Silly Cows

[jessica]

Here in Florida we are able to garden year round and my husband just fixed my tiller for me. I tilled the garden last week then waited till today to start planting. When I opened the gate and drove the tractor in the cows followed before I could get back and shut it. Well you should have seen them "playing" in the fresh tilled soil. They were kicking up their heels(with utters just-a flying), head butting each other and rubbing their faces in it. I wish I had my video on me so my husband could see. I let them play a while then shooed them out so I could re-till and plant. I just love these "Silly Cows".
While I am on the subject of gardens I intend to feed the cows some of the crop plus the trimmings. Are there any plants I should not feed them? I have carrots, turnips, tomatoes, collards, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beans, peas, potatoes, kale and onions.
Thanks Kim

[Olga]

I imagine it was a site! Here in AR, our "silly day" is the day when it snows - the cows get frisky and run around like kids.
Don't know about the garden food, but I just can't imagine any of what you mentioned being bad for them. On the other hand, I remember trying to feed my cows some outdated lettuce and cabbage from the grocery store and they weren't so thrilled about it. Chickens, however, were.

[Steve]

I'm envious! I'm hoping to till my garden this weekend, but only to "put it to bed" for the winter. Had a great one this summer though!

[liz]

Gee Genbo my husband is out there hand planting a couple of hundred pounds of pounds of garlic right now...I hope that he doesn't read this and get any ideas Jessica all of the brassicas; Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower etc are fine but feed them after milking or when the cow is dry because they flavour the milk if you feed out in large quantities. You should fore go the potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant - certainly the vines because they are members of the nightshade family and poisonous. Mine LOVE beets and beet tops, turnip tops and I bet collards (if I grew them). Pea vines and bean vines are ok too but with any fresh vegetable you really must watch the quantity that you feed because of bloat. I lost a lamb to bloat after a supper of pea vines once so I tend to ere on the cautious side with fresh vegies until they get used to it...like grass. Boy, I'll tell you that this time of year I am glad to see the end of the gardening season.....although come spring I wish it were all year! L

[shamrockhill]

I find that everytime I open up a new paddock for the cattle that they kick up their heals and run full pent around the paddock before settling down to eat.

I think it's a good sign of healthy stock because if they were plan hungry then they would just walk in a find the first available blade of grass.

Thank goodness for silly I say.

[marion]

My cows race around just for fun sometimes too. This week though, we have had a break in the winter weather - lots of snow but quite mild. The cows dont need to spend all their time eating and keeping warm, so they have been playing head-butting games. The cows have paired off with other cows, and the big bull has paired off with a teensy steer. That little guy has lots of ambition!
What I found amazing is that they never push anyone backwards into the electric fence ..marion

[anthony]

I have seen a Ram drop a yearling Dexter bull to its knees with a ram.. Most of my bulls won't mess with the Rams as they get to knowing that a ram, especially a horned one, has one hell of a charge.. A rutty Ram or Buck is not something to mess with, lol although they tend to leave me alone.