Having cows is like riding motorcycles. If you haven't been hurt, it's just a matter of time. I rode for over 40 years before breaking my back. Now, I've only been raising cows 20 years and I went down a couple of days ago. I use a fiberglass stick when I put out cubes so they stay back. After backing away the "crackhead cows" as I call them, will rush the troughs. Fair enough, we've been doing that for years. I have a chance to get away and walk around them to inspect udders and hooves. Although I won't allow the wife to do that. Anyway, in a flash this old bossy cow pushes a younger one away around the end of the trough. Her butt comes swinging around and she lands squarely on my left foot. Before my reflexes can even react, she bucks and I'm flying through the air.
I must have been knocked out. When I realized I was on the ground I reached into my pocket for the Glock. Good, still there. At least I could fend for myself if they swarmed me looking for more cubes with the bucket beside me. Then I realize how dazed I am. So now I try to stand. "Censored", that ain't happening. First thought it was broken. Felt like it inside my rubber boot. Crap. So I actually crawled on my hands and knees over to the fence where I could pull myself up and stand up on one leg and then hop back to my truck.
I barely got the Red Wing off before the swelling started. ICE ice baby helped tremendously. Thank goodness it wasn't broken. So I kept it in ice and wrapped for a couple of days before I could start standing on it again. Now that the swelling has gone way down the color is starting to show but I'm getting around again. The whole left side of my body is bruised from the punt and landing. Apparently I flipped midair and landed on the back of my left shoulder by the bruising and grass stains on my coat. It would have made one heck of a video.
What a wake up call to how vulnerable we are. Be careful out there.

As bad as that was, it could have been much worse....thankful you are on the mend....

They don't have to be mean to be dangerous. When I was a kid we had an old Jersey milk cow that was as sweet and gentle as a puppy. She stepped on and broke my mothers foot. Her foot bothered her until the day she died.

If you have cows, you are going to lose some.

If you have cows, you are going to get hurt.

Both of my cattle raising neighbors have been hurt bad at least once by their own cows. Both of them hinted that since they had gotten older and less quick, they were in more danger than when they were young. I can believe that.

Got some heifers cut out in another pasture away from the Bull till they get of age. Putting out cubes a couple of months ago and got kicked. I was limping around for 2 weeks.

I use to cube by just pouring a sack on the ground many years ago. My cows are tame and they would swarm me, almost knocking me down. I bought a cube feeder that holds 300# and fits in the bed of my truck. It has an electric gate so I don't have to even get out of the truck now. Much safer.

The only time Bruce ever ran was when he would feed cubes to his elk.

In college someone donated a small herd of heifers. Sounded like a nice gesture and a good write-off. Bought them at the sale barn - decided they didn't want to deal with them after less than 24 hours of having them on their place - and donated to them to the university. I had my suspicions. I've been around a lot of cows - some wild ones and dangerous too - plenty of them. Let me tell you something - I ain't ever seen cows act like these 12 psychotic bovines. They wanted to kill you. They would jump our 8' pens noooo problem. Gate? No problem. You're tying to close the gate? No problem - they'll jump you AND kick you in the face in mid-air. I think they took out two of our guys - who had grown up on very large cow/calf operations - within 30 minutes. It was a big enough PITA to get them vaccinated and integrated into the farm...

To this day - I do not know why on God's green earth and not even a week after getting them - the professor over the beef farm decided we need to use THOSE heifers for an AI CLINIC - for a bunch of city dudes coming up from Houston. I think they were part of some black urban farmers coalition - great dudes - hilarious dudes...but man they didn't know what the heck they signed up for. We begged and pleaded to use any other group of cows - hell we had ~300 in the herd - most of them from Clark - tame like dogs and easy to work with...but nope...we used Hell's cows. I bet those poor dudes never wanted to get within 100' of a cow ever again. Maybe not - if you can learn how to AI while getting the crap kicked out of you and the cow acting like a banshee from hell - you can probably AI just about anything. We had really good facilities - which probably prevented anyone from getting seriously hurt...needless to say - I think all those cows got donated for a meat processing class in pretty short order.

The wife and I were just talking about this the other day. Recently had 2 kick at me on different occasions out of excitement of being fed. I have 8 of them and you gotta watch it in the feed bunk.
There just so big and strong.

Damn, glad you got out of there in relatively good shape. That ankle looks like an elephants ankle! Speedy recovery.

Been there.

That's why I got mini zebus. 2 bred cows and a one year old bull. He should be ready about the same time as the calves drop. I know I can still get hurt but way less of a problem vs my neighbors brangus.

Amen. I had cows for a while. Wagyu bull and angus cows. Meat was great. Not worth all they tear up and destroy. I never knew cows were such a beating. They can tear up a steel ball. Then they can hurt you by just their size alone.

I've gotten broken toes over the years from getting stepped on. Also haD a cracked elbow a few years ago from a kick. Cows are dangerous. They are so heavy the smallest things can hurt you bad.

Mine do that too. They are aggressive when they see me, my truck and that sack of cubes. I mean right up in your face. Dangerous. My BIL had his arm broken a few years ago by a cow when we were working them. I don't do that anymore.

I can relate to OPs pain...
Used to raise purebred Brahmas...really big Brahmas. Had lotsa real sporty cows with attitudes over the years...some I’d never turn my back on but imo Brahma bulls caught a bad rep. Maybe jus luck but never had a bad bull. Had a couple that were like big dogs...wanting you to scratch their ears. Those ol boys threw some tremendous show calves

They can get ya. Fractured my left forearm working cows, some momma cows just don’t want to be separated from their calves lol. I got my head stepped on too. Steer knocked me off of a pipe fence and landed on my back, stepped right on my forehead. My forehead and the whole top of my head turned black & blue and swole up like a mohawk for a couple of days lol.

"I got my head stepped on too." How did I know this.

It hurt too, almost as bad as when I got knocked out with a Louisville Slugger. Took one to the back of the head. Good ol’ brotherly love lol.

this cow would put you up a tree or on fence in a heart beat, if she had a calf. But she would take a cube out of your hand any other time.
we called her Fighter, for that reason.

This bull has taking to headbutting me in the back if I feed to slow, I started carrying a hot shot with me




This bull I bottle fed

Good looking bull, all brahma cows too?

One Hereford bull all Brahma cows

I'll hang a sack out of the window before I get out with them. Just got done rigging out a $50k "feed buggy" for a large operation, 1,000# trip hopper on the back that I wanted to keep real bad.

I've never seen an ankle bigger than a foot before, that looks painful. You certainly give new meaning to the word "kankle".

I hope you heal up soon...

Charlie

My ex had horses. I used to warn her to be careful. I'd tell her they are big, strong and stupid. Man it would light her up. You'd of thought I told here her baby was ugly. She made several trips o the ER because of her "babies". Cows, horses-they can mean well and be friendly and still hurt you bad.