The cow thread

Dairy cows munch on reject chocolate and lollies that would have gone to landfill​

James Mann runs more than 4,000 head of cattle at Wye, south-east of Mount Gambier - South Australia
Rather than feeding his cows sugar for energy, as some dairy farmers do, he is feeding them the rejects from Mondelez's confectionery factories in Melbourne.
He says the cows like it, and they do not seem to have a preference for any particular type of chocolate or lollies.
"Whatever Cadbury is making and don't quite make the grade, our cows are pretty happy to see it — blocks of chocolate, snakes, Cherry Ripes, nougat, honeycomb — anything that Cadbury makes the cows get to have a chew on it," he says.
The chocolate and lollies are mixed with the cattle's other feed. They also eat grass.
He says cows need sugar and oil in their diet, and chocolate has both.
"It's all around maximising cows' performance," Mr Mann says.
The milk does not taste significantly different and is mixed with milk from hundreds of other dairy farms when it is processed.
In a twist, though, the milk from Mr Mann's farm actually does go into cartons of Farmers Union and Pura flavoured milks made at Bega's factory in Adelaide.
 
Clarabelle

Cows have strong maternal instincts, forming close bonds with their babies. It’s no wonder dairy cows cry out in distress for hours, even days, when their calves are torn from their sides within hours of being born.
Clarabelle spent the first several years of her life on an Australian dairy farm, enduring this heartbreaking cycle every 9 months: forcibly impregnated, carrying her baby to term, giving birth, losing her baby so that her milk could be harvested for human consumption, and forcibly impregnated again.
But then Clarabelle’s luck changed …
Instead of being sent to slaughter when she was deemed no longer ‘productive’ enough, a very pregnant Clarabelle was welcomed to Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary.
And despite her growing trust in her human carers at Edgar’s, she had her own plans for this birth…
Clarabelle gave birth to her dear Valentine quietly in a wooded corner of her paddock, and actively hid her new baby — moving her around to a different inconspicuous spot on the property each day, ever watchful of the humans who approached her baby.
It was clear to the team at Edgar’s Mission that Clarabelle, scarred from the trauma of having every one of her previous babies taken from her, was determined to ensure that this time around was different; and indeed it was.
For the first time in her life, Clarabelle has been able to raise her calf with the all the affectionate love you’d expect from a doting mother, and her baby will be by her side for the rest of her life.
 

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Cow-related Words Used on Australian Cattle Stations​

Cleanskin - cattle with no brand
Scrubber - cunning wild cattle that hide in scrub
Muster - gathering the cattle together in a mob
Rush - group of cattle that take fright and rush off (stampede)
Pad - track made by cattle.
Cow Pat - Cow dung
Cow — adult female
Bull — adult or young adult male
Bullock — adult male that has been castrated
Steer — young adult male that has been castrated
Heifer — young adult female that is old enough to breed, or nearly so. Heifers have not had a calf, or they have only just had one.
Weaner - a calf that is old enough to be weaned from its mother
Calf — baby bovine, too young to breed
Poddy calf — a calf that has lost its mother so it has been handfed — usually starting on milk, then hay and/or calf pellets (or just good grass).
Cracker cow (northern Australia only) — scrubby, poor quality cow good for not much at all (usually too bony even for the meatworks). Cracker cow is a term also used in Florida and southern Georgia (U.S.) to mean a poor quality scrub beast.

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Wholesome-Memes-Hurtingsouls
 
Scientists painted cows with black and white stripes

Why you ask?
Why do zebras have stripes? Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories inform us that the stripes developed because the zebra stood in the “slippery-slidy shadows.:)
With growing support, it now seems reasonable that a zebra’s stripes function as an insect repellent.
Biting flies are a serious concern for livestock owners because they affect cattle’s behaviour and can lead to economic losses. The presence of biting flies reduces feeding and bedding down time, which can affect the animals’ development.
Also, when biting flies are present, cattle tend to bunch together to reduce the risk of sustaining bites. This bunching behaviour increases heat stress and the risk of injury. Additionally, it can reduce weight gain and negatively affect milk production.
If a zebra’s stripes can help it minimize fly attacks, could similar stripes also help cattle?
To investigate, the scientists enlisted the help of six pregnant Japanese Black cows. They painted each cow in one of three ways: black and white stripes to resemble a zebra, only black stripes, or no paint at all (the control group).
The scientists found significantly fewer flies on the legs and body of the painted cows compared with the others — about half the number. There were no differences between the control group and the group with painted black stripes.
The results of our study showed that the numbers of biting flies on black-and-white painted cows were significantly fewer than those on the all-black and black-striped cows.
 
Australian Dairy Co-operative Norco (Based in Queensland) is using research from University of New England (Armidale - New South Wales) about how to provide enrichment to promote better welfare for their herds.
Enrichment promotes positive welfare which may have flow-on effects for milk production in dairy cows.
Moreover, environmental enrichment aims to increase the complexity of an animal’s environment, allowing it to explore the range of behaviours it can perform.
Improving animal welfare through environmental enrichment is increasing but fundamental research to quantify the benefits and impact needs to be improved.
Norco dairy farmers Scott and Renae Connell are putting playful aspects of cow enrichment to the test with the integration of ball games and intervals of play time for their herd.
 
Australian Cattle to be tracked by satellite.
Two Northern Australia’s premier universities, a French satellite company, four Indigenous organisations, and Australia’s national science agency have combined to bring this to fruition.
One thousand buffalo and cattle will be ear tagged and tracked by satellite across some of Australia’s most remote locations. These are the Arafura swamp catchment in Arnhem Land and the Upper Normanby and Archer River catchments on Cape York Peninsula.
Eventually, the project will place cutting edge satellite technology, machine learning, and analytics into the hands of Traditional Owners.
Better management of wild buffalo and uncontrolled cattle expects to help biodiversity. This is a result of reducing grazing pressure and improving water quality. This aids the recovery of native flora and fauna. Ultimately, this will result in a more resilient landscape better equipped to cope with threats such as fire, invasive species, and climate change.
 
A man travelling to work has captured an unusual scene of a cow chewing on a woma python in the Northern Territory.
Andrew Gertz, a refrigeration mechanic from Camooweal in outback Queensland, was travelling along the Sandover Highway, near Lake Nash Station, when he stumbled upon a cow on the road with something long hanging out of its mouth.

Mr Gertz first thought the cow was chewing on a bone before realizing the bovine was snacking on the scaly meal and he said the cow was noticeably unaware there was anything unusual about her meal.
“I seen something hanging out of its mouth and I didn’t really know what it was until I got closer and then I realised it’s a woma (python),” Mr Gertz said.
“There’s a photo where you can see where the cow has chewed it down to the back bone.

“I’ve seen cattle chew on cow hides and dried out bones, but I’ve never seen them chew on a snake, especially fresh too like that.”

Mr Gertz said once he stopped to take photos, the cow dropped the snake and continued on unscathed, leaving the half-chewed snake behind.

“I’m not sure how the snake would have ended up in the cow’s mouth, there had been some rain ahead of us and I could see no tracks in the sand and road, so it wouldn’t be that the snake was hit by a car and picked up on the road by the cow,” Mr Gertz said.

“It could have bitten the cow’s tongue, that could have been a possibility.

“I showed my boss and the locals where I was going to, and most of them have lived in the Territory for years around cattle, and they haven’t seen anything like it before.”

CQ University livestock researcher, Dr Diogo Costa said based solely on the photos, it would appear that a phosphorus deficiency may have made the cow put the snake its mouth.

“It’s not normal animal behaviour but phosphorous deficiencies can turn a cow as mad as a cut snake,” he said.

“Along with calcium, phosphorous is one of the most plentiful minerals in a cow’s body, and there are times in an animal’s life where it may need more than normal – for example a cow in lactation will have a higher requirement because of the P going to the milk, or a growing animal will have a higher requirement in comparison to one not putting on weight.

“There are many areas in northern Australia with very low levels of P in the soil and this is why P supplementation is usually recommended during the wet season in northern Australia when animals start putting on more weight and their requirements increase.

“Phosphorus is stored in the bones and clinical P deficiency can result in health issues such as spontaneous fractures due to bones getting weaker, or to reductions in fertility rate and weight gain.
 

Angus bull named Tom Cruise smashes Victorian sale record in Australia.​


A Victorian bull called Tom Cruise has been sold for $230,000, smashing the state record.
The bull was sold at Banquet Angus's sale this week at Mortlake, breaking the previous record set by Te Mania Angus for a bull that sold for $130,000 in 2022.
Hamish Branson from Banquet Angus said they identified last year the bull was "pretty special, so he needed a special name".
"He kind of came across as a bit of a Tom Cruise," Mr Banson said.
 
I met a bunch of them one night around 1:00 AM on a 2-lane highway near a bridge.
Luckily, I was leery of that road of many curves and was slowly approaching that bridge.
All of a Sudden, these blue globes started glowing at me. I stopped and looked at many
Black Angus feeder calf there. I drove back to the farmhouse, woke the farmer and got
his attention to what was happening near him. Those 900 lb. Steer seemed like they didn't
want to be there and came to the farmer when he called them back in the downed gate.
Steer will push and push on things.
 
When I worked on the farm while I was in school, I would sometimes give the cows apples. They loved apples and we also raised carrots, which I would sneak some out to the cows. We had over 400 head of milking cows and about 100 or so head of beef cattle.

Back then, we were just beginning to learn about artificial insemination, wo we had bulls to do the job. We had 2 and sometimes 3 bulls. The one bull, I named Satan because he was mean and he had a set of horns. They jerk their head around and catch you just right, they can open you up like a can of tuna. I took a piece of wood and burned his name into it and hung it above his stall.

Randy, our boss, would tell me to take Satan up on the hill and let him graze. I would tell him, "No, but thanks for asking." I didn't want anything to do with that old bull.
 
Cow cuddling enterprise delivers all the feels.

Australia's first dedicated therapy cows are now available for for snuggles on a property south of Cairns.
Cow Cuddling Co at Goldsborough Valley has seven cows whose ability to soothe and comfort is available to people living with mental illness, intellectual disabilities or anyone else who just wants a feel good, relaxing experience.
The enterprise is the brainchild of Lawrence Fox, a former corporate high flyer who fell into his new line of work through a simple love of animals.
"My friend owned six hand raised cows and I'd spent a bit of time hanging out with them"
"I thought they were just pet cows and when I realised they weren't I decided to buy them."
"Once I'd done that I had to work out how to keep them because they are expensive animals to have."
"That's when I thought of the the health benefits I got from them - that therapy - and I just jumped straight into that."
According to the bovine devotee, there is science behind the benefits of cuddling a cow.
"It has an immediate physiological impact, which includes slowing a person's heart rate and releasing oxytocin, so you feel extremely attached to the animal."
"During the therapy sessions, they've just been fed and and they're laying down, chilling out."
"They're huge animals and I liken them to 300kg Labradors, because they're very dog-like and very sweet."
"It's an unreal experience."
While working hours are restricted to three sessions a day. the cows also love the companionship.
Mr Fox points to a study in the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science which says there are clear signs of deep relaxation, including slower heart rates when cows receive pats.
"They love it and there is evidence they feel like they've just been pampered."
"They have a way of showing you where to scratch."
Cow Cuddling Co has partnered with local organisations Thrive and Worklink to ensure therapy sessions can be covered under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and in the longer term, to get people with disabilities working on the farm.
"I wanted to save my friends - the cows - but also give back to the community and encourage employers to take up subsidies that are available for hiring people with disabilities." Mr Fox said.
"There are people who have so much to offer, and employers hold the key to allowing them meaningful work."
Cow cuddling sessions can go for anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours and cater for both public and private experiences as well as coporate groups.
Amy
Ella
Holly
Milkshake
Sally
 
This cow-thread is my favorite. And cows are a favorite animal, I just think they are beautiful, and fun to watch. A friend of mine had acres and had horses . When I would go out to give his horses a treat, carrot , apple ... etc . the cows next door would wander over to the fence to see what was up. I made friends with one or two that were the friendliest . Then the horses would get jealous ... so there I was at the fence trapped by two horses & two cows :giggle:
 


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