Picture was send to us by a farmer. The question was: What can be causing this behaviour?
Our thoughts:
It can be pain or discomfort. It would be good to know how old the cow is. Sometimes they have tooth ache, because of changing molars, typical in third year of life.
Or it can be stereotype behaviour, which can start because of boredom in youngstock. The repetitive behaviour is producing endorfines (feel good hormone) which makes the cow feel better! We sometimes see them pushing there nose against metal: same thing: there is an accupunture point, and pressure there releases endorfine!
Finally, the behaviour can also be caused by acidosis / lack of fiber.
Your thoughts
What do you think? Any other explanations for this behaviour? Please share your thoughts!