Cow behaviour

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 4:27 pm

I've always been fascinated by cow behaviour. Every time I pick up a rebar post (use them for the temp electric fences) or an electric mesh fence, the cows start to yell, especially Daphne, the matriarch. If you open a gate, they want to go through it. If they see another cow (or horse!) they yell.

When I re-introduced the yearlings/twoyear old to the cow/calf group I was interested to see their reaction. They had been separated for a couple of months and I had put the runt heifer with them early on. Well, there was the usual screaming back and forth (almost like weaning all over again) then head butting through the fence (I had a fence between them for the night) between the two alphas, Daphne and Doug the 2 year old steer. Polly, the other cow was the funniest. She ran away from the fence bellowing, then turned around and challenged her own calf. The she did the funniest cow move of all: she pawed the ground then fell to her knees and rubbed her face and neck along the ground. Whatever does that mean?

When the whole group was let in together the next day there was the usual yelling and a brief conga line. Daphne and Doug had a wrestling match until Doug was convinced that Daphne is always the queen and ever will be. And the 3 month old heifer was fascinated by the 6 month old runt who is smaller than she. Chased the poor thing all over the place but I noticed yesterday evening she was licking the poor thing's neck and that was the first time ever that the runt allowed any of the cattle near her. She has always been an outcast.

marion · Post by **marion** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:51 pm

Kathy, I have noticed the cows do not like any of them to be separated from the rest. They do their dance and re-establish the dominance order. I love it when one is let outside after a long spell inside eating dry hay. Freedom, sunshine, green grass - they bawl, rub their eyes in the dirt, jump up and skip and twist sideways then all four off the ground! Total cow joy, and Dexters express it better than most :D ....marion

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:38 pm

I'd also like to know why they kneel down and rub their faces, I often find several of mine looking as if they have had a mud pack after having a go at the bank they have worn bare. Thank heavens I don't take them to shows!!

Yesterday when I checked them the group with Apollo had split into two. As I walked up the field to check the group up there, Apollo passed me at a determined trot going to the other group, he tried to round them up but only managed to get about half to co-operate. These he took back and then complained bitterly for some time. I'm fairly certain he was saying, 'If you think I'm coming back down there again for you ungrateful lot you're mistaken, come back immediately I'm going to bellow (quietly) until you do' All was peaceful again this morning with the group back together, so his method must have worked.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:23 pm

I thought I had posted a reply on this one earlier but it seems to have got lost. Anyway, I think the rubbing of the head in earth banks and on the ground is in some cases just like scratching, but combined with PAWING the ground as opposed to kneeling just to get the head low enough to rub, is a very aggressive sign and means that the cow or bull concerned feels challenged and intends to rise to the challenge. Bulls will do it whilst growling and throwing earth up over their own backs. Time for the intruder to back off in my book. I once saw a bull standing in a hole he had dug in the corner of his field almost as deep as he was tall. He later broke the owners arm.

Duncan

marion · Post by **marion** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:57 pm

Hi Duncan. I've also seen the cows chuck dirt over their backs when the flies are bad. I think the eye mud-packs are for the same reason. Mine particularly like some very high quality mud dug from the bottom of the creek!...marion

chriskirise · Post by **chriskirise** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:51 am

It fascinates me when cow and calf are separated for weaning and then when put back together again, even after 6 months they still know each other. My herd ofter seem to be in family groups. It just amazes me how family orientated they are. Is this just a Dexter thing?

Chris

marion · Post by **marion** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:49 pm

Just to add - the dirt chucking for flies is a leasurely activity. Nothing like the aggressive pawing :p

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:53 pm

Well, I was really surprised by Polly's aggresive behaviour as she is usually quite timid and meek. However, her calf was only a few weeks old and she must have viewed to other herd (which included two of her prevouss calves) as a threat to her calf. I was glad to have the fence btween the two groups for the first 24 hours.

I have been charged twice this year by one of my cows, luckily I heard her coming just in time to step out of the way. In that situation, my only crime had been to move her to a different paddock. You always have to watch your back around livestock, don't you? :p

Kathy

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:04 am

Yes Chris they do seem to hang around in family groups. We've got 3 cows that are always together. They were bought as a group and one of them is the daughter of one of the others.

Kathy, if you've been charged by two of your cows, that is not normal behaviour. Were they suffering from grass staggers or some other metabolic disorder? If they are often agressive, I would suggest that they are not the best animals to breed from.

moomin · Post by **moomin** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 6:41 pm

Head and neck rubbing on the ground is to mark the ground with salivary pheronomes. It is a threat position but not a visual one. It reinforces the visual threat display. It signifies intention and is to warn of an attack. More violent in males than females.
Could go on for ever about cow behaviour but suggest for those interested read "Cattle behaviour" by C.J.C. Phillips, published by Farming Press. It is a fascinating read.
My favourite bit of behaviour is when I go into my cows and they stretch their body, tail head up, neck outstretched and back dipped, a greeting of pure love. They often put their nose up and kiss my face as they would do with other herd members. My show cows will extend this greeting to other people they know and like even when they haven't seen them for a long time.
Never seen them do it to the vet though Duncan! Usually clear off to the other end of the field if they spot a vet approaching. I think that is probably learn't behavior.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:44 pm

The stretching body is an invitation to scratch along the back. One of our cows always lifts her tail when you scratch her along her back. Her sister enjoys a good scratch under her neck.

forestblaze · Post by **forestblaze** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:36 pm

Woodmagic Hedgehog III international AI Sire rolls just like a horse as does his daughter Lammas Mayweed Any other Hedgehog offspring do this ,it can be quite alarming when you first see it Regards Sue

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:22 pm

There are lots of behaviours that seem to be inherited. One of our cows and her brother used to jump gates like their mother. One of my Sister-in-Law's heifers moos constaintly when under stress, just like her mother. It sounds like moaning. :laugh: I don't even have to check her eartag to know who she is. They're the only ones that complain like that.

marion · Post by **marion** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:54 am

Does anyone else have a Dexter that gets up like a horse, front end first? ..marion

groubearfarm · Post by **groubearfarm** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:26 pm

Yes, I have a family which seem to do it. I first noticed it when we had taken said cow to a show and she amused many onlookers by 'sitting' like a dog before getting up. I have seen both her daughters do the same and only today I noticed her sister sitting before getting up, she was in the middle of the field. Fiona