Crossing County Road with Cattle

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chaded

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I have been kicking around the idea for awhile about grazing my hayfield and one of the challenges is that a county road splits my pastures and field. I was wondering if there was anyone that does this and if so, what do you do?

I'm not talking about a cattle drive down the road with horses and a bunch of cattle. Just directly crossing the road with 10-15 pairs and two people doing it. I thought about a lane of ploybraid which i have no doubts it would work with my cows but the i thought about calves and the potential circus?
 
Check with your local sheriff and find out what laws exist. I grew up in a western state that still has open range laws which allows for moving cattle down roadways. Ohio may be very different but perhaps they are happy to send a couple deputies to block the road.

At any rate, I'd train the herd to follow a pail. My cows will do some remarkable things if they think there may be corn offered at the end.
 
Check with your local sheriff and find out what laws exist. I grew up in a western state that still has open range laws which allows for moving cattle down roadways. Ohio may be very different but perhaps they are happy to send a couple deputies to block the road.

At any rate, I'd train the herd to follow a pail. My cows will do some remarkable things if they think there may be corn offered at the end.
We did it all the time when I was growing up. After the cows had done it a couple times, they didn't even need to be lead. It was important to have someone behind the herd to keep the calves close to the cows, though. Any time we had problems it was with a calf that got left behind and panicked.
 
Check with your local sheriff and find out what laws exist. I grew up in a western state that still has open range laws which allows for moving cattle down roadways. Ohio may be very different but perhaps they are happy to send a couple deputies to block the road.

At any rate, I'd train the herd to follow a pail. My cows will do some remarkable things if they think there may be corn offered at the end.

I will definitely check the laws before. My cows will follow me with or without a pail. It's a double edged sword sometimes. Lol.
 
I've used the orange netting you see at construction sites to keep calve from straying off course.
 
Check with your local sheriff and find out what laws exist. I grew up in a western state that still has open range laws which allows for moving cattle down roadways. Ohio may be very different but perhaps they are happy to send a couple deputies to block the road.

At any rate, I'd train the herd to follow a pail. My cows will do some remarkable things if they think there may be corn offered at the end.
This all day long. I had two pair and a young bull get out from a small pasture this past fall. All I had to do was show them the bucket and call them and they followed my truck for over 1/2 mile and crossed a road. I did try to get them to cross a railroad track at one point, but they would have none of it, so they followed me the long way.
 
Our neighbors do it three times a year-they start training them with the feed truck a few weeks ahead of time and have a vehicle on each side to block the road. Usually a 10 minute process. Invariably will leave a slow cow or pair in the "wrong" pasture though.
 
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I have moved cattle with a friend and he has the signs like construction crews use they will stop traffic on each end to move the cattle across the road. Our sheriff will send people out to help if need be.

I've called the sheriff and told them I was moving equipment down the highway at a certain time in the am. They put deputies out there and that usually is enough to slow traffic down.
 
Mine cross the road three times on every 45 day rotation or about once every 10 days. I own land on all three sides of a "T" intersection. They learn fast that there is better grass on the other side. I usually do it around mid day when there is less traffic. The only time its a problem is with new borns and making sure they all get a cross.
My procedure is to get on a four wheeler and get the farthest away cows or pairs moving in the right direction first. They know when I am hollering whats going on. This gets them close to the gate. When most are close, swing the gate out to help steer them and stand on the road with a sorting stick. I do 50 to 80 cows/pairs buy my self.
 
I have been kicking around the idea for awhile about grazing my hayfield and one of the challenges is that a county road splits my pastures and field. I was wondering if there was anyone that does this and if so, what do you do?

I'm not talking about a cattle drive down the road with horses and a bunch of cattle. Just directly crossing the road with 10-15 pairs and two people doing it. I thought about a lane of ploybraid which i have no doubts it would work with my cows but the i thought about calves and the potential circus?
feed your cows some grain from the back of a tractor for about 4 or 5 days, feed them at one place the first and second day, they will associate the tractor with feed, then get them to follow you a ways before you feed them and after a few days they will follow you anywhere. Be sure to call them or blow the horn as they follow you. My cows will follow you anywhere if you are on the tractor and/or call them including across the road and into another pasture. For safety the first time or 2 have someone on each side, especially to control the traffic but we have no problems with moving the cows anywhere
 
If the grade of the land will allow it the County may build an underpass for you. It will of course raise the valuation of your land.
You will not know until you talk with your Board of Supervisors.
 
I have been kicking around the idea for awhile about grazing my hayfield and one of the challenges is that a county road splits my pastures and field. I was wondering if there was anyone that does this and if so, what do you do?

I'm not talking about a cattle drive down the road with horses and a bunch of cattle. Just directly crossing the road with 10-15 pairs and two people doing it. I thought about a lane of ploybraid which i have no doubts it would work with my cows but the i thought about calves and the potential circus?
I feed my cattle grain all winter from buckets. I only have ten at this time. I use my truck and honk the horn a few times and they get to know the reason fast. I have used the truck and horn to get them back in the pasture when they get out.
 
Similar to bird dog, I have pastures on 3 corners. I usually only move bulls or heifers (retained & subsequently bred) but have moved pairs quite often in the past. I open the gates out, onto the road, and sometimes have used old panels that I secure to my Polaris (or truck) on the road as a partial block. A bucket is your friend, and it really helps to have another person bring up the rear if you're moving pairs with young calves. Take your time! Be sure to have enough feed, so if there's a straggler, the rest of the herd will be occupied while the straggler finds its way.

Moving bulls? I'm lucky to get out of the way after I open the gate before they go barreling across the road.
 
Cattle are very trainable. My bull paddock fronts the road, scores of cars go past every day and they don't bat an eyelid to them going past unless it is my small truck and all heads lift up and look. I have changed vehicles and it only takes them a few days to adjust to the new vehicle. They never get it wrong.
Bulls are extremely trainable especially when it comes to sex. My neighbour has his bull paddock across the road to his cows. The bulls know what time of the year it is, he opens up the two gates on each side of the road and the bulls calmly walk across and each heads off to his own group of cows in their paddocks and renews old acquaintence. When they are finished they have had enough of hearing of the women's problems and are keen to go back to their own paddock once again, they walk down the driveway themselves and wait for the gate to be opened and walk across the road again.

Ken
 
My cows have no trouble following me, thankfully. I move them quite a bit now and if I'm just doing paddock moves I don't use grain. They will move because they know they are getting new grass. They will do cartwheels over a bucket because they only get grain for treats now and again.
 

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