How to make a cow stop mounting people?

[Bunnylady]

I think i was getting too friendly and treating her too much like a horse.

You have to be careful with that, with horses, too. There is no better way to make a horse pushy and mouthy than giving it treats for no reason. It's a fine line between being a friend and the boss, and sometimes you have to remind the animal which side of that line they live on.

 

[Melky]

Sending a cow to market is a death sentence. You'd rather kill the cow than hit her? Selling this cow for dairy is sending a dangerous animal to people who may not know she is dangerous! That is irresponsible, and could end up with someone badly hurt, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid!

I had a 5 minute conversation with Jasper, where yes, I smacked her hard, and she lived for several years after that as a good citizen.

I have 600 cows, and I never need to hit them. I am in charge, everyone knows it, nobody is rude or challenging, but if I ever get another Jasper, I would do it again. Because human lives are more important than cow lives.

I don’t think anyone suggested your wrong assumptions. Market is not always necessarily to kill. I would always be honest with others regarding an animals behavior. I think this person should be seeking advice from their boss if they have one. If this person is the boss raising them then will seek education for the situation. I’m not sure this is the proper site for it as the focus here is raising chickens but much luck to everyone.

 

[Melky]

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.

Yes I do work with animals in challenging situations and only ever use research, approved proper management practices, and positive reinforcement only because that is the only safe respectful way to treat an animal in my opinion.

 

[Dona Worry]

Yes I do work with animals in challenging situations and only ever use research, approved proper management practices, and positive reinforcement only because that is the only safe respectful way to treat an animal in my opinion.

What kind of animals? And how many?
You don't act like someone with a lot of real world application. Research is great, and a lot of my language and work is based off it, but research consistently fails to acknowledge that cows are individuals, and vary widely.
For example, the recommendations for the amount of bicarbonate a cow needs is averaged out. So, if you put in 2 oz of bicarb per cow into the TMR, that means the 7th lactation-pregnant-with-twins-2000lbs Krark is getting the same amount as 1st-lactation-300dim-guernsey-cross-900lbs Dina are getting the same amount.
Science will tell you that a TMR is meeting both cow's nutritional needs. Gosh darn common sense says otherwise.

 

[Dona Worry]

I don’t think anyone suggested your wrong assumptions. Market is not always necessarily to kill.

You are better off sending the cow to market, selling it, or rehoming it

Sending a cow to market is known as culling. These cows ship to slaughter. It is laughably naive to think otherwise.
Rehoming and selling both make a dangerous cow someone else's problem. NO responsible animal owner passes on a dangerous animal without first attempting to rectify it within their capacities. There is absolutely NO excuse for 'rehoming' a cow that has learned she can dominate people.

 

[snow5164]

I find this post totally offensive as a cattle owner I would never subject my cows to being hit with a chain or a hose . My cattle raising includes establishing dominance from day one , I’m the one that feeds them and I’m the boss. I have smacked their sides and an occasional nose of a calf , but if your close and personal with them they won’t challenge you .

I think the problem here is backyard herds like I have , are raised completely differently then a couple hundred head of cattle . I don’t agree with @Dona Worry at all , but I’ve never been in those shoes .......

This is not the forum for large animal husbandry and hence you get the chicken /duck small animal lovers up in a fluff with chains and hurting animals .

Just a note , hubby says all cow books say to have a 2x4 or a cattle prod(electric shock), in your hands at all times around cattle ....

We may not agree but cattle are not chickens are not pets and definitely are not children ,treating all things equally is what gets us into these messes (cows mounting people )

 

[sourland]

Cows are big - people are small. Either teach proper behavior or cull. @Dona Worry and @Bunnylady speak from common sense and practical experience. No one has suggested warrantless abuse just common sense education that might save an animals or persons life.

 

[Dona Worry]

I find this post totally offensive as a cattle owner I would never subject my cows to being hit with a chain or a hose . My cattle raising includes establishing dominance from day one , I’m the one that feeds them and I’m the boss. I have smacked their sides and an occasional nose of a calf , but if your close and personal with them they won’t challenge you .

I think the problem here is backyard herds like I have , are raised completely differently then a couple hundred head of cattle . I don’t agree with @Dona Worry at all , but I’ve never been in those shoes .......

This is not the forum for large animal husbandry and hence you get the chicken /duck small animal lovers up in a fluff with chains and hurting animals .

Just a note , hubby says all cow books say to have a 2x4 or a cattle prod(electric shock), in your hands at all times around cattle ....

We may not agree but cattle are not chickens are not pets and definitely are not children ,treating all things equally is what gets us into these messes (cows mounting people )

The bolded is where we absolutely do agree! I raise all my cows from calves, lead them to pasture and back from heifers, move and sort them hundreds of times throughout their lives. They never challenge me. It is when more inexperienced people, who have never owned anything larger than a cat, enter the picture and don't understand how to establish and maintain a peaceful dominance that you get into a situation where cows start attacking people.

I wouldn't hit a cow in the face with a chain under normal circumstances either. But the circumstances were not normal-- the cow had snuck up behind and charged my back, as I knew she would do, because she had been allowed to establish dominance over gentle, loving, well-meaning people who loved cows, but didn't understand them. She NEEDED a swift, severe, painful lesson on why she is not above me in the herd hierarchy, and the people involved needed to see it and understand why and how that lesson came to be. It never happened again--with the cows OR the people.
With the rise of robotics, migrant help, and fewer and fewer people growing up with large animals, the language they speak is lost a little more every year. Some farmers no longer understand herd politics, and it makes me sad. Cows deserve to be understood.

 

[Folly's place]

We have both horses and a few steers, who are trained as oxen from very young ages. I agree completely that it's necessary to expect respectful behavior always, so dangerous situations are at least less likely to occur. A heifer or cow who jumps on someone's back is so dangerous, the OP is lucky to only have a broken arm!
Handling methods differ between these species, but is both cases, 'spoiled' and disrespectful critters are bad news.
Our last team of oxen weighed in at 2900 lbs. each! With horns!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Temple Grandin is a world expert on handling cattle, especially, and has very good articles and books out there on the subject. For the person who loves to read, especially.
Watching horses or cattle in a herd is very instructive, as was mentioned. The reason the boss mare or cow has pride of place, and moves everyone else with a dirty look, is because there's been 'close contact' in the past. One horse kicks another; the victim, who was being rude, moves of with a grunt or an 'oaf' remark. We would be dead!
The same with cattle; those head bumps from an animal that's ten times my size just can't be allowed to happen. I can rub the side of his neck, but he can't rub on me!
Mary