cow issue

[M5farm]

I bought 11cows and 8 calves a few weeks ago. They were in a 60 acre field and I started feeding them a week before I planned on moving them. with all of the rain this year about 20 acres is under water in the middle and the maiden cane is what they prefer right now. last Saturday I got them all to coming to the lot for there feed except 1 cow and calf they just stayed in the pond. I penned everything else except 1 cow that torn out and went back to the other pair. no issues with the move and all of the others have settled in just fine. for a week they have not come towards the lot so I started feeding them out in the field and they will come eat when I leave. Saturday I built a temp pen and fed them in there. Sunday morning they had ate the feed and were under the trees by the fenced area by the lot so i moved the trough and fed them again and by Sunday afternoon I had them in a smaller barbed wire area. Monday morning I went to feed them and one cow was out. the land owner has his post to far apart and the cow pushed thru the wire and was outside again so I fixed the fence and late yesterday I walked her back in with the pair. I usually make 4 or 5 trips over there a day when I am off and give them a coffee can of feed every time so they are starting to get to know me and will come to the trough when I start to leave. this morning they were all in and I gave them some feed and will do so again this after noon. They are real standoffish. I have a couple of cows at home that are lead cows and will come to a bucket anytime. I'm thinking I need to put another cow in with them to show them how to come to the trough. when the herd was there they didn't shy away when being fed. what's your :2cents:

 

[J&D Cattle]

I had a couple of hold outs like that a couple of years ago. I got them to start eating after I'd walk away. I did this for a few days and then put the sneak attach on them. I'd feed and walk straight to the barn. Once there I could sneak around a machine shed and then around the back of the loafing shed they were eating by to shut the gate.

Another time I would feed by driving my truck up to the pen and would make a big loop on foot around a barn and just stay out of sight until they were done. I had a buddy do the feeding and when he made the loop they walked right in. I was hunkered down in the truck and jumped out to get the gates.

Patience or some creativity and you'll get them.

 

[greybeard]

They are real standoffish. I have a couple of cows at home that are lead cows and will come to a bucket anytime. I'm thinking I need to put another cow in with them to show them how to come to the trough. when the herd was there they didn't shy away when being fed. what's your :2cents:

That's what I'm doing right now--got some gentled heifers that will run to me everytime I approach the pen and they will follow right in. I put some 4wt calves in the pen with them today, shut the gate,and am gonna leave them together till this afternoon, then feed later and hopefully the calves will follow the heifers back in to the pen and feedtrough . Probably gonna be a hold out right at the gate, but they usually will come around eventually.

 

[Bigfoot]

I put a water tank by the gate, and my son hides in it. I feed and walk away. I call his cell when they go in, and he jumps out and shuts the gate.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I put a water tank by the gate, and my son hides in it. I feed and walk away. I call his cell when they go in, and he jumps out and shuts the gate.

Not sure why but the image of that playing out in my mind just makes me smile.

 

[skyhightree1]

That is really funny and smart too

 

[danl]

I put a water tank by the gate, and my son hides in it. I feed and walk away. I call his cell when they go in, and he jumps out and shuts the gate.

I bet if one ever spots him in that tank there will be a stampede... Something out of the ordinary will normally freak my cows out.

Maybe he should wear full camo

 

[M5farm]

they were in the lot yesterday evening when I got there and made a mad dash as soon as they seen me. I just played it cool and put out some more feed for them. both of these cows seem to have bad memories of the lot for some reason.

 

[bigbull338]

the truth is some cows will not go into the lot at all for fear of being hauled off.an it may even be that they dont like being penned up.those 2 cows need tobe hauled to the sale when you can catch them.

 

[Limomike]

Yep. some cows are just smarter than others. Just takes some trickery or force, to get em penned up.

 

[M5farm]

Yep. some cows are just smarter than others. Just takes some trickery or force, to get em penned up.

Or 2 bags of sweet feed. Since Monday I've been giving them about 2 gal of feed every afternoon. This afternoon when I got there one of them started toward the pen. I put feed out and she would would not come in the lot so I went back to jeep and got a little more and the crazy thing ate out of the bucket with me holding it. So I pretended to leave and they went in and I put a injun sneak on them and shut the gate. Came home and recruited some help went back to set up trailer and they seemed calm so I eased them in the alley and by the time the help got there all they had to do was shut the gate. They are calm and with their herd right now. All is good right now

 

[bigbull338]

glad you was able to pen an get them home.

 

[M5farm]

it has been a over a week since I got the holdouts home. I was checking them this weekend and one of the ones that gave me such a problem was the first one to come running to me. I guess it was just a trust issue.

 

[Nesikep]

I guess she was like one of my cows... she loves me, and hates anyone else... maybe she has to learn the you're her new human... if they don't clue in to it though, I'd ship them

 

[Stocker Steve]

Deep snow and cold usually helps with the trust.
I had an ex SD range cow that held out on pasture until January in Minnesota.
She was still in good condition when we loaded her out for the kill plant.

 

[Martin_09]

Nice post !

 

[B&M Farms]

I have one cow that everytime I work cows will take a month to get back in a pen and the rest would follow me right back in the pen if I needed them to. When she calves I won't see her for a week. I went down in the woods to check on her one year when I knew she had calved. She hit the fence with calf in tow and stayed in the river bottom for a month. Now I just let her do her thing during that time. I know I should probably sale her but she raises a darn good calf every year.

 

[Phil in Tupelo]

B&M, How difficult is it to catch her calf each year? If they are female, do you save her heifers? I was 30 miles away from my cows and really only had Saturdays to do what I needed to do. I "hi-headed cow" just didn't fit my plan too well.

 

[B&M Farms]

B&M, How difficult is it to catch her calf each year? If they are female, do you save her heifers? I was 30 miles away from my cows and really only had Saturdays to do what I needed to do. I "hi-headed cow" just didn't fit my plan too well.

I usually wait until my calves are about 2 months old to work them and by then she is back with the herd. She isn't as protective by then and her calf will usually follow the rest of them. I did keep a heifer out of her I ended up carrying to the sale but it wasn't because of disposition. She just didn't do as well as I like with her first calf.

 

[Kscattle]

I put a water tank by the gate, and my son hides in it. I feed and walk away. I call his cell when they go in, and he jumps out and shuts the gate.

I don't think my son could hold his breath that long, or answer a phone under water lol