Bullying

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:12 pm

We're a bit worried about one of our cows who suddenly seems to be very unpopular with much of the rest of the herd. She's about 4 yrs old and although not the dominant cow, has been higher ranking than most as we've got mainly heifers. Couple of days ago she got into a scrap with two of the others. One of them tried to suckle her and then rammed her very hard in the udder area. We end up separating them and putting her in an enclosure. We let her out today and it was worse, with others now joining in too. She tried to hold her ground but in the end started to run with the others chasing her. A number of them were trying to smell around her udder area. So she's now separated again, which is clearly not sustainable.

Although we haven't had her pregnancy tested, she should be due to calf within a month. We can't be too precise as she's been running with the bull. But her udder is floppy and elongated. When she had a calf last year her udder was like a fully inflated beach ball. We wondered if the others were taking milk off her, but her teats don't look as if they've been used.

Other than that, she seems in good condition and has a nice shine on her coat.

Anybody got ideas and suggestions ?

Colin

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:51 pm

Hi Colin,

I don't think it is by any means impossible that they have been suckling her but if that was the case you would probably have noticed her udder to have filled a little whilst she was separated, if she was away from the others for any length of time.

However if she is very close to calving and has started to give she may not be at her best to fight back and if she is being suckled she could be losing precious colostrum.

I imagine it can be a problem with all animals farm and pet that if you part them for any reason they will be more likely to disagree when re introduced but sometimes we have no choice.

Maybe if she is about to calve she doesn't smell "right" to the youngsters, or if she was letting them suckle and isn't now because she is nearing her time that could perhaps cause some disagreement?

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1205506429

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:44 am

Thanks Stephanie. We're going to give her some TLC and see if her udder fills up. She seems well though in other ways. I'm hoping this will sort itself out shortly, as the herd is normally quite settled with eachother. It's unusual for us to encounter this.

Colin

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:33 pm

Colin, it might be a good idea to get a vet check on the victimised cow. At the risk of sounding like a doomsday scare-monger, my mother once had a cow battered & gored to death by the rest of the dairy herd. The cow had previously aborted and was not fit & healthy. The herd was not dehorned.
Margaret.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:31 pm

That sounds bad news Margaret. How long before the attack had she aborted ? We've not noticed anything unusual other than her floppy udder and the behaviour change from the others.

Fortunately none of ours have horns.

Colin

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:02 am

Colin, I wasn't suggesting that your cow has definitely aborted, rather that their may well be a health reason for her to have been relegated to bottom of the pecking order.
If she has become debilitated they will take the opportunity to pay back, more-so because she had been a fair way up the scale.
A vet-check is always a good investment, even (or perhaps especially) if it only gives you peace of mind.
Margaret

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:20 am

Colin, I rang Mum to check the details. You did ask!
She was 15, not long left school. That makes the year 1928!! The cow, Bonnie, had twins, both dead. The herd killed her the same day.
I asked were they full term. She said, "How do you expect me to remember the details?"
Just jokin', Ma. I used to think it happened in the 50's or there abouts, but that may have been when she first told me.
How she could remember the cow's name was my dilemma. I can't remember yesterday.
Margaret again.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:15 pm

Thanks for the information Margaret. I let the cow back into the hard this morning and spent quite some time with them. It does seem to be a dominance thing. The 3 most assertive heifers seem to be the culprits. Today the largest of the trio and the cow had a right go with with eachother, with neither giving in. The heifer in particular seemed very determined. I would have left them to it to sort it out, but given the cow is getting towards late pregnancy (I suspect around a month away, perhaps 6 weeks) and seemed a little out of breath I separated her again. Not a sustainable solution.

She still looks the picture of health to me. Nice shiney glossy coat, bright eyes, alert and still very much enjoying her food (when she's got the peace). So I suspect the heifers are trying to assert themselves whilst she's less physically strong due to her late pregnancy. She's been one of the more stroppy herd members, so perhaps an element of getting their own back, whilst they can, applies too.

I'll need to persevere on this one.

Colin

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:05 pm

If your bullied cow has plenty of space to escape from the others when she has had enough then she is as well to stay there because she will have to go through it all when she comes back to the group next time anyway. There will always be some sort of squabble to sort out pecking orders as young cattle grow and others grow older. As long as there is no real physical damage they will just have to sort it out for themselves. The alternative is that you keep her isolated from them ( the three heifers) and put cattle in with her who she can boss. Same thing different direction!!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:50 pm

Thanks for the replies to this. We've since let the cow out of her enclosure again and back into the herd. After an initial half hearted push and shove, things have settled back down to normal. So they must have reached an understanding through the enclosure fencing ! They were certainly eye-balling eachother. Just hope it stays that way.

Colin

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:24 am

Colin, I have a cow who is always at the bottom of the pile, whenever a new heifer comes into the herd she ends up losing out. She poses a problem when I house the herd as I normally split them into two's (because my housing suits this way) I have to put her with my boss cow as there is then no confrontations as both know their place very well. It can be difficult sometimes especially at the round feeder before I house, but you just have to put up with it and they normally sort themselves out.

Martin.
Medway Valley Dexters