Beginners need help with highly escaping skidish steers

[drycreek12]

We just purchased a couple steers about 400 lbs angus, we trailered them home and let them out in the ~5 acre pasture which is fenced with older 4 strand barb wire fence, they we so spoked from being moved that they bolted out of the trailer directly to the fence, running the line until they found a weak point, breaking through and escaping. A couple weeks later they showed up down the road, we cut the neighboring ranchers fence and herded them back into his pasture to let them calm down for a day or two, we will be back by to trailer them home soon. We built a small ~40x50' coral that is much more secure then the older fencing in the field, we plan to release them into the coral for a few weeks to calm down and get settled.

I am thinking of adding hot wires to the coral to ensure they don't get out. Anyone have advice, how many strands of electric? tape or wire?

What about tranquilizer? It seems like they just get spoked from people, scared and run, when we herded them into the neighbors pasture once in they just started eating and calmed down, I think that once the cattle are out of the trailer and calmed down they should be fine, the problem is when transporting and releasing into coral. Does anyone use tranquilizer like they do on horses? Seems like it would help?

thanks

 

[ga.prime]

Tranquilizers are for immobilizing a cow, not behavior modification.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Just put them in your corral and feed them a few days till they settle down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

if you would have unloaded them three pastures from yours they would have been at your house the next day. Old joke about Angus

 

[cypressfarms]

We just purchased a couple steers about 400 lbs angus, we trailered them home and let them out in the ~5 acre pasture which is fenced with older 4 strand barb wire fence, they we so spoked from being moved that they bolted out of the trailer directly to the fence, running the line until they found a weak point, breaking through and escaping.

We should make a book of "train wrecks" from CT posts, and this should be added into it.

To a 400 pound angus steer looking for his moma, every part of the fence is a weak point; let alone an older 4 strand fence. I'm with the others; let them stay in a corral for a few days to a week until they calm down, then let them out. An electric fence could work, but a 400 pound calf who's never seen an electric fence will walk/run right through it. By the time it shocks them, they'll be through the front shoulders of the fence and then they only know one way - forward.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Here's a friends suggestion.
Put them in a corral and run a hot wire inside. Spray down the dirt inside and let nature take its course.
they will touch that hot wire and get the shock of the their lives.
Friend did that with a steer they couldn't keep home. It will teach them to respect fence.

then run a wire around the pasture. they will remember the lesson

If they still bust out after all of that, load them on the trailer and haul them to the yard and get some better tempered ones.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Dry Creek

I purchase bawling salebarn calves most every week and sometimes cows & bulls. They are unloaded into a sturdy corral that has an electric wire about 6" inside the steel fence on the far end from where they are unloaded. I use polytape (ribbon) because it will flutter if there is a breeze. The calves being curious, will sniff the polytape and Zap, they are trained. The really smart ones never touch it after seeing their buddy getting zapped. A few of the dumb ones might try it twice. Usually they stay in this corral 1 day and then are turned into a grass trap that is fenced in barbwire with an offset hot wire. Over the years, I have handled a few thousand head this way and have never had one escape. There have been a few nut cases but they never mess with the hot wire after getting zapped. Cypress was right about them going thru a hot wire if they are not trained. By having the barbed wire next to the hot wire they will be going slow looking for holes and won't jump forward when zapped. I keep them in the trap about a week and they will be settled down as much as they can be settled depending upon their disposition. After a week in the trap I have never had one that didn't respect a single hot wire. Had a few nutty heifers over the year that would jump a single wire when pressured. All of my cross fences are 1 wire hot wire and the last 100 yards of my lane that goes to the corral is 2 wire. The 2 wires have stopped even the nut jobs from jumping and the top wire is not even hot.

A good, hot e-fence is an excellent tool if it is properly constructed and hotter than a firecraker.

Just my 2 cents worth

Best Wishes

 

[Anonymous]

I had a nutty heiffer a few years back that got out, no electric and 5 strand. Once I got her back and while she was on the trailer, I put a good long length of heavy chain around her neck and put that around a good shade tree. Water and hay right there with her. After 2 weeks, I took the chain off the tree, and let her drag that around for another 2 weeks while I put the hot wire up. Once I took the chain off, she was fine. Ended up being sweet as could be and was one of the best tasting ones too.

 

[dun]

It;s probably the skiding part that is the problem.

 

[melking]

I can tell you from getting advice on this board. I put mine in a pen for a few days and they have stayed put ever since. These folks really know what they are talking about.

 

[Suzie Q]

You need to lock them up for the first week, so as they now think of here as home and not where they came from.

Feeding and watering them in the yard lets them get used to you a bit. I then let them out into the yard next to it with 2 hot wires and 2 non hot wires. I feed them in there and they learn what an electric fence is.

After that I can let them out with the herd. With just 2 hot wires.