do cows attack

[richierich07]

i`ve just been out on my moutain bike in the country and in a field was some cows

after i whistled they came over
now if i was in the field would they attack me ?? or what what they have done ???

[lilacben]

Hi yes they can attack and have. I believe someone has been killed by cows.

[frankofile]

mostly cows are just curious, and will follow and sniff, usually I find if I face them and wave my arms and yodel or something (!) they back off, but once I was passing through a field of cows with my kids in tow, we were going down a slope and the cows built up speed. I felt we were in real danger of being trampled. We escaped ok , and I don't know if the beasts bore any malice but it really scared me

[taichiperson]

It depends - if you get between a mother and calf she may see you as a threat. A herd of young bullocks are very frisky and can be curious - you may be the most interesting thing they've seen for a while! They will come up and investigate and lollop around - they do not understand that they can hurt you, and may knock you accidentally. Bulls are genarally OK if they are with a load of cows, but you never know!
My mother in law was knocked over while walikng her dog - the bullocks were only interested in the dog, who would not leave her when she fell - she was in real danger of being trampled, and broke her hip. They were not aggressive, just curious
I hate walking across field with cows! Some farmers who resent people walking across their land will put frisky bullocks in fields with public footpaths - I've had first hand experience of this!

[lajohn]

you should have one in the field. only way to have found that out was to go into the field. you've lost the opportunity to know the real truth first hand. shame on you.

[tiggerblue10]

I was on a school trip in Wales many many years ago and we somehow ended up in a field. We were just standing around trying to get our bearings when a herd of cows appeared and starting charging over towards us. I can honestly say that I have never run so fast in my life.

So yes, they probably could attack you.

[tigerlily11]

I have never been attacked by a cow but I'm scared to be in a field with them.
I'm ok to be on the other side of the fence but not in the same field. I would never harm one but they have this look like they are about to come t you armed with something sharp.

[lajohn]

"you should have one in the field." = you should have gone in the field.

[sammy snake]

There was an incident where I live onbly last week about a walker who was trampled by a cow. He survived but is in a pretty bad way I believe. He was just walking through a field with a friend when the cow charged and trampled him.

[terambulan]

Bulls attack but cows dont.....they do stampede. Cows tend to crowd you and will nudge you away....Enter a cow field with a long stick/belt/handbag anything you can swing around yourself to make the cows back off. Always stay at the edge of a field so you can't be crowded. Always keep dogs on leads as they scare the cows into stampede.

[whiffey]

I was in a field the other day with my mountain bike, and there were some cows there too. I got to thinking as to which of us had the greater right to be there, then I realised that if I shot them there wouldn't be so much of a discussion, so I shot a few and the rest gambolled away.

[wildwood]

It is very rare for a cow to attack a person but it does occasionally happen, about as often as someone being struck by lightning. Your cows were obviously curious as has been said above. Their bulk does make them somewhat unsafe but seldom in a menacing way.

[kita1]

They will attack especially if there are calves around and especially if you have a dog/dogs. If you have a dog let it go - they can usually draw the cows away and escape themselves.

This lady (one of quite a few people) was killed by cows:

http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/simmenta l-herd-trample-dog-walker-to-death/

I also know a farmer who was trying to bring in a bull one day - he got it into the yard and was trying to get it into a barn when it turned on him and pinned him against a wall - his dog saved his life (literally) when it intervened and got in the bull's way, the bull tossed it over a wall but it gave the farmer enough time to escape. The bull was later destroyed by a vet.

[terambulan]

It is illegal for a bull to be in a field where the public have access. All bulls are licenced and are only kept for breeding so are usually penned.

Bullocks (young castrated) do tend to be quite frisky and hate dogs in their field expecially if the bullocks are mixed with heifers/cows (which they will protect).

Farmers use fields available and dont deliberately thwart public footpaths. Maybe ur neighbourly farmer could put out a sign to tell walkers to keep to the edge of the field (where they could jump the fence) and keep dogs leashed.

Ur whistling called the cows and they would continue following u until u left the field and they couldn't follow. If u remained in the field they could well trample you trying to get the food they would be expecting from ur whistling them.

[lajohn]

this website is is a public one.
why are there so many bulls on here then?

[Buenchico]

Nursing cattle can be very protective towards their young, especially if you've got dogs with you. Otherwise, cattle are generally harmless. (Even the one or two farm workers who're killed by bulls each year are usually accidentally crushed against a wall rather than actually being deliberately attacked)

For some reassuring posts (including one from me), see here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals-and-Nat ure/Question146947.html

However, for a confession which followed that post, see here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Que stion147363.html

Chris

[greyark]

My brothers and i once camped out in a field near a river. There were cows everywhere. While we were there, the cows came over, but just out of curiosity. They wanted to see what we were up to. Cow attacks don't happen without a very good reason. Bulls on the other hand!

[terambulan]

lajohn...dont take the mick...am trying to help richierich07 understand his mistake in whistling the cattle.

Am also concerned that his error could have him trampled and the cattle would then be killed!