EIEIO
Well-known member
The other day I posted about driving a "tame" herd and what a PITA it was at times. From the amount of private e-mails I got I had to go back and read what I wrote and guess I was typing more than thinking as I did not quite get my point across and folks got to thinking I could not move my cattle. I can just fine but have been trying some new (to me anyway) methods.
So, here is the question. What method or methods do you use when herding your cattle?
Of late I've really been getting into the ways of Bud Williams (google search his name and you will find out a lot about him and his methods). It's a real low stress process and I've picked it up from some neighbors that use it on both their cattle and goats.
Sunday I spent just over an hour with them working around 20 new what some here would call "wild" cattle. Within an hour we were able to move/drive them anywhere we wanted them to go with what I considered very limited to no stress involved with either the cattle or us.
My cow herd is usually led with feed but I'm not doing that with the replacement heifers I have. They are tame to feed, meaning I can dump out some range cubes and walk down the line checking them without them running off but I'll never again only have cattle that will just follow as it becomes a problem when you only want one or a few cattle penned or separated off from the herd.
Bud's methods do take some work and seem to be opposite what a person "thinks" they should do but it's working for me anyway.
So, again, how do you get your cattle to go where you want them to go and are you happy with your current method? If you work alone like me how do you get just a single or few cows cut from the herd and put where YOU want them?
J
So, here is the question. What method or methods do you use when herding your cattle?
Of late I've really been getting into the ways of Bud Williams (google search his name and you will find out a lot about him and his methods). It's a real low stress process and I've picked it up from some neighbors that use it on both their cattle and goats.
Sunday I spent just over an hour with them working around 20 new what some here would call "wild" cattle. Within an hour we were able to move/drive them anywhere we wanted them to go with what I considered very limited to no stress involved with either the cattle or us.
My cow herd is usually led with feed but I'm not doing that with the replacement heifers I have. They are tame to feed, meaning I can dump out some range cubes and walk down the line checking them without them running off but I'll never again only have cattle that will just follow as it becomes a problem when you only want one or a few cattle penned or separated off from the herd.
Bud's methods do take some work and seem to be opposite what a person "thinks" they should do but it's working for me anyway.
So, again, how do you get your cattle to go where you want them to go and are you happy with your current method? If you work alone like me how do you get just a single or few cows cut from the herd and put where YOU want them?
J