. Safety first in an unsure situation. Please take offense.

If I punch you first, I have no right to expect positive reinforcement. Cows aren't stupid. If a cow head butts a cow with higher social standing, she KNOWS her goose is cooked and it is time to hightail it out of there. Cows do not practice positive reinforcement among each other. A bully cow will often find herself totally excluded from the herd, especially if it's a younger cow.

All cow problems are social problems does prompt a thorough check into housing and group management. Groups uneven numbers? Too big? Too many mature cows that are bullying the heifers? Not enough bunk space? Resource hoarding?
Intensive management should always be about preventing herd problems, and that means taking cow social structure into account.

 

[Bunnylady]

It’s important to respect the animal and remember it doesn’t ever want to intentionally hurt you.

You've never dealt with an animal that thinks it can dominate you, have you? I have - not cows, but goats and horses, and there is no doubt about it, when that animal decides to push you around, it absolutely WILL hurt you if you don't let it have its way. I am well versed in animal body language and I know the difference between fear and a challenge.

If livestock were left entirely on their own, with no human coming within a half mile of them, then there would be no opportunity for them to hurt people, either intentionally or otherwise. But that isn't going to happen, so they must understand that the humans that are in their world outrank them. I am as kind as they allow me to be, but I will not stay out of my pasture because a miniature horse thinks it owns it. Selling such an animal relieves me from having to deal the problem, but it doesn't relieve me of the responsibility if a child gets killed by the "cute little pony" somewhere down the line. A "come to Jesus" moment like @Dona Worry describes is ugly to watch and unpleasant to be in, but it can be the difference between a very short life for a dangerous animal (horses get slaughtered too, you know) and a much longer, productive (and potentially pleasant) life for an animal that has learned that it isn't at the top of the pecking order.

 

[PizzaBagelPie]

I'm not allowed to hit her other than a tap on the butt to her walking. But it sounds like it was actually my fault anyway. This one is one of my favorite cows and I think i was getting too friendly and treating her too much like a horse. So hopefully changing my behavior will help hers... but she should know better than that anyway.

 

[Dona Worry]

I'm not allowed to hit her other than a tap on the butt to her walking. But it sounds like it was actually my fault anyway. This one is one of my favorite cows and I think i was getting too friendly and treating her too much like a horse. So hopefully changing my behavior will help hers... but she should know better than that anyway.

Have you talked to your boss about this cow and her behavior towards you?
Most cows will respond to a change in body language fairly well. Don't ask her to move out of your way-- lock eyes with her, keep your posture straight and upright, and EXPECT her to move. If she doesn't, walk into her, and dig your knuckles into the bony part of her cheek or the tip of her nose, or whatever part of her body she should have moved, but didn't. Don't turn your back on her, ever.
She should realize you have decided not to mess around and go back to her place in the herd.

It's so hard to know what cows you can safely baby, and which you can't! It's even harder for people who really love animals and expect then to be sweet and lovable. Often this lesson is learned the hard way, like you have. I'm sorry you got hurt, and hope this all helps.