Hi

[Phenom21]

I have a few questions and would like some decent input.

I'm 17 years old and a high school senior who has went from being a small city boy to a country boy. Anyway, I'm going to a local college to get a nursing degree and I have been helping my step-dad out with cattle now for about 4 months. I live in western North Carolina and was wondering what type of cattle do good here? (He has charolais)

That is about the only question I have, but could you guys maybe give me some tips/tricks for dealing with cattle?

 

[rockridgecattle]

Hi Phenom,
-always have an exit when working with cows, never know when one will decide you need to sit on a fence post, or better yet, go over a fence.
-treat them respectfully, they after all weigh more than you
-move quietly, not sneaky like, just gentle, and talk quietly around them
-mineral is as important as feed
-enjoy your animals
Good luck

RR

 

[msscamp]

I have a few questions and would like some decent input.

I'm 17 years old and a high school senior who has went from being a small city boy to a country boy. Anyway, I'm going to a local college to get a nursing degree and I have been helping my step-dad out with cattle now for about 4 months. I live in western North Carolina and was wondering what type of cattle do good here? (He has charolais)

That is about the only question I have, but could you guys maybe give me some tips/tricks for dealing with cattle?

Keep it quiet, keep it low-key, and never forget that they can sense your mood and excitement/anger/uncertainty and will feed off it - it's a whole lot easier to rile them up than it is to settle them down once they've been riled. Always be aware of where you are in relation to the fences, and have an escape route planned - just in case. Do not ever attempt to move cattle through pens by yourself if the area is too big for one person to effectively handle - to do so is just teaching them they can escape, and it will make future handlings that much more difficult. When moving cattle from pen to pen, haze them quietly - mooching usually works better than whooping and hollering - and remember to give them the opportunity to see the gate - they will usually go through it if given the chance to see it. If herding them into an alleyway, once they start going through, do not waste time getting the stragglers if that alley is short - otherwise they will bounce off the front gate and come right back at you. If the gate is in the middle of the fence, do not allow them to get in the corners, or you've got trouble. Do not try to force or bully them - they are bigger than you, and it will not work 90% of the time. Remember that if you are ahead of their shoulder you're pressuring them to back up, behind their shoulder you're pressuring them to go forward - the closer you are the higher the pressure you're placing on them. Too close and you're in their space, and they tend to bolt. Too far away and they will ignore you. This will vary from animal to animal, depending on their disposition. Do your research and learn how to recognize the signs - head thrown up at your approach usually indicates a flighty animal, etc - and how they think, and they do think. Regardless of what you've read about how stupid cattle are - they are not stupid. Never underestimate a mother's instinct to protect her calf - I don't care if she will allow you lead her around, pet her, or hand feed her before she calves - once she calves it tends to be a whole different ball game with a lot of them. Do not ever forget that cows outweigh you by at least 400 lbs - assuming you weigh around 200 lbs, and this is a weaning heifer - and that they can kill you without even meaning to, so plan your activities around cattle accordingly.

 

[vs_cattle]

Hi,
Thats good to know your dad is on the right track with Charolais. Them like any other cattle have common flaws
here are some tips:
- study the cattle to see hows their temperment is if they are tame-wild you can asses how close you can get and so on
- ask questions ask any just ask people you see oron here anywhere info is power
- use your new knowlege to the best of your ability put it into action
- remember always SAFTY FIRST never let your guard down always have an escape route in the back of your head
- once you have some type of relationship with the cattle you can work on it little by little when your working with them and feeding them they will more come familar with you being around them