OUR OWN MINI RODEO - TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH OUR COW
It's time for the cow to come home.
Some time ago, we were able to trade three little pigs for a young Dexter heifer. No, we did not trade the three little pigs to the big bad wolf; it was someone else who wanted the little piggies. Anyway, the deal was too good to pass on, and you can read more about it here.
There is a much longer story to everything going on with this situation, and I'm currently working on a video project to cover it better. At the moment we are slowing working on becoming friends with our cow and moving her down to our land. Unfortunately, she's been running in some wide open pastures her whole life pretty much and hasn't had much human contact, so she's not exactly friendly.
We've got her in a small pen for the time being, and I'm trying to build a bond. Below are some photos from yesterday. If anyone has advice on how to make friends with a cow, please let me know. Thanks!
PHOTOS OF "AGUNDA" OUR DEXTER HEIFER
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-cow
Until next time…
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I love Dexters! One of the breeds we're considering as well.
I've made friends with a lot of cows over the years, and the first thing that comes to mind is to remember that she's a herding prey animal - she's viewing you as a predator.
Try reading up on natural horsemanship, specifically on how to approach and interact with the horse, and my guess is that she'll respond more positively than by walking directly up to her, which is more likely to make her bolt and run.
Like horses, cows like treats, and carrots are an old standby. Tractor Supply also has an array of horse treats that would be well suited to a cow . . . they may even have cow treats, though I haven't seen them locally. Of course, I haven't had reason to look.
Most animals are food motivated, so by training her to associate you as the bringer of treats, particularly those that she can't find otherwise, that should win her over pretty quickly.
And, as has already been said, once she'll let you, they love to be scratched behind the ears. I used to have a friend who regularly dry-scrubbed his two milk cows with a push broom (that was only used otherwise for sweeping out the tack room). They LOVED it, and came running when they saw him with the broom. ;-)
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Thanks for all of that! I'll see what I can do, and maybe something will work!
You're welcome!
But you have animals, and kids, so you already know the real secret: patience is key.
As much as is possible, let her come to you, and she will once she trusts you.
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I just watched the YT video. Gets scary toward the end.
Has she been fed sweet feed pellets before? If so, they may be good and tempting for her.
But really, unless she really calms down a big notch... It's dangerous all the way.
My experience with cattle is limited.... But I know what you've got left to do is dangerous and not fun.
Please be safe... An injured papa is not what the family needs going into the winter.
Peace
She look sturrborn! Try find out her some leaf she likes maybe she would change
Release her, try watch her eating a particular leaf and get it for her
Good idea. I have a tasty treat for her right now that I will see if she likes. Thank you!
You are welcome papa or Just get Her sturrborn partner like her and make them stay inside sàme net
Cow is a very beautiful animals and. I like this animal very much.because of they are looks awesome
At last thanls @papa-pepper
I bought my wife a drink and that's how we made a bond, maybe try that haha.
It wasn't until recently that I learned that both male and female cows have horns, for years i thought it was just the bulls that had them until my daughter told me that she had learned at school they both have them.
She teachers me something new every day. maybe I should go back to school as I can't remember learning anything like that while I was there.
LOL - You sure do learn a lot when you have children!
Time, work around her doing your gardens etc, let her see you are no threat, if you have some Lucerne ( alfalfa I think there) put a little on one spot of the fence, walk way off, tomorrow don't walk so far, until you are hand feeding her, then scratches, in places she finds hard to reach, like behind the horn on the top of the head.
Thanks @len.george!
You look like a cowboy sitting on the fence :-)
LOL - Thanks.