How do you catch them all?

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YoungAngusCattle said:
More than 1 pen helps. I think to have 3 pens would be optimal. 1 catch pen and 2 holding pens. If I catch a cow without her calf I just leave her there overnight and by the morning the calf is waiting to get in the pen.

Your right about that. Being able to close off one section with what you have and giving the others time to work in to them can be very helpful... especially with calves.

Some cattle just need you to back up and let them figure it out.
 
I made a new little 2 acre trap when I fenced in a new pecan orchard. I have two different gates that can get into the trap, so if they get tired of being fooled with and don't want to follow me through one I can switch to the other and it's new enough they come right in.

I also built a little alley with a bend coming from one the gates that will send them along the corrals and then either send them into a smaller trap in front of my barn or directly into the pens. The whole alley is made with portable panels so it is easy enough to reconfigure depending on how many and where I'm sending the group.

When I first started running the ranch it was almost impossible to get all the cows into the smaller trap in front of the barn, and that was the only way to get them into the corrals. I haven't had any problems in the year since I made my new setup.

I also ran a new water line to a 100 gallon drinker in the 2 acre trap so I have an extra holding area. Sometimes I will call the herd in and lock them in overnight with some hay and cubes so they get accustomed to it also.
 
Years ago, back when husband kept roping heifers for the herd, they had horrible trouble getting the cows up and once up, keeping them in. This is what I walked into in my younger days. It had been going on for a very long time and one I remember was named Princess, she was a brahma cross with quite the attitude. Over the years, nobody got time for that and I insisted on getting rid of the trouble makers. I'm guessing its been over 30 years since we've had anything that didn't come up. And, keeping show heifers in the herds made it even faster getting them up. Some of our pastures to corrals, if not timed right, are numerous gates and 2 miles of herding and if you have one cow that darts off its a total mess... Its not rocket science.. get rid of the trouble makers.....
 

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