Farm Animals That Kill
Although domesticated for thousands of years, these normally docile farm animals have the potential to kill, sometimes even intentionally! Before you go on a farm friendly visit be aware of the dangers, and be glad to come out alive. By the way, I own several of these killers myself.
The most dangerous farm animal, is, of course, the farmer, however looking beyond the obvious, we can see that many other animals are equally dangerous and a good reason not to tresspass on a farm or into an animals pen. Do not be alarmed, I own many of the animals in this link, the donkey for example, is my pet.
Donkeys
Photo by Author
Donkeys, with their cute big ears, and dumb expressions, are one of the most overlooked deadly farm animals. Every year more people are killed by donkeys than die in plane crashes. (As referenced in a 1987 Article by the London Times) Although unsuspecting people consider them lazy, and stubborn a donkey, can deliver a swift and powerful kick, often without warning. This makes them more dangerous than horses, who often issue a warning, such as pinning their ears back, before kicking. Donkeys are often kept to guard against coyotes, and will kill dogs they are not familiar with.
Cattle
Photo source http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeff-barnes/67291072/
Most people are smart enough to know that bulls are dangerous, but they may not realize that even cows can kill, even if unprovoked. Sure they are vegetarians, but they are also several hundred pounds more heavier than an adult human. When startled they stampede. When angry they form together in a group and face down their opponent, even charging.
Not all cattle have horns, those without horns are called “polled” those with are called “non-polled”, both are equally dangerous but non-polled cattle even more so, and they know it! Cattle will use their horns to itch themselves and to toss annoying humans out of their way. Some breeds of non-polled cattle are bred to be mean, as for the rodeo circuit, but even those bred to be gentle farm animals should never be trusted.
Horses
photo source http://www.flickr.com/photos/mohamed_alsuwaidi/2100722793/
Horses themselves rarely kill humans intentionally, however many humans fall to accidents as the result of riding horses, particularly when “horsing around. A typically fall from a horse cannot kill a person unless they land in an exacting way or on something that causes their neck, or back, to break. Injures to the skull often occur but are highly preventable by wearing a certified helmet. In a bad scenario a horse falls or steps on a dislodged rider. A fallen jockey in a horse race can easily be tramped to death by other oncoming horses.
In rodeo people often die as the result of a fall, again this is the fault of the rider falling off.. not an action of a horse killing them, unless the bucking bronc steps on the fallen cowboy.
There is one time when horses actually kill, and again, it is often linked to human error. Stallions (intact mature males) can be very dangerous if not handled correctly. They can rear up and strike with their front hooves, knocking a person down. Most handlers of stallions use special equipment, but a person who enters a stallions corral thinking they are going to get a nice photo of a handsome horse may come home with a headache and broken bones.
Goats
photosource http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiredwitch/2734197232/
Oh sure, goats are dangerous too, especially the larger billy goats. A billy goat is a mature male and those who are non-polled (see cattle) can be very dangerous. They learn early on though their games that if they use their head to butt a human, the human usually gives them food to distract them, and runs away. Goats can become very pushy, and therefore, very dangerous. Billy goats are best wethered (castrated) when young, dehorned when young, or handled with extreme care and consistency, if they think they are the boss, they will be the boss. Rams (male sheep) can get a bit dangerous at breeding time (the fall) but are usually not as bad as billies.
Pigs
Photosource http://www.flickr.com/photos/fleur-design/428341583/
Swine are dangerous mostly because of their size. Wild boars are particularly dangerous and even tame pigs can be concerning. One of the most dangerous pigs is a sow protecting her piglets. Pigs are as smart as dogs, and do not be fooled, they can bite.
Roosters
photo by authors husband
Some roosters can be mean, but they are relatively tiny compared to an adult. The only threat they pose is to children. Roosters (male chickens) have spurs on their legs which they use for fighting. They generally fight off other males to keep the hens for themselves, they also act as guards defending the hens against intruders, which for some roosters may mean people. Not all roosters are mean, some are very gentle and kept as pets.
Mother Animals
photo source http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonythemisfit/3410205245/
As mentioned under “Pigs” a new mother is one of the more dangerous farm animals. They should be approached with caution, especially following the birth of their first young. They will be nervous, confused, and protective. A typically warning a mother animal might give is stomping her foot or faking to charge you. It is best to have a second person with you if you must work around a potentially dangerous mother animal.
Other Animals
Photo by Author
Some farms keep more exotic livestock, such as Bison, Elk, and Ostriches, these are all quite dangerous. Bison and Elk because of their size and Ostriches because they can disembowel a person with a kick, or forward strike. Llamas and Alpacas are potentially dangerous with swift hard kicks, although more people fear their nasty smelling spit. Even bottle raised, formerly tame animals, such as Bison often turn into killers when not given the proper respect they need and deserve.
NOTE:
Before somebody says that farm animals are dangerous because of diseases they carry, it is not the farm animals fault if it was not vaccinated or dewormed, or if it was kept in filthy, over crowded, conditions and stressed so much it got ill. Perhaps it is the bacteria, virus, or worms, that are dangerous, but it is certainly not the animal who carries them.
Photo by Author
Do not forget about the farmer, he is a dangerous animal in his own right, tresspassing on a farm is not allowed, or welcome.
If you are planning on going to visit a farm, stay in the areas for visitors, only go where the owner of the animals allows you to go, do not enter pens or corrals with animals on your own, even to get a better picture. Remember at the end of the day, we kill more of them, than they kill of us.
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13 Responses to “Farm Animals That Kill”
On July 25, 2009 at 9:12 am
I’m amused you included the farmer. Indeed he is the most dangerous animal of his kind. Nice pictures especially the armed bunny.
On July 25, 2009 at 10:19 am
Nicely illustrated article. Yes, sows bite!
On July 25, 2009 at 10:19 am
Loved the pics of the animals. Also very well written article. Thanks for sharing!
On July 25, 2009 at 10:27 am
Wonderful article, thanks.
On July 25, 2009 at 11:13 am
I never expected this article.
On July 25, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Thats it! I’m never visiting the farm again now!!!
On July 25, 2009 at 11:35 pm
great article. You should have included Turkeys though. My husband had one as a pet and he would not let any stranger get out of their vehicle. We use to have to put him in the gargage when the kids came from craft day…because I was afraid he would hurt someone.
On July 26, 2009 at 10:00 am
Cool article – I have blogged this at Webphemera.com…
When I was a kid I was on my Nain’s farm (Nain is Welsh for Grandmother and is pronounced like the number nine!) and I was waving her walking stick around in the farmyard. I inadvertantly hit one of her chickens and killed it instantly…
I still have nightmare about their revenge!
On July 26, 2009 at 12:24 pm
The overall idea behind this article is a good one. As society gets more and more urban, I see too many people who think all animals are like stuffed animals and act very stupidly around animals.
However, I take extreme issue with, at the least, the donkey section.
Every year I wind up writing at least one author asking them to please provide any scientific evidence that donkey kicks kill more people than plane crashes. No-one has, to date, been able to provide such evidence, and so I am more than dismayed when people purporting to give the public scientific answers repeat this particular urban myth.
The fact is – there is no support for this myth BECAUSE it is a myth. Your paragraph also contains another donkey myth – that they kick without warning. Not at all true. The problem is that most people manhandle donkeys the way they do horses, and donkeys are most definitely NOT horses. But, like horses, they absolutely do give warnings like flattening their ears. Like horses, it may be lightning quick depending on the donkeys’ prior experience. One that has been manhandled a lot is much more likely to kick – but only to people it suspects will be just as physically abusive.
I am a long-term student of equine behavior and cognition, with a particular emphasis on the longeared varieties (donkeys and mules). Horses are FAR more dangerous than donkeys, as they DO kick more readily than do donkeys. Donkeys (and mules) are energy savers by nature. Horses are not. Therefore, if there is a way to exit a situation without flailing their hooves around, donkeys will do so. Horses, on the other hand, survive by flailing their hooves around. Horses also have less accurate aim than does a donkey or mule.
So please, if you have proof of your statements about donkeys – or for that matter any of your statements – please provide it!
On July 26, 2009 at 12:25 pm
The overall idea behind this article is a good one. As society gets more and more urban, I see too many people who think all animals are like stuffed animals and act very stupidly around animals.
However, I take extreme issue with, at the least, the donkey section.
Every year I wind up writing at least one author asking them to please provide any scientific evidence that donkey kicks kill more people than plane crashes. No-one has, to date, been able to provide such evidence, and so I am more than dismayed when people purporting to give the public scientific answers repeat this particular urban myth.
The fact is – there is no support for this myth BECAUSE it is a myth. Your paragraph also contains another donkey myth – that they kick without warning. Not at all true. The problem is that most people manhandle donkeys the way they do horses, and donkeys are most definitely NOT horses. But, like horses, they absolutely do give warnings like flattening their ears. Like horses, it may be lightning quick depending on the donkeys\\\\\\\’ prior experience. One that has been manhandled a lot is much more likely to kick – but only to people it suspects will be just as physically abusive.
I am a long-term student of equine behavior and cognition, with a particular emphasis on the longeared varieties (donkeys and mules). Horses are FAR more dangerous than donkeys, as they DO kick more readily than do donkeys. Donkeys (and mules) are energy savers by nature. Horses are not. Therefore, if there is a way to exit a situation without flailing their hooves around, donkeys will do so. Horses, on the other hand, survive by flailing their hooves around. Horses also have less accurate aim than does a donkey or mule.
So please, if you have proof of your statements about donkeys – or for that matter any of your statements – please provide it!
On July 26, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Sorry about the double posting. The site kept telling me to resubmit as there was an internal server error.
On July 28, 2009 at 10:16 am
To vbowen78669
the bit about donkeys came from a 1987 News Article in the London Times.
You should note I mentioned I own a donkey, they are kept here by many people with the purpose of guarding livestock against feral dogs and coyotes. I know several people who use them to guard orchards. They will chase out the human invaders. A donkey will use its front feet to knock a bigger object down (human) and trample it, this is not generally seen in horses, except angry stallions. But even a jenny (female donkey) can act this way.
Donkeys are quicker to know if a person is a friend, somebody they know, or a stranger. They will treat their owner well, but will react to a stranger differently depending on their upbringing.
I have seen them many times kick without any warning. Also, they have the ability to cow-kick, which I didnt mention, but is something horses cannot do. And because they are more accurate, they can do more harm.
My article is writen not to scare people off these animals – I own a donkey who is AWESOME!!!! My article is to remind city people to treat these animals with respect – DO NOT drive down a road and think you can crawl into a corral just to get pictures!
On August 15, 2009 at 6:06 am
very very interesting
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