catching wild cattle

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Luckyjada

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Hello, I am a beginner here and as well with owning cattle. I would like to know what to do if your whole herd is out running and hiding and you can't get them back home where they belong. The herd is 24 head and they are all different sizes and ages. We have tried for a month now to get them back to their original home, (our neighbors house that sold them to us), and they just run if you get any where near them. I am looking for any type of resource or advise I can find. Also when we bought the herd we never once took possesion of them, we have just been trying to get them in the fenced area where they belong. We are in Va. if any one knows of cow catcher cowboys or anything and we are desperate now because of neighbors threatening to sew us for property damage and such. :help: :???: :cry: :cry: :cry2: :cry2:
 
i don't even know where to begin. first thing that comes to mind is what? why?
i assume there are pens that can hold them.
put thier water and hay in the pens and try some sweet feed as well.
spend some time out with the cattle without running, chasing and hollering at them.
once they calm down and come into the pen shut the gate and load up.

if there are not pens.
how far to your place ?
can they be driven on horseback ?
a couple cowboys, a good head dog or two and 200 bucks could get them driven to your place.
 
What have you tried so far? I am guessing you bought some cattle that have not been handled much, on a farm with little or no fencing to speak of, and no handling facilities. When you tried to get them up, they spooked and jumped fences (or ran through them.) How would I know that? Been there, done that. Your best bet is to make a big, strong, temporary corral and coax them in it. It may take some time. Like cross_7 says, try to get them used to you, and get them so you can at least get close. Sometimes mineral will get their attention, if they haven't had access to it for a while. You might have to put a small amount in a pan where you know they have been. Move the pan a little closer to your corral every day. Don't put out enough to satisfy them, just give them enough a taste to keep them coming back. If you can get them looking for either the feed or mineral, you may be able to put a long rope on the pan and pull the pan and get them to follow it, once they will let you get that close. I have had to catch cattle with horses and dogs in the past. Sometimes you have to go that way, but coaxing is a lot easier on the cattle, not to mention your body. As far as the corral, pipe or wooden gates wired or chained together will work. Make sure it will hold them the first time. You may have to settle for catching 5 or 6 at a time, and moving them to a secure location, then getting more the next day or two. Also, when down to the last two, try to get both or none. Don't leave one by itself if you can help it.
 
he is in NE VA if you look at his other post but a town is what we need. i know a few up that way but might be to far away without a town or city being named...
 
Angus Cowman":3kiqbrf0 said:
contact your local sale barn and ask if they know of anyone who catches cows

lokks like a job for a couple good horses and some catch dogs

This is what I would do. You may not have the experience in reading cattle but at the sale barn there will be someone or they will know of someone willing to make some money doing it for you.

What the terrain like? if its fairly open and you take it slow enough you could get lucky. But since youve been trying for a month they have probably gotten use to running away from you.
 
Have to agree with the board....cowboys on horses and good dogs. It will be well worth the money.
Be sure that you have good facilities...no sense in running your cows through a gate and have them keep going through a bad fence at the other end of the pasture.
Remember that there is no such thing as "one cow" getting out!
Good luck...DMc

Training them to a feed bucket is worth the effort. Susie can catch our small herd faster with a grain bucket than I can with the dogs...years of training with the treat and well worked cattle. Most come to their names. But then I have the time to touch every animal every day, and besides, we're starting to get to the hobby farm stage of life.
Thought...spooked cows just make the situation much worse...good cowboys know just how hard to push the animals and make it look easy.
 
I don't know about your part of the country but don't expect the cowboys to work cheap
When I was catching cows we charged $75 per man to show up and then $20 for every one we had to rope or if we didn't have to rope any and just got them gathered with the dogs it was $20 an hr per man after the first hr

But usually by the time they called us we just needed the Catch dogs and ropes and if they have to use catch dogs your cows might have a lil blood running out of them so don't get upset and panicky about it
 
Workinonit Farm":3k4ilxpx said:
kenny thomas":3k4ilxpx said:
Where are you in VA?

Yes, where in Va are you? There are folks who may be able to help with this.

Katherine

A location would be nice. I've got some friends that do that crap for fun. No thanks.
 
Hello Everyone reading about"catching wild cattle" and replying to my post I want to thank you for your helpful information and answer some of the ??? I live in Midland Va. On the outskirts of Warrenton VA. And Close to Manassas VA. We live in an area where the terrain is small rolling and hilly, partially open fields and woods, so you have big open fields of pasture and then they are surrounded by woods. The biggest problem is when I try to approach these cows, they take off to the woods, which are impossible to follow them. We have been trying to lure them through the place that they escaped from, after fixing all the broken fences and areas that they can get through, with food pans and salt. The food is disappearing, and the trick will be to catch them when they do decide to come and eat. We live next door and an hourly check is what we are doing. The next thing , if we can't catch them in the area that the feed is being set down is to just camp out there in my car and wait for them. We are also trying to find a cowboy that can herd them with a horse and dog or maybe horses and dogs I'm not sure how many it would take. The herd is 24 head. I spoke to the guy from ILL. and I don't think that his service is going to be affordable for us, hopefully we will find someone local if that is the route we end up taking. My husband said that if they get back out after we get them contained, we are going to be eating steak and hamburgers sooner than we had planned. Thanks again for all your helpful info and any more would be much apprieciated.
 
Luckyjada":1d82233z said:
Hello Everyone reading about"catching wild cattle" and replying to my post I want to thank you for your helpful information and answer some of the ??? I live in Midland Va. On the outskirts of Warrenton VA. And Close to Manassas VA. We live in an area where the terrain is small rolling and hilly, partially open fields and woods, so you have big open fields of pasture and then they are surrounded by woods. The biggest problem is when I try to approach these cows, they take off to the woods, which are impossible to follow them. We have been trying to lure them through the place that they escaped from, after fixing all the broken fences and areas that they can get through, with food pans and salt. The food is disappearing, and the trick will be to catch them when they do decide to come and eat. We live next door and an hourly check is what we are doing. The next thing , if we can't catch them in the area that the feed is being set down is to just camp out there in my car and wait for them. We are also trying to find a cowboy that can herd them with a horse and dog or maybe horses and dogs I'm not sure how many it would take. The herd is 24 head. I spoke to the guy from ILL. and I don't think that his service is going to be affordable for us, hopefully we will find someone local if that is the route we end up taking. My husband said that if they get back out after we get them contained, we are going to be eating steak and hamburgers sooner than we had planned. Thanks again for all your helpful info and any more would be much apprieciated.
yep there away a posted note at about ever sale barn, for wild cow catchers.are their hanging out there...
 
LBC":1jtpo8ri said:
google E B Harris from Warrenton NC. He has the means to catch the cattle

If you can wade thru all the b.s. I've skipped auctions before because he was crying them.
 

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