Cows Fighting

farmer2018

The other evening I was feeding the cattle I noticed two cows started fighting and pushing each other against barriers etc I never seen anything like it I had to sperate them they kept at it for 20 minutes I was afraid one would get badly hurt, when put with each other again today they went at it straight away so I had to separate them again. What would cause this behaviour?

patsy_mccabe

Pecking order. Probably fighting to see who'll be head Mama. Had it here myself today. I had some calved cows out the last few days, but had to mix them up again today. Two cows started to really go at it. I usually seperate them for 20 mins or so untill they calm down.

Sugarbowl

It happened to me last spring as well. Fighting for dominance I think they were too. In the end, I hadn't to put up a temporary fence beside the shed and put 1 cow out there for a few weeks. She was earmarked for selling anyway so off she went on the next mart day.

farmer2018

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Pecking order. Probably fighting to see who'll be head Mama. Had it here myself today. I had some calved cows out the last few days, but had to mix them up again today. Two cows started to really go at it. I usually seperate them for 20 mins or so untill they calm down.

Separating didn't work as when I put them together today they went at it straight away. They never did it before. It was like they were both possessed!

patsy_mccabe

farmer2018 wrote: »

Separating didn't work as when I put them together today they went at it straight away. They never did it before. It was like they were both possessed!

Sometimes you just have to let them at it. What breed?

farmer2018

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Sometimes you just have to let them at it. What breed?

Angus. The problem is one is due to calf in a few weeks. I didn't want to chance what the outcome could be.

whelan2

farmer2018 wrote: »

Angus. The problem is one is due to calf in a few weeks. I didn't want to chance what the outcome could be.

Seperate them so

sonnybill

They vicious when they go at it and relentless. Two went at it on narrow road and I was behind them on the quad and the loser nearly came back on top of me

alps

Let them hungry for a bit, feed them and mix after feeding. They'll be more interested in grub and forget about their fighting notions.

dohc turbo2

I have two here and every time if there put into a pen together they go at it , and I know what ever there problem is it’s not a dominant issue , they won’t bother each other during the grazing season , we just keep them apart now

_Brian

Just nature, there has to be a boss.

grassroot1

I always have a bottle of vinegar in the cow shed. When I am mixing cows every cow gets a good application seems to work here anyway. Either they cant smell one another or they hate the smell of vinegar.

Donegalforever

The two are definitely fighting to establish which is going to be the boss.

Did you buy one of them recently or have you had both of them for some time?

farmer2018

Donegalforever wrote: »

The two are definitely fighting to establish which is going to be the boss.

Did you buy one of them recently or have you had both of them for some time?

They are together with years and have never done it before. One of them that was fighting is the boss.

patsy_mccabe

farmer2018 wrote: »

They are together with years and have never done it before. One of them that was fighting is the boss.

Fighting for top position so. The other wants to take it from her.
What I find gas here is, the rest of them run for cover when a fight breaks out. Even the bull, and he's a lot bigger than them.

Capercaillie

Make sure enough cubicles spots for cows. There should be more spaces than number of cows present in shed. A major cause of cows fighting apparently.

freedominacup

I was reading this thread shortly after feeding dry cows. They have plenty of feeding space. There's a small bit st the end of the barrier that had no feed in it. One of the smaller cows in the group walked down to that end. She then proceeded to clear her way up along the feed fence using a little bud of a horn she has until she had 10 cows moved out of her way. It's about half the size of a small lump hammer but I only noticed now that it has a shine on it like glass. I never copped her at it before but she's obviously at it the whole time. There's only one boss in that group.

whelan2

freedominacup wrote: »

I was reading this thread shortly after feeding dry cows. They have plenty of feeding space. There's a small bit st the end of the barrier that had no feed in it. One of the smaller cows in the group walked down to that end. She then proceeded to clear her way up along the feed fence using a little bud of a horn she has until she had 10 cows moved out of her way. It's about half the size of a small lump hammer but I only noticed now that it has a shine on it like glass. I never copped her at it before but she's obviously at it the whole time. There's only one boss in that group.

We cut the butt of a horn off one like that last year. She was a total wagon. Some change in her when the horn was gone

Lady Haywire

It's not the size of the cow, it's the size of the fight in the cow
Smallest cow we have here has learned to go down on her knees to fight others. At the barrier, she's squeeze in somewhere, swing her head & when the other cow reverses, she'll often kick them as they go back. Wee yoke.

memorystick

That's women for ya!

whelan2

memorystick wrote: »

That's women for ya!

Had a bull died of a brain haemorrhage here fighting with another bull. Also 2 bulls that were et bulls, born together, went to Tully Bull test station together and fell out with each other there. When we were bringing them home we had one tied to the front of the trailer and one at the back. One broke free and was lifting the other bull out of it in the trailer. Traffic on the naas road desperate and we got a guard escort up the hard shoulder, once jeep was moving it was fine. So it's not just females...

Albert Johnson

freedominacup wrote: »

I was reading this thread shortly after feeding dry cows. They have plenty of feeding space. There's a small bit st the end of the barrier that had no feed in it. One of the smaller cows in the group walked down to that end. She then proceeded to clear her way up along the feed fence using a little bud of a horn she has until she had 10 cows moved out of her way. It's about half the size of a small lump hammer but I only noticed now that it has a shine on it like glass. I never copped her at it before but she's obviously at it the whole time. There's only one boss in that group.

A beast with horns is always well aware of the advantages they offer and will use it like a spear when required. I was often advised to leave the horns on a weaker animal in a bunch of stronger one's. The reason for this was two fold, the stress of dehorning would be a set back and by keeping there horns they had a means of defending themselves from bullying by stronger comrades. As regards fighting it's usually the smaller cow that will win, in human social situations there's people I can't abide and I'd imagine that bovines have a similar outlook towards there peers.

Muckit

_Brian wrote: »

Just nature, there has to be a boss.

Tis like herself and myself!