Do you whistle at cows?

Kovu · 12-08-2015 11:55AM #1

As the title says- Do you whistle at cows if you think they're in heat or coming close to it? I've always done it, learned it off dad, who in turn learned it off his father.
I always assumed everyone did it or had heard of it until a neighbour passed by me half an hour ago and looked at me like I had five heads as I was whistling for one cow. For those that don't know the whistle itself, it's a long low whistle ending in a flute kind of tone, repeated over and over, similar to a curlew call I guess. It just causes them to raise their ears up and look a bit giddy and usually look for something to jump on.

And yes, she's in heat :P

Muckit · 12-08-2015 12:02PM

We'd have 'called' cattle to bring them to nuts or change them at grass. But never whistled at them.

Father always had the one that a woman should never whistle. Bad luck or something.

CloughCasey1 · 12-08-2015 12:02PM

Kovu wrote: »

As the title says- Do you whistle at cows if you think they're in heat or coming close to it? I've always done it, learned it off dad, who in turn learned it off his father.
I always assumed everyone did it or had heard of it until a neighbour passed by me half an hour ago and looked at me like I had five heads as I was whistling for one cow. For those that don't know the whistle itself, it's a long low whistle ending in a flute kind of tone, repeated over and over, similar to a curlew call I guess. It just causes them to raise their ears up and look a bit giddy and usually look for something to jump on.

And yes, she's in heat :P

Would it work on a night out?

Kovu · 12-08-2015 12:08PM

Muckit wrote: »

We'd have 'called' cattle to bring them to nuts or change them at grass. But never whistled at them.

Father always had the one that a woman should never whistle. Bad luck or something.

Whistling woman and a crowing hen!
Only time I whistle is when doing that really, it's not the same as calling them in for nuts, that's a roar of ''Suuuuuck suck suck!! H'mon. SUUUUCK SUCK''

It's not even whistling really, it's the same intonation over and over again.

Sam Kade · 12-08-2015 12:24PM

Kovu wrote: »

As the title says- Do you whistle at cows if you think they're in heat or coming close to it? I've always done it, learned it off dad, who in turn learned it off his father.
I always assumed everyone did it or had heard of it until a neighbour passed by me half an hour ago and looked at me like I had five heads as I was whistling for one cow. For those that don't know the whistle itself, it's a long low whistle ending in a flute kind of tone, repeated over and over, similar to a curlew call I guess. It just causes them to raise their ears up and look a bit giddy and usually look for something to jump on.

And yes, she's in heat :P

I see you still have all your own teeth

trixi2011 · 12-08-2015 12:39PM

An old man tought me that trick when I was young lad might be a west of Ireland thing

AP2014 · 12-08-2015 12:43PM

Jesus Kovu, I would hate to see what mayhem you could cause in coppers!

Muckit · 12-08-2015 12:44PM

Sorry now again kovu, but what exactly is the reason for the whistling? is it to figure out if a cow/heifer is in heat by causing them to rise on otgers or what? Sorry just not following

bogman_bass · 12-08-2015 12:52PM

Whistling at a cow for heat detection? Thats a new one!

Kovu · 12-08-2015 12:59PM

Muckit wrote: »

Sorry now again kovu, but what exactly is the reason for the whistling? is it to figure out if a cow/heifer is in heat by causing them to rise on otgers or what? Sorry just not following

It seems to bring them into rising on others, so if you see one looking like she may be in heat- with a swab or whatever from her, you'd whistle at her. If she's in heat she'd put her head up in the air and ears back and start to look round her, perhaps walk towards the nearest cow and try to rise. That's the best way I can explain it. Perhaps it is a west of Ireland thing!

bogman_bass wrote: »

Whistling at a cow for heat detection? Thats a new one!

Not new around here! It may not be in any way connected to them rising but it seems to get them to react more than just standing round watching them.

Limofarmer · 12-08-2015 01:12PM

Kovu wrote: »

It seems to bring them into rising on others, so if you see one looking like she may be in heat- with a swab or whatever from her, you'd whistle at her. If she's in heat she'd put her head up in the air and ears back and start to look round her, perhaps walk towards the nearest cow and try to rise. That's the best way I can explain it. Perhaps it is a west of Ireland thing!

Not new around here! It may not be in any way connected to them rising but it seems to get them to react more than just standing round watching them.

Snap , we use it here as well . Great way to pick out one in heat that you might not be sure of in a group of cows . It seems to make them alert and off they go looking for something to rise on

Kovu · 12-08-2015 01:12PM

Limofarmer wrote: »

Snap , we use it here as well . Great way to pick out one in heat that you might not be sure of in a group of cows . It seems to make them alert and off they go looking for something to rise on

Woohoo we're not alone! You in the west?

Limofarmer · 12-08-2015 01:14PM

Kovu wrote: »

Woohoo we're not alone! You in the west?

Yip in the North west .

Kovu · 12-08-2015 01:16PM

Limofarmer wrote: »

Yip in the North west .

Same- Must be a regional thing up here I'm guessing

whelan2 · 12-08-2015 01:24PM

bogman_bass wrote: »

Whistling at a cow for heat detection? Thats a new one!

forget about heat time and tail paint :rolleyes:

coolshannagh28 · 12-08-2015 01:34PM

My Father taught me this one and it led to a funny incident many years ago when the practise was to bring the cow on a halter to the neighbours bull. The batchelor had done the business once and as best practise was to get a second for insurance Dad was whistling to encourage action . William at this stage was flat on it so the cow mounted the only other available male expressing interest .My Father gets slagged about it yet!

Jimlh86 · 12-08-2015 01:35PM

Kovu wrote: »

As the title says- Do you whistle at cows if you think they're in heat or coming close to it? I've always done it, learned it off dad, who in turn learned it off his father.
I always assumed everyone did it or had heard of it until a neighbour passed by me half an hour ago and looked at me like I had five heads as I was whistling for one cow. For those that don't know the whistle itself, it's a long low whistle ending in a flute kind of tone, repeated over and over, similar to a curlew call I guess. It just causes them to raise their ears up and look a bit giddy and usually look for something to jump on.

And yes, she's in heat :P

I love hearing things like this! I'm going to try it out (when nobodies around) though I have to question what the lad who discovered it was at?

djmc · 12-08-2015 02:41PM

I always get a laugh from the kids when I call animals even wild deer.
If anyone has done it they will know what I'm talking about.
Take a wide blade of grass and stretch between two thumbs and blow it makes a loud screeching kinda whistle.
Cows deer lamas alpaca's all come running to it.
I presume it's because its a sound they never heard before and want to know what the feck is making that racket.

Miname · 12-08-2015 02:48PM

It would be common enough around me but more of an older generation thing

wiggy123 · 12-08-2015 04:17PM

never heard of that--i'd whistle for them to round up--come in!

Deepsouthwest · 12-08-2015 04:38PM

Could someone describe this type of whistle/sound again for me? Had a cow going this morning, so I want to try it this evening!

Kovu · 12-08-2015 04:54PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Could someone describe this type of whistle/sound again for me? Had a cow going this morning, so I want to try it this evening!

Hear the long low whistle at the very start of this curlew call?

http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Storspov_spelande_Krak2009-04-13.mp3

Just something like that over and over. God I'm going to end up recording myself at it arent I :pac:

patsy_mccabe · 12-08-2015 04:56PM

I googled it and this came up;

patsy_mccabe · 12-08-2015 05:01PM

It mentions whistling here;
http://www.geno.no/globalassets/geno-sa/02_dokumenter/06_om-geno/brosjyrer/brunst-og-brunstkontroll-eng.pdf

kowtow · 12-08-2015 05:42PM

We call them in by the last 3 digits of their number, except for the innumerate ones who have nick-names.

Kovu · 12-08-2015 05:48PM

Here, I recorded it the way I do it for ye! The cat hates it though so ignore the disgruntled miaow at the end.

http://yourlisten.com/LadyHaywire/voice-003

kowtow · 12-08-2015 05:52PM

Kovu wrote: »

Here, I recorded it the way I do it for ye! The cat hates it though so ignore the disgruntled miaow at the end.

http://yourlisten.com/LadyHaywire/voice-003

It beats whale-song.

Have you considered offering this as a service? You'd give the collars a run for their money.

Kovu · 12-08-2015 05:55PM

kowtow wrote: »

It beats whale-song.

Have you considered offering this as a service? You'd give the collars a run for their money.

Jesus, there'd be some eyebrows raised if I started offering my services to farmers :P

wiggy123 · 12-08-2015 06:05PM

haha... a hit now on you tube kovu

Kovu · 12-08-2015 06:11PM

wiggy123 wrote: »

haha... a hit now on you tube kovu

You've heard of the horse whisperer, now here's the cow whistler!

Deepsouthwest · 12-08-2015 06:40PM

Could someone describe this type of whistle/sound again for me? Had a cow going this morning, so I want to try it this evening!

Do you whistle at cows?

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