Calves and Water ?

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Stocker Steve

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I find rotating pastures much more difficult when a pond or creek is involved. Calves seem to really really want to stay by surface water. Any ideas why this is, and how to minimize it ?
 
Not knowing how many head of stock involved I would guess they all went into the water at the same time and the little
one was drowned in the crunch. May have been forced into deep water. Soft bottom may be involved. Also it may have.
been forced into deep water. What is the algae situation? That can also be a factor. Good Luck
 
When I have a bunch of new borns and they are ready to move, I go on the 4-wheeler to the animals that are furthest away from the gate. Get them moving in the right direction first. The rest will usually fall in line if I drive slowly and keep the small ones moving. As far as drowning, I have lost two in 6 years at this farm. Never lost any before I moved here. Both times I never knew they were missing until I found them floating. I think the calves may just get in to deep and bog up in my sticky black soil, but they float up so that doesn't really make a lot of sense.
 
My pond is 200ft longx70ft wide and 20ft deep in spring run off. Never had a calf drown yet. Bottom is blue clay, very slippery. Your calves that get stuck and drown will by nature of internal bacteria bloat and so I believe that will allow them to pull out and float
 
Interesting, Steve, because it's the cows & bulls in my world that automatically migrate to the ponds & watershed, but only when it's rotten hot (like now). I'll see calves near/in the streams & creeks and along the banks of the watershed, but never (or rarely) submerged.

In your situation, only thing I can think of, it's easier for them to drink from a pond, stream, etc. than a stock tank or waterer and they don't know where you're moving them. ???

Did you know that a calf only a few hours old can swim? More like dogpaddle. Learned that lesson when we just started out.
 

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