Best way to get cows to come out of the thick trees

[rynophiliac]

Hey guys just as the title says... I'm trying to figure how to get my cows to come down out of the thick trees. If I ride horse back up there I will see a group of cows but they just take off running from me and I they hide in the trees. They even get away from my dogs. I'm not sure how to get the cattle out. I've even considered renting a chopper to push them down to the corrals.

I'm wondering if maybe there is something cheaper like some kind of sweet feed block or something that they will come down for that I could put in the corrals and catch them. The problem is they have a drinker way up in the trees that comes off a spring so they really have no reason to come down to the corrals at all. I may have to pen them out from the spring to force them down into the corrals to drink but that would be a big chore to put fence around the spring.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

 

[Deepsouth]

Range cubes. Feeding a couple of days then they'll follow you anywhere.

 

[cow pollinater]

Feed is your friend. Strategic fencing helps too. I have two spots where I built drift fence so that when I have them pointed in the right direction they can't give me the slip.
If they're all wild then you have to deal with them like that but sometimes if there is just one trouble maker leading the rest around you can maker her disappear and the rest will settle down.

 

[Rafter S]

Like Deepsouth said, you can do it with feed, but it will take a while. Put some cubes out on the ground close to the trees. Do that every day at about the same time. After a few days they'll figure out that it's you feeding them and come to meet you. Gradually feed them further from the woods and closer to your pen. Eventually you should be able to put the feed in the pen and they'll come in to get it. When they do, I'd encourage you to close the gate for a little while, and then let them out without doing anything to them. They'll come in faster the next time if they don't have a bad experience the first time.

And go slow and quiet any time you do anything with cattle.

 

[jerry27150]

why not fence the woods off

 

[Deepsouth]

Like Deepsouth said, you can do it with feed, but it will take a while. Put some cubes out on the ground close to the trees. Do that every day at about the same time. After a few days they'll figure out that it's you feeding them and come to meet you. Gradually feed them further from the woods and closer to your pen. Eventually you should be able to put the feed in the pen and they'll come in to get it. When they do, I'd encourage you to close the gate for a little while, and then let them out without doing anything to them. They'll come in faster the next time if they don't have a bad experience the first time.

And go slow and quiet any time you do anything with cattle.

Do it the way rafter said and it'll work. I feed my replacement heifers cubes when I wean them. It hooks them for life.

 

[rynophiliac]

Where do I get these cubes, Ive never seen them?

 

[M-5]

leave the dogs and the horse at home. drive the truck dump out some feed and leave. do same thing every day around the same time. once they start coming when they see you truck you can start moving the feed closer to where you want them.

 

[Deepsouth]

Where do I get these cubes, Ive never seen them?

People may call them range cakes where your at.

 

[Rafter S]

Where do I get these cubes, Ive never seen them?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/purinareg;-hi-energy-cattle-cube-50-lb This is from Tractor Supply's website, but any feed store that has cattle feed should have something similar. It's feed that's pressed into large pellets (a little larger than your thumb) for feeding on the ground, and cows really like them.

 

[Kingfisher]

Put the cubes in a little tin bucket. Just enough to "rattle" the bucket. Walk the cows to the pen.

 

[rynophiliac]

I like this cube idea and it will probably work well for most of my cows but these cows in the high country dont let me even get close to them im not sure how I will get them to eat the cubes if the run from me as soon as they see me comin

 

[BRYANT]

like everyone has said a few cubes does wonders
I would never turn a cow out till I have them cube broke. I think my cows would follow me miles for their cubes , and they are all Brahman and Brahman cross, I also always take them a few ,even when there is plenty green grass its their treat for coming to me and when they sell my ol dodge they come running if they are in the woods they know the horn and here they come . I always blow my horn when I pull into the pasture.

 

[Tim/South]

If they are not use to being fed I am not sure they will find cubes on the ground. You may want to take some sort of trough close to the woods and put some feed or cubes in it. They will see the trough and be curious, then find the feed. Once they get to liking the feed they will be easier to deal with. All it takes is one or two to come up and eat. The rest will catch on.
Patience will be your best friend on this group.

 

[Brute 23]

like everyone has said a few cubes does wonders
I would never turn a cow out till I have them cube broke. I think my cows would follow me miles for their cubes , and they are all Brahman and Brahman cross, I also always take them a few ,even when there is plenty green grass its their treat for coming to me and when they sell my ol dodge they come running if they are in the woods they know the horn and here they come . I always blow my horn when I pull into the pasture.

Same here. :nod:

 

[Nesikep]

If you can't get cubes, just a COB (corn, oats, barley) mix is a good start.

 

[rynophiliac]

So I'm going to give these cubes a try. Is there any consensus on which cubes the cows like the best? I went to tractor supply to try to purchase the ones that were posted earlier in the thread but my local store didn't carry them nor anything like it. It looks like I will have to order the cubes. If I have to order them I'd like to get the best ones. I'm looking for something that my cows will run to like it's candy. Which cubes do you guys think are the best? What have you tried with good results?

Thanks

 

[skyhightree1]

sweet feed mixed with fine corn mixed in is what mine will run you down for.

 

[Bigfoot]

So I'm going to give these cubes a try. Is there any consensus on which cubes the cows like the best? I went to tractor supply to try to purchase the ones that were posted earlier in the thread but my local store didn't carry them nor anything like it. It looks like I will have to order the cubes. If I have to order them I'd like to get the best ones. I'm looking for something that my cows will run to like it's candy. Which cubes do you guys think are the best? What have you tried with good results?

Thanks

Cubes aren't available in my area either. I wish they were. All these guys swear by them. I would especially like to be able to feed something on the ground.

 

[Brute 23]

Square bales work too. Will they come to good hay or alfalfa squares?

Cracked corn
Sweet feed
Molasses

Any thing that is a treat that they don't normally get.