can an animal be lonely, distant?

P_Cash

New bullock, 2 weeks in, added to a growing herd since feb, lagging behind the others, keeping his distance, looking lonely, eating though and thriving. Even brought him in for a temp check and All was normal. Even the way he carries himself he looks not right, slow in himself. Would nearly stay in the hedge rather than mixing.

So i took him from that herd, and added him with 3 new light cattle only, seems more settled. Stays with them.

Another farmer said he could be bullied buy the others, or came from a twin.

Never had an issue like this before, just wondering can it happen?

Kovu

I'd certainly say yes. Cows and calves here over the years have formed bonds which have remained despite keeping them apart for many months at a time. Have cows that will graze and lie together and the other end of the scale, those that will run to another and try their damn best to kill them.

If he was part of a group of bulls that were together for a long period of time there would have been an established hierarchy to the herd and he knew his place in it. Thrown into a new place and a new group which have already formed a pecking order would be a bit strange on him, especially if he had grown used of being on the lower end of the rank all his life.

Or I could be just talking out of my hat :pac::P

yellow50HX

P_Cash wrote: »

New bullock, 2 weeks in, added to a growing herd since feb, lagging behind the others, keeping his distance, looking lonely, eating though and thriving. Even brought him in for a temp check and All was normal. Even the way he carries himself he looks not right, slow in himself. Would nearly stay in the hedge rather than mixing.

So i took him from that herd, and added him with 3 new light cattle only, seems more settled. Stays with them.

Another farmer said he could be bullied buy the others, or came from a twin.

Never had an issue like this before, just wondering can it happen?

Yes it can happen with cattle when they bullied especially when feeding.

On the twin thing there might be something in that.
We double suckle some of the cows and for it to work the calves have to bond for it to work. Had a couple a few years ago and we kept the heifer and weaned to bull and after a few days once the cow stopped calling the 2 calves would continued to call each other. The heifer broke under the wire a few times and would sit outside the shed looking for her adopted brother. Took her a few weeks to get over it. I say he was just as bad as he didn't thrive as much as the others his age.

whelan2

have a pair of fr heifer twins, they are milking now, never see one with out the other, normally come in in same row in parlour and even came in after each other in crush for tb test,

onyerbikepat

Funny but I have 2 purebred cows that I bought from the same herd as year and a halves but 2 years apart. Now they couldn't have met on the original farm because of the age difference but I always see them together now grazing, lying down etc. Go figure!

_Brian

It can happen.
Last year we had a red hex bull reared form suck with his brother and 20 others from week old.

First he started to change from red to black hex and stopped half way sorts stripy.

But the other stock all took a dislike to him and would beat seven couloir of shyte from him. Result was he sulked and would always be far as possible from other stock. In different field if possible. Was healthy and treated for mins and vits.