But it'll change her personality.....

That was what my daughter said. She was given 'Fiona' last summer, that was the Scottish Highland heifer, that I wrote about the adventures of catching and getting her on the trailer, and then getting her on and across the concrete at the barn. Well, she has gotten used to things around here and made herself the 'boss' critter. She was the only one in the herd with horns, and she started to use them, but more as a bully. The other cows and calves have been afraid of her for some time; she would push her way thru the herd at the feeders and elsewhere, and used the horns more like weapons. We stuck her into the headgate today and lopped them off. We used a shop rag and duck tape to stop the bleeding, and it worked good. I finished feeding and we watched her for a while. The other cows are a bit intimidated yet, but she is swinging her head around and missing the target because she's missing about six or eight inches off each end. Yup, her personality is gonna change- or she's headed to the auction....

I've got a cow here that I wish I'd have done that with. I wouldn't have even kept here to breed as a heifer except that she was young when I was keeping everything to build the herd. If I turn up missing some day,it's a good bet that she finally got me. I have to walk way out around her,she won't back off for me or any other critter on the place. Just plain deadly when she's got a new calf on her.

If you cut horns of a mature cow with a wire saw, there is very little blood. It will burn as it cuts.

If I were to say something about the Scotts would someone take offense? I am part Scottish can I joke about my people? I worked a heard that had a few Aryshires in it, they didn't seem to be too bad. One fall We went through and de-horned everything on the place except one little undersized Holstein Heifer, we had idea the headgear might give her a little more authority at the feed bunk and she could finally get her fair share. Finally had to de-horn her a year or so later, it wasn't that she was mean she just wanted to play. If you were out in the pasture she'd sneak up behind you and give you a friendly little poke, by that time she was big enough that that got a little dangerous. She was basically an overgrown pet who would come running Faster than the dogs if you called her.

A good lesson but I doubt anyone picked up on it. DO NOT make pets out of your cows. Especially if they're something the size of a holstein. They must always be made to retain a healthy degree of fear/respect for humans. Why? A good example, I think, is the Wisconsin farmer who lost his life when one of his cows came up behind him in the yard and tried to mount him. She was evidently trying to find the one in the herd that was in heat. Lots more reasons for not making pets out of cows but that's one of them.

I had a heifer try that one time by the feed bunk and she was no pet.
However,when I was a kid,we had an old Holstein that you could get on and ride back to the barn when you went out to get them up to milk.

My maternal Grandfather was gored by a pet Ayrshire bull with horns. Only reason Grandfather didn"t die as be was too stubborn. The scars on his legs, hip, back and bely were a fright to see.

We have to dehorn the baby calves by law.....
Sam

We had a lineback who was a pet. She'd let me sit on the stall divider and lean back against her to pet her. I'd fall asleep sitting there. She never moved. Good old cow.

Had a holstein heifer that was real friendly. She would follow me anywhere, except the sale ring the day of our auction, as long as I didn't put anything on her neck. If I dropped a piece of baler twine over her neck she wouldn't move. When others got out I'd go in and scratch her on the head, she'd follow me out through the gate, walk in a circle around the others, and they'd all follow us back in.

When I was in jr high we had a cow that didn't like anyone short. No one believed me til mom was the one that bounced off the barn wall in the process of unlatching her stanchion.

Had a cow that was a pet, freshened back in one time and was the most miserable little thing you'd ever dealt with. Ended up with nose leads and a couple ropes to hold her head back, and hacksawed through her horn enough that it let the pressure off her temple. Within a few days she was calm enough I could finish the job. Poor dehorning had let it grow in a curve back into her skull. I'm guessing it was a heck of a headache.

Protecting the calf, can't be condemned for that.Helps the pocket book also.Just give them respect like you should always do.Just keep your dog away for I found that when my Murray Grey went through a wire fence to get to the calf when the dog went to sniff baby. Wasn't interested in me, I nonetheless got behind the biggest tree, in a hurry.

If she is that bad, she should have been gone long ago. Not worth the risk to keep her around. Chris

We had a polled Shorthorn cow that was herd boss. She wasn't a bully and didn't need horns to keep mis-behavers in line. Just a simple belly push with her head and they got the message.

If 2 of them started to fight, she was there real quick and put an end to it.

She would follow me anywhere for an ear of corn. She was born and died on the farm; we never sold her.