How do you call the cows

[gman4691]

Mine have gotten to the point that the sound of the tractor is enough. If I need to round them up for working, I'll feed them in the cattle pen every other day for a week before the day we work them. With the crazy ones gone, they seem to fall for it quite readily.

 

[DNelson]

I've said it before; The most valuable cattle tool you can have is a five gallon bucket.
I tracked down and caught 12 cows on 100+ acres of timber pasture with just my legs, a bucket, and a good voice. View attachment 38425View attachment 38426View attachment 38427View attachment 38428

mine know the truck horn and come in for feed. during winter they are at the barn pasture and a bucket gets their attention then.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Yip, yip, yip causes a stampede at our place.

 

[Warren Allison]

I don't call them at all. If we need them, we will saddle up and go get them. 4 times a year: When we cut the bull calves in March, wean them and haul them last of August, moving them to another pasture mid November, and moving them back mid-February. Just handling them 4 times a year like that, they wouldn't ever come to know a call or the sound of a tractor, etc. anyway.

 

[Rancher]

I use my quad and a 5gal bucket w/ some grain. I hollar "weedaldee" several times and they come flying chasing me back to home corral

 

[1982vett]

Pretty much just show up in the pasture on the mule with a bag of cubes.

 

[gcreekrch]

Heeeey girls, heeeey b!+ches

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

We train our calves with the horn during preconditioning. We can rotate 300 steers to another pasture in 5 minutes by tapping the horn.

 

[gman4691]

Mine have gotten to the point that the sound of the tractor is enough. If I need to round them up for working, I'll feed them in the cattle pen every other day for a week before the day we work them. With the crazy ones gone, they seem to fall for it quite readily.

They still won't let a person get within arm's reach (as mentioned previously, they're not pets)…but they know how food gets down there

 

[Bob Kinford]

Calling cows to feed, or using feed to gentle cattle is a poor substitute for good stockmanship. Having cattle that eat out of your hand makes for cool pictures, but in reality you have created an animal with no respect for you. Improve your stockmanship and it makes things flow smoother and actually adds money to your bottom line that you don't realize you're currently throwing away.

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[Travlr]

Calling cows to feed, or using feed to gentle cattle is a poor substitute for good stockmanship. Having cattle that eat out of your hand makes for cool pictures, but in reality you have created an animal with no respect for you. Improve your stockmanship and it makes things flow smoother and actually adds money to your bottom line that you don't realize you're currently throwing away.

Home

Regenerate pastures utilizing natural herd and migratory instincts of cattle.rather than fences and daily moves. Grazing schools and consulting available to help manage infrastructure costs and development. Work smarter, not harder!

migratorygrazing.com

While I agree there are cases of going too far with making animals pets, I disagree with the idea that training cattle to come or follow rather than having to chase or herd them is a "poor substitute for good stockmanship"... or that chasing cattle instead of calling them is somehow more effective in supporting a good bottom line.

There are uses for all kinds of methods to handle cattle. If you've never tried it, don't knock it.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I clap my hands and yell "come on cows." They also respond to "Ay-Yo." Sometimes a combination of the two is what it takes. Just depends on how content they are at that given time.

If they hear a chain hit the gate at the corral, they know to come running for a treat.

If they hear a fence reel clicking, they get very excited.

 

[SmokinM]

Calling cows to feed, or using feed to gentle cattle is a poor substitute for good stockmanship. Having cattle that eat out of your hand makes for cool pictures, but in reality you have created an animal with no respect for you. Improve your stockmanship and it makes things flow smoother and actually adds money to your bottom line that you don't realize you're currently throwing away.

Home

Regenerate pastures utilizing natural herd and migratory instincts of cattle.rather than fences and daily moves. Grazing schools and consulting available to help manage infrastructure costs and development. Work smarter, not harder!

migratorygrazing.com

I can pen 30 pairs from anywhere on my place in less than 20 min. (5 if they are close to the barn) by myself. No running, no chasing and zero stress on my cattle. If they are out side of my fence same deal, I holler they come to me with no stress or hesitation. In the pen I move among them calmly and they move away from me calmly. They respect me and my space but come when I call. I would call that pretty good stockmanship.

 

[Ky hills]

Calling cows to feed, or using feed to gentle cattle is a poor substitute for good stockmanship. Having cattle that eat out of your hand makes for cool pictures, but in reality you have created an animal with no respect for you. Improve your stockmanship and it makes things flow smoother and actually adds money to your bottom line that you don't realize you're currently throwing away.

Home

Regenerate pastures utilizing natural herd and migratory instincts of cattle.rather than fences and daily moves. Grazing schools and consulting available to help manage infrastructure costs and development. Work smarter, not harder!

migratorygrazing.com

Have to disagree that assessment.
Our cattle are not pets, only rarely is there one that will stand to be petted.
They have a very close flight zone, most stay about arms length away.
We feed a little grain mix to our cattle daily during the winter and only rarely during the the summer months.
It's my wife and I only working with them and sometimes just me. It's worth a lot to have cattle that will come when you call them, and then be used to us enough to be calm and not go wild when trying to sort, work, move or load them.
It's pretty good management in my book when they come up to eat it gives a good chance to observe them close and pick up on any health issues on short order. If an animal doesn't come then we know we need to check on them.
Sure it takes some feed but for me it's worth it.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Calling cows to feed, or using feed to gentle cattle is a poor substitute for good stockmanship. Having cattle that eat out of your hand makes for cool pictures, but in reality you have created an animal with no respect for you. Improve your stockmanship and it makes things flow smoother and actually adds money to your bottom line that you don't realize you're currently throwing away.

Home

Regenerate pastures utilizing natural herd and migratory instincts of cattle.rather than fences and daily moves. Grazing schools and consulting available to help manage infrastructure costs and development. Work smarter, not harder!

migratorygrazing.com

I've sorted thousands of cattle in sale barns. I can step in to any feed lot or yard and sort cattle that have never seen me before.
Good stockmen ship requires good common sense. If I can call the cows to come to me when I need to do something with them. It is far less stressful for them and me than it is to play cowboy on a four wheeler.
While I'll agree that you can get them to quiet. ( I hate twisting tails and carrying cows down an alley)
Calm cattle just work better.

 

[Dave]

Mostly I call cows you #@*&!^%. If they are being good I don't call them anything.

Last Saturday B and I were working some cows. One of these fine eastern Oregon range cows turned back on him. From where I was I could see she missed him with her head but as she went by him her shoulder and them her belly rolled him vertically along the lodge pole corral. I asked if he was OK. He replied that he was fine but some adult language had been used.

 

[suzorse]

I have always called mine up by name , and can call up just 1 if I need to , all have been stanchion broke for vet work , I also load with a little grain works good when you are working cows alone
Suzanne

 

[Stonewall Joe]

I don't think any technique that causes your cattle to come up easily and quietly so you can work them is bad stockmanship. I understand about not turning them into pets, none of ours are but if for some reason I need to move the cattle here I can get them all to come to a call and go damn near anywhere I want them to go and it all started by influencing them with feed and for the biggest part they understand that a little feed will be at the end of their journey wherever that might be

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Every cow I've raised in my herd KNOWS what grain is because they were fed grain from weaning (Sept) to breeding/turn out on grass with cows (April). From that point on, they are cows and never get grain...grass and hay. Exception are a few head we show each year. My cows are rotational grazed, so they come when I call, knowing they are getting fresh grass....not grain.
In your case, you use cowsense/stockmanship on the back if a horse. Same difference....just good cow sense.

 

[Bob Kinford]

While I agree there are cases of going too far with making animals pets, I disagree with the idea that training cattle to come or follow rather than having to chase or herd them is a "poor substitute for good stockmanship"... or that chasing cattle instead of calling them is somehow more effective in supporting a good bottom line.

There are uses for all kinds of methods to handle cattle. If you've never tried it, don't knock it.

As a bit of background, I'm 69 years old and started helping with livestock at the age of 5. Other than two years in the USAF, the majority of my life has been spent looking at cattle from between the ears of a horse, in every climate/ geographical area (other than swamp) and under more kinds of management systems than most people have heard about (not to mention working cattle in herds of over 2,000 head.) Last feedlot I worked in was 98,000 head capacity. During the fall rush it wasn't uncommon for me to pull 3,000+ sick calves a month, pulse sort back 9,000 head from the sick pen back to their home pens. I can't say I've been exposed to every stockmanship method under the sun, but I've had exposure to more methods, with more breeds and individuals, in more environments the average person in the business. My methods were approved of by Bud Williams, and Temple Grandin mentioned my work in her book on livestock care.

In addition, I'm referred to by people in the regenerative grazing world such as Allan Savory's son Rodger, Alejandro Carrillos, and Fernando Falomir (Understanding Ag's grazing specialist.)

In essence, when I make a comment or give a suggestion it is from an experience base far beyond the average person in the business.