Homecoming cattle

[IluvABbeef]

Everybody's always gotta have some way of getting the cows to come home (or cattle, either way). Either it's waiting for em to come up for water, calling, or herding.

So, what's everybody's tricks for getting the ol' bossies, calves and bulls to come home?

 

[Jogeephus]

I fenced the property in a wagon wheel fashion with all fields coming together at one central location - the coral. In the coral is the only water source the cows have. By closing the gate for a few hours - they will be waiting for me to let them in. Once inside, I can open a gate and put them in the sorting pen, the sick pens or the alley to the squeeze shoot. I can also sort and divide the herd into four different herds depending on what I'm trying to accomplish while still being able to rotate the cattle. Its not perfect and its evolving each and every year as I learn more about the flaws in the system and correct them. Of course, I still can shake a bucket or a chain and "most" of the cows will amble my way. ;-)

 

[dun]

Ours have been movedd so option to a temporary fenced area that when they see me with a step in post they come running. The also follow the 4wd mule anywhere because that's the one I use when I'm putting in the fence. They ignore the other mule. They'll alos follow a bucket for a long ways. Once the majority of the cows get accustomed to movgin around based on some criteria, bucket, post, mule, yelling, whatever, they're a lot easier to handle.
That's all well and good for those that are in relativley frequent contact with humans. The fun ones are the range cattle that only see someone a couple of times a month, or year for that matter. Those you have to drive.
I just had a mental picture of J Wayne in "The cowboys" riding in front of the herd with a white bucket.

dun

 

[IL Rancher]

we move ours a bit from pasture to pasture, sometimes down a road, sometimes across a road and sometimes just across a fence line.. In generl they move great 10 months out of the year but in May and June, with the young calves they dont move so well but once the calves get trained and aren't acting stupid it is generally real easy to move them.. But god, that first move in Spring, I just dread it and than the move back across the street.. We have to go over that pasture with a fine tooth comb to find all the calves that decided to bed down instead of follow the herd.

 

[C HOLLAND]

Dun,,,that's a funny image,,,,the Duke may have just smiled

I have 16 ft alley between my fields and all I need to do is open the gate and call them,,,,and the lead cow is always first one to follow and the rest come right behind her.

 

[llcupit]

Yell one time and let them see a feed sack and they all come running. (except babies)

 

[cfpinz]

On all the farms away from home, they get grained once a week from my old 86 ton flatbed, they know that truck a mile away. For conversation's sake, checked on them a couple weeks back in a truck I had just bought, a 96 ton flatbed, and they were less than impressed, wouldn't even follow it to the lot. Grained them in the field, next week they knew that truck. ;-)

cfpinz

 

[IluvABbeef]

When there's young calves, we train them to the chop pail, calling them and putting them out the chop. Most years it works within the week, they hear the sound of the chop door opening and they're on me just like that. Even just the sight of a five gallon pail in each hand is enough to get them excited and bellering, noses literally touching my rear, eager to follow me to food (and me scared wondering if I'm gonna get butted in the back this time. The calves don't worry me much, but it's when they're big that gets me a little nervous). We use this trick to get them into the smaller "hospital" pen for needling and to truck them out at the end of their time here.

Out in pasture, I have to call them several times, and sometimes I've had to get behind to start them home, they get that stubborn and want to stay out and eat. But other times I can walk out there and hang around them for a few minutes, then when I leave for home they follow. If we're wanting to change pastures, I wait for all of them to come up for water before I close the gates in the corral that go to the pasture.

 

[cypressfarms]

I'm a big believer in rotational grazing. My cows are spoiled, they like fresh grass. They get moved so much, I just have to yell for them and they all come running. I can pass by 10 times on the mule in a day without them lifting their head, but if you call out, here they come.

Makes it much easier with brangus.

 

[C HOLLAND]

Cypress,,,,the rotational graizing this does help,,,especially this year with the hay shortage. I have planted all but 1 of my pastures in rye and hope this offsets the small qty of hay I have.

I am still working on my pastures and alleys between each, I plan to have them come to water in a central location. I plan to move them this morning after I tag and band the calves.

My biggest problem is the BULL,,,he follows behind them usually and stays in the pasture I just moved them from. I am working the next few weeks on building him a home of his own, and if my AI venture works well this year and next,,,,he may be sold as a 4 year old and I will lease a bull from now own for cleanup.

 

[Nowland Farms]

......my old 86 ton flatbed, ....I.... had just bought, a 96 ton flatbed...

Dang, those are big flatbed trucks !!!!! ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

 

[Victoria]

If they are in a pasture far away from the corral I go out in a truck and call my leader. They will follow for miles. If I am by the corral I just go out on foot open it up and call them. No feed required except for 1 of them who left us last week.

 

[Gate Opener]

I hollar COWS COWS COMEON GIRLS. They come running. If they are too far in the pasture I drive something down there to them and hollar and they follow. They equate hollaring with feed.

 

[Roadapple]

Dang, I never equated hollering to feed. So That's why my ex was so fat. I'd holler and she'd run an eat. Makes sense now.

 

[Gate Opener]

Dang, I never equated hollering to feed. So That's why my ex was so fat. I'd holler and she'd run an eat. Makes sense now.

:lol2:

 

[Beefy]

i have some special needs cows that follow my fourwheeler around. they are more of a nuisance than anything. if i need to catch cows or show them to a new field or something i just lure them with hay. or in the summer time i will cut them out of the pasture adjacent to the pen in time for it to grow up and then turn them all in the day i plan to work them.