I remember how wild my Brahman cows were the day they arrived on the farm.  Every time I approach them in the paddock, they would group tightly together and watch me nervously - this was a natural instinct for predator protection.  Whenever I got too close, they would stampede in the opposite direction.  It became obvious they saw me as a threat. I began to think about this behavior and how it may have evolved.  Were they mistreated previously?  That was a possibility.  Most cattle farms herd their animals by shouting and chasing them through paddocks with motorbikes and cars only to funnel them into a race, squeeze them in a cattle crush, poke them with needles, crimp their ears with RF tags, drench them in chemicals ... the list goes on.  No wonder they would associate people with an unpleasant experience.

So I realized that the key to changing their behaviour was to change my behaviour.

I began to walk amongst them without making any eye contact.  This was important as predators stare down their prey and cattle tend to take this as a sign of aggression.  I would talk softly to them as well, just random babble or even practice my public speaking to them - they didn't seem to mind how terrible I was.  After a while they got used to my presence and the sound of my voice.

I then started to introduce small bales of hay.  They would only come to eat after I spread the feed out and walked far away.  Over time, I would get closer and closer until I could stand next to them and watch them eat.  This was good, the trust was starting to develop and it encouraged me to go on.

Then I introduced bread.  Cows just LOVE bread.  Some of the bakery's in my town sell large bags of old bread for a couple of dollars, so this really is a cheap treat for them.

They didn't actually need any of these feed types, there was plenty of grass in the paddock, but I repeated the process and looked on this time spent as an investment.

So what is the return on this investment?

Simply, it is the investment to build a positive relationship instead of a negative one with my herd.

Now every time I come to the farm, they still stampede, although this time its eagerly towards me to see what treats I might have in store for them.  When friends and family come to visit, its a highlight to go feed the cows and spend time with them.

Today, I was able to even hand feed them - they went totally bonkers for the bread.

Has the investment paid off?

You bet!  Now when I need to inspect their health and condition, they come to me and stay close, making the job a lot easier.  If the head count falls short, I know straight away there is a problem and I need to go look for one of them.

Most of all its the feeling of satisfaction I get when I think back to how they once were to how they are now and it makes me appreciate the new relationship we have forged together.