How do cows kick? Answers need to respect a cow's kick.
The effectiveness of a cow's defensive kick is not appreciated by new entrants to the beef industry.A cow being seen as a mild-mannered, harmless and inherently awkward animal will sometimes be referred to as having been kicked by a cow.How much do they know?
The damage a kick can do should never be underestimated.
With either hind leg she can strike straight backwards to about upper thigh height, strike directly forward to her belly line, forward also in an outward arcs, or back in a rough quarter circle sweep, which is the one capable of doing the most damage since it's the least expected.She has a contact range that is well beyond what one might think based on her structure.
We never assumed to be welcome when we had to mess with a cow's udder.A slip knot would be used to tie the leg back on the side of the animal we wanted to work on.
The tie back used a break-away-honda for ease of release and a double round of lariat on the leg immediately above the ankle.The risk of injury to the leg is significant if you only use one round of rope.A double rope will buffer the snap and deliver her leg bone.
Finding the precise distance a braced animal can stand with comfort is the key to a successful tie.It is a short distance stopped in mid kick if she thrusts her foot forward.
It is a good idea to place a restraint behind the cow.An animal can slip about half the length of its neck with a good quality head gate.
If the concern is kicking backwards, you need two people, one to do the necessary, and the other to hold the tail of the animal.We raised the tail straight up and held it in place so that the animal wouldn't move.If you want to avoid unnecessary pain, turn the tail upward and hold it in a husky position until your partner completes whatever he/she is doing below.
A highly controversial technique to bring down a beef animal is to cinch a lariat around its rib cage directly behind the front legs, then add a second loop just forward of the udder, keeping the line and slip knot up along the backbone with the lead end passing.
The practitioners are pulling with a steady pressure on the rope.The animal will be off its feet in a matter of seconds.We have seen it done, done it ourselves, but would not do it again.There is a very real chance of permanent nerve damage in a crippled cow, which is caused by cheap hamburger or coyote bait in the far corner of the field.It doesn't seem cruel, but risks outweigh convenience.If a cowboy tells you to engage this process on your cow, think about your options.He should be turned down cold.There are few practices that embody more potentially damaging risk.
Every rancher working with cattle will acknowledge that a well-placed kick by a stressed cow is no matter for casual flippancy.A sharp blow to the shin, knee or thigh can be very serious and could be fatal.The rule is to always be cautious and safe.Everything else can wait.
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