First Time Dexter Calf Heifers and Bull Extremely Protective

[okiedextergal]

Last winter, one of our Dexter cows gave birth, but sadly, the calf did not make it. Last week, another heifer gave birth and baby is fine, but the other cows and even the bull have become extremely protective of the calf.  They even surround the calf and lay down by it when it sleeps!  This makes it very difficult for us to identify the sex and tag it, etc. We tried to go into the pasture with the pickup and the bull and the other heifers who are normally super friendly, started charging the pickup! We barely made it back to the gate!!!  Any ideas how to identify the sex and tag it? If we try to get to calf while others are eating, calf runs and is fast as lightning. Will the others and the calf settle down a bit in the next few weeks? Should we call our vet?  This is the first time we have had a calf around and we are not sure what we should do.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[zephyrhillsusan]

okiedextergal, I'm sorry you're having such trouble getting to your calf. We've been there, done that. Speaking from experience (the hard kind!), it seems like you need a system to be able to separate your cattle and get them used to moving from one enclosure to another, although that isn't going to help you now. It's an idea for the future, though, to make it easier to separate cows with calves. Especially if you ever have one sick or needing help calving, this would be really helpful. As far as calling the vet, I doubt any vet would be willing to try to get near the herd if you can't. Our vet will rope a rambunctious steer calf (for a surcharge), but I have to get them into the barnyard or a round pen first; he won't chase them down--and he's more helpful than some other vets I've encountered.

Have you tried walking among the cattle instead of driving the pickup? Are they used to the pickup? If not, that could be why they charged you. Then again, if they're not used to you walking among them, I wouldn't start now! Personally, I'm worried by them charging you, especially the bull. We had a cow who didn't like men and charged my husband when we tried to handle a days-old calf, but we didn't keep that cow. We want our Dexter cows to be friendly and approachable, even with a new calf. We expect our bull to respect us, let us work around him or the cows, and stand back until invited to approach.

They should settle down after several weeks, although I doubt the calf will be any easier to catch if you don't have a small enclosure to lure it and its mother. Meanwhile, you can observe from afar and if it pees under its tail, it's a heifer; if it pees under its belly, it's a bull. Hopefully someone else will have more advice to offer.

[okiedextergal]

Thank you! We are working on luring the momma cow and calf into an area of the loafing shed. Calf has come in with momma and without her. This area has a gate. The other cows and the bull are calming down also. It might have been the truck that was upsetting them so much.

[littlecowfl]

Well, if you can't get close, you can always observe from a distance to determine sex. If it's a heifer calf, she will pee from under her tail and a bull calf will pee from beneath his belly.

I hope things get better for you. Not sure why they would be so protective. I have seen cows do that, but they are usually just fine as long as you don't get between them and their calves. Are their temperaments are okay otherwise, or are they more high strung? Do you have a lot of predators in your area?

[zephyrhillsusan]

How's it going, okiedextergal?