Cows
Created | Updated Jan 6, 2008
There's a small Friesian herd down the lane where we live and a bigger Jersey herd down the lane where we work. I talk to them as I walk past them with my dogs. The Friesians usually come over to say hello but the Jersey cows often run away. Whether they run or not, depends on whether they have calves or not. They sometimes stand their ground and stamp threateningly, if they have a calf in their care. It's the same with the calves. The Friesian babies are usually more friendly than the Jerseys. The Jersey bulls, on the other hand, are quite curious and show no inclination to run away. I can't remember ever seeing a Friesian bull with the friendly girls down my lane, so I suppose they might be artificially inseminated.
The same Friesians are brought to the fields year after year. The herd's so small that I recognise some of them. There's one old girl with a massive lump on her side. I call her Buttercup. I noticed the lump when she was quite young and the lump was just small. The next year it was bigger and it got bigger each year until it was almost the size of her udders. Sometimes they come alone - just the matrons - and sometimes they're accompanied by calves. The calves stay with them for a while, then, there comes a night of bellowing and distress, and I know the calves will all be gone when I walk the dogs down the lane next day. The bellowing can go on for days, but it's no good. The farmer never brings the babies back.
The Jerseys must go through the same trauma, but I've never witnessed it.
We like the cows, me and my dogs. Who wouldn't, you might ask. What's not to like about cows? You'd be surprised - unless you're one of those people who are .... wait for it .... frightened of cows. Yes, you read that correctly. Some people are, apparently, afraid of cows. And it's no good pointing out the statistics to them, comparing the number of cows killed by humans with the number of humans killed by cows. I have met a few and asked the obvious question.
To be fair, it does make some sense when they explain their problem. My impression is that most of the folks who are afraid of cows are town-dwellers who go for a nice walk in the country and suddenly discover that a herd of cows appears to be following, or even chasing them. Cows often follow us and I usually chat to them as they plod along beside and behind us. This encourages them. They're awfully inquisitive creatures. But I don't think that's the only or the main reason for the behaviour. It's the dogs, of course. Their wild ancestors will have been hunted by packs of my dogs' wild ancestors. What could be more natural for a herd of prey animals, than to keep an eye on their predators? Most people walking in the countryside (this is the case where I live, at least) are accompanied by dogs, and the cows have, no doubt, noticed this. So even if you haven't got dogs with you, they'll still come over to investigate. Nothing to be alarmed about. Bulls might be a different matter.
These two herds are probably just kept for breeding. I've never enquired, but they never seem to go off to be milked. They have relatively small udders - not much bigger than necessary to suckle a calf or two. I have seen milk cows with udders so huge that the poor creatures could hardly walk. It's a painful sight even to look at. Imagine: udders so enormous that they're no more than a few inches from the ground when the cow is standing and, when full, they push the back legs out, making walking an excruciating looking waddle.
At least our Friesian and Jersey friends don't have to go through that.
They're nice, relaxed, placid animals. Sometimes the Friesians share their fields with sheep, which makes comparisons unavoidable. This is what I've noticed. Cows are gentler, friendlier, more patient and more generous than sheep. Cows often feed each other's calves. Lambs are thuggish feeders and bash their mothers so violently in the mammaries when they want to feed, that it's not too surprising to see her give them a head butt or a kick. Cows often give each other a friendly nuzzle. Sheep are more likely to ram their sisters in the side or give them a head to head, head butt. Cows seem to go on bellowing out their distress at losing their young ones for ages, whereas, if the sheep make any fuss at all about it, I haven't noticed.
I always used to look out for Buttercup whenever the Freisians came back to my lane. She wasn't with the rest of her herd in 2007. I guess that lump just got too big.
The same Friesians are brought to the fields year after year. The herd's so small that I recognise some of them. There's one old girl with a massive lump on her side. I call her Buttercup. I noticed the lump when she was quite young and the lump was just small. The next year it was bigger and it got bigger each year until it was almost the size of her udders. Sometimes they come alone - just the matrons - and sometimes they're accompanied by calves. The calves stay with them for a while, then, there comes a night of bellowing and distress, and I know the calves will all be gone when I walk the dogs down the lane next day. The bellowing can go on for days, but it's no good. The farmer never brings the babies back.
The Jerseys must go through the same trauma, but I've never witnessed it.
We like the cows, me and my dogs. Who wouldn't, you might ask. What's not to like about cows? You'd be surprised - unless you're one of those people who are .... wait for it .... frightened of cows. Yes, you read that correctly. Some people are, apparently, afraid of cows. And it's no good pointing out the statistics to them, comparing the number of cows killed by humans with the number of humans killed by cows. I have met a few and asked the obvious question.
To be fair, it does make some sense when they explain their problem. My impression is that most of the folks who are afraid of cows are town-dwellers who go for a nice walk in the country and suddenly discover that a herd of cows appears to be following, or even chasing them. Cows often follow us and I usually chat to them as they plod along beside and behind us. This encourages them. They're awfully inquisitive creatures. But I don't think that's the only or the main reason for the behaviour. It's the dogs, of course. Their wild ancestors will have been hunted by packs of my dogs' wild ancestors. What could be more natural for a herd of prey animals, than to keep an eye on their predators? Most people walking in the countryside (this is the case where I live, at least) are accompanied by dogs, and the cows have, no doubt, noticed this. So even if you haven't got dogs with you, they'll still come over to investigate. Nothing to be alarmed about. Bulls might be a different matter.
These two herds are probably just kept for breeding. I've never enquired, but they never seem to go off to be milked. They have relatively small udders - not much bigger than necessary to suckle a calf or two. I have seen milk cows with udders so huge that the poor creatures could hardly walk. It's a painful sight even to look at. Imagine: udders so enormous that they're no more than a few inches from the ground when the cow is standing and, when full, they push the back legs out, making walking an excruciating looking waddle.
At least our Friesian and Jersey friends don't have to go through that.
They're nice, relaxed, placid animals. Sometimes the Friesians share their fields with sheep, which makes comparisons unavoidable. This is what I've noticed. Cows are gentler, friendlier, more patient and more generous than sheep. Cows often feed each other's calves. Lambs are thuggish feeders and bash their mothers so violently in the mammaries when they want to feed, that it's not too surprising to see her give them a head butt or a kick. Cows often give each other a friendly nuzzle. Sheep are more likely to ram their sisters in the side or give them a head to head, head butt. Cows seem to go on bellowing out their distress at losing their young ones for ages, whereas, if the sheep make any fuss at all about it, I haven't noticed.
I always used to look out for Buttercup whenever the Freisians came back to my lane. She wasn't with the rest of her herd in 2007. I guess that lump just got too big.
