Kicking Heifer

[Cattledog]

Just thought that I would compare some home remedies for the dreaded kicker! I have a heifer that has a newfound passion for kicking.  She started this about a month and a half ago.  I use a broom to brush her legs and when she kicks I just keep brushing.  Does anybody have success using any other kind of method?  I can usually tolerate a lot with cattle but kicking is just a pain! Literally!

 

[linnettejane]

havent had a kicker for a few years...(knock on wood)....but did have a pretty bad one once...she would kick at the slightest movement....so i started saving empty 2 liter bottles of pop....then would scatter them on the ground throughout her stall....when i would go in to clean out the stall i would use the pitch fork and "pitch" the bottles out of my way towards her hind legs...she kicked like crazy at first, but after a couple days of doing this, she quit and was cured!  ;D

 

[SKF]

We do the what youer doing with the broom and they all have gotten over their kicking issues.

 

[kanshow]

Good Luck - I seriously do not like kickers. 

We've only had one that never got over kicking - she just got more deadly with her aim.  She was the one that injured our daughter.  We turned her out in hopes that she would make a good cow but she didn't.  She even tried to high five hubby's head when she was loaded into the trailer for her one way off the farm.      She was one that halter broke easy, never a problem at all, then about 4 weeks before our fair, she started kicking - it was nasty aimed kicking and then later as a cow she got almost impossible to work in close quarters as she also became chargy. 

 

[fluffer]

I was showing a heifer for someone that kicked.  But she would only kick when you weren't paying attention.  If you were prepared she wouldn't kick you.  But a hefier I raised was a nasty nasty kicker.  Then to top it off, she ripped half her hoof off one time (I don't know how) and i had to get down there and treat that foot for a month.  She got turned out and I quit showing her at that point.

Fluffer

 

[chambero]

You can haul off and kick her back.  But when I get mad and do that the joy of it only lasts a millisecond before the pain of nearly breaking my toe reaches my brain.

If the broom don't work after a while, sell her.  Not worth getting someone hurt.

If you just have to do something to her and her kicking is keeping you from it (i.e. clipping, palpating etc), bend her tail straight over her back as far as it goes without breaking.  They can't kick like that, but you have to have a lot of faith in the tail holder because if you turn loose look out.

 

[knabe]

see mud thread.

you must find out exactly where you are or are touching her that is causing her to kick and work backwards from there.  they will usually display a lot of signs that cows are totally in tune with each other to know the signs.  i usually find that cows that are around animals that kick move them off with their head at their head without too much patience.  then if they are nice, they will let them back in.  but since you don't weigh 1500 pounds, this option is not suitable.  you must defuse the dynamite.  most people don't have the patience for this.  when i say most i am talking about 1 in a thousand, seriously.

you can feel them tighten up in their skin when you are getting to the point when they are going to kick.  back off from that and don't work up to the point where the skin tightens.  back off earlier, then leave.  they will be wondering what the heck you are doing and say to themselves, i was enjoying that, why did you stop.  slowly expand outwards and build their trust, always leaving without them getting tight anywhere anytime.

if you are not so inclined to invest this much time, it's over, or you could go the mechanical route with the hooks thingy for dairy cows.

 

[shortyjock89]

You can haul off and kick her back.  But when I get mad and do that the joy of it only lasts a millisecond before the pain of nearly breaking my toe reaches my brain.

If the broom don't work after a while, sell her.  Not worth getting someone hurt.

If you just have to do something to her and her kicking is keeping you from it (i.e. clipping, palpating etc), bend her tail straight over her back as far as it goes without breaking.  They can't kick like that, but you have to have a lot of faith in the tail holder because if you turn loose look out.

Chambero- Sounds like the way me and my dad used to deal with kickers.  Since I've pretty much taken over the show cattle, I haven't been kicked much in the past couple years, but that is probably because I only have to break half as many calves.  Anyhow, I use the broom technique and I also talk real pretty to the calves whenever they get excited to let them know that I'm not trying to hurt them.  It seems like the tone of my voice helps as much as any touching.  I agree with the others though...if she's just gonna be a real difficult one, sell her.  It's not worth it to get hurt.

 

[red]

ask "justme" about kicking cattle. Her hubby has a huge knot in his leg. since he had a blood clot from last year, also from a kicking, he has to be really careful!

Red

 

[shortyjock89]

ask "justme" about kicking cattle. Her hubby has a huge knot in his leg. since he had a blood clot from last year, also from a kicking, he has to be really careful!

Red

Sounds like Misourri life is pretty rough for Mr. Gidget! lol..my mom tells me I have to be really careful too..I sure don't want a blood clot.

 

[DL]

I have ZERO tolerance for kicking - I don't mean you are in the chute and I am doing something perceived to be unpleasant and you (the cow kinda kick) I mean kick with malice, kick without reason, kick because you are a pi** ant. ZERO tolerance. Life is too short and there are too many good tempered cows that don't kick. It is kinda like training your dog not to eat garbage - dogs love garbage and other gross things - you can spend enormous amount of time trying to change a very basic behavior with limited success and (after eating chicken bones or other things that get stuck) vet bills OR you can but the garbage up and train the dog to do something fun.

Short story - went to put chalk on the tail of a cow - she kicked me - brushed the jeans - I didn't do anything to her - was just scritching her - she wasn't startled - she just kicked. All her fans came out of the woodwork don't ship that great cow - OK fine, but an embryo in her - next day went to scritch her tail and she turned, nailed me with malice - next day she was burger.

There is one place for kicking cows - between a bun. I believe there is a genetic component to this behavior and would not sell a kicker to another breeder. ZERO tolerance, when somebody really gets hurt it is too late

 

[common sense]

I think that you should always keep in mind that no matter how patient you are with a calf that there are just some that will NEVER make good show prospects or cows.  I agree with Knabe in that you need to learn what it is that is making them kick.  Try and use that to help them get over their fear.  That's hard to most people to do.  I personally think the bottle idea might work on some too but probably not in all cases.  Some cattle, for one reason or another, have had such a bad experience in their lives that kicking is their only reaction to negative stimulus and you will NEVER get them beyond that point.  There is no room at my house for cattle like that.  They have every right to defend themselves if I do something to hurt them or scare them. Lord knows that I have had my share of swats when giving vaccinations.

One thing I really watch out for are cattle that come from a place that uses cow dogs to "heal" them.  They seem to be more prone to kick because they have had that reaction instilled upon them by the biting dog.  Any animal, no matter how tame and quiet, will respond with a kick when put in a bad position.  You have to keep that in mind but I would never want to have a cow around that just likes to kick out of malice.  I let them know that I will bite back...but not until they are on a bun!