The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: sokel on June 15, 2013, 07:58:06 am
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the calves have been 100% with the dogs from day 1 and TBH have totally ignored them , Niamh has been going into the stable when they where being bottled right from day 1 and no problems.
today in the field for no reason at all they both ran at the dogs, Cookie the Chi jumped through the fencing but Niamh (1 yr old wolfhound) just stood there, I had to intervene because they where getting a bit hyped up. They kept this up right down to the gate.
What could have changed since yesterday, dogs have not done anything to them. Could it have been a 1 off or would it be best to keep the dogs out in future ?
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It maybe that the calves wanted to play, carry on as you are and see if it happens again, I have my dogs, wolf hybrids and spaniels in with the cows and calves without a problem, the cows quite frequently try to play with them, the majority of the dogs run but Susi one of the wolf hybrids stands her ground too, they come and try to butt her but she just licks their noses :) Susi has not been with cattle until she came here as a foster dog so there was no being with the calves from birth.
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It could be just one of those things - calves feeling playful; a cow within a mile a-bulling... ;)
Or it could be that a different dog has been in and not behaved as well as yours do...
Our youngsters are often in fields that get tourists through, and sometimes you can tell the cattle have been a bit wound up. They usually settle back down again in a few days. ;)
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Had the 2 wolfies up there this morning and they where fine so think they where just being a bit playfull the other day ::)