I didn't see the fencing board (rant)

[f4leggin]

Something about spring and fences that fail. I spent all day fixing barbed wire fencing and tonight I was out again fixing the stupidest cattle fencing around - white stretching stuff that my cattle just plow right thru.. I do have a line of electric on that one section, but it must not be working right. I have barbed wire everywhere except on the road - that's where the stretchy white wire is... After I got the call, I drove right up to the cow, yelled at her - she jumped back in - got out of my car and started throwing road trash at her just get her off the fence long enough to run up to the barn and get a hammer - got honked at - I guess someone must have thought I was just a crazy lady who stopped to throw sticks, empty cans, rocks at someone elses cow - ran up to the barn, by the time I was back down - she was out again. I just spent about an hour putting back all the staples in that they had popped out over time. After I finished - I backed off, hid, and watched her try to get out again as soon as I left. She tried but couldn't get out. I watched her until she decided to leave the fence and join the herd. Until I get another electric line on though - she will probably break the staples and continue to get out. Moral of the story is don't use the strechy white wire fencing with cattle, and spring definitely is testing my fences. The grass is truely better on the outside and they know it.

 

[Jogeephus]

To me, this is the hardest time of the year. Seems the cows are content with hay during the winter but once they get a taste of the true green stuff nothing else will do. I was tickled to death the other day when I found the cows/bulls had had a Cage Match inside my corral. Gates were torn off the hinges, 6x6 posts set in concrete were broken off at the ground. I just invented a few knew words and drove off. Always something.

 

[novatech]

Sometimes it does not make any difference. My neighbor has one cow that jumps the fence just because she can. She jumped over yesterday, trotted off, turned around and went right back. The grass was the same on both sides.

 

[grannysoo]

I've got one young lady that doesn't seem to respect any fence. If I can't get her trained very soon, she's going to make me a nice dinner....

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Yes sir, they will try your wits. The last one I had that jumped fences is now in cow heaven (or heII). There was not a fence around she wouldn't either go over or through, including the electric fences. I got a call from one of my neighbors telling me she was on the highway but by the time I got there she wasn't on the road, she was in my hay field. And when I drove down to the field she jumped back out and looked at me like "who, me?". Then she had the nerve to put her head down and try to make a run at me - darned fool.

Welcome to the cattle business.

 

[bandit80]

If I made $5/hr for each hour I have spent fixing fences or putting cattle in that have gotten out, I would be pretty well off. It's all part of it. Sooner or later, you will identify a problem cow or the ring leader. I just get rid of them. Some cows wouldn't think of going through or over a fence, while others try every foot of it just to see if they can.

 

[f4leggin]

Glad I'm not the only one. I have one cow (a different one) that was escaping 3-4 times a day until I fixed the barbed wire yesterday - she has a calf (who she always left behind) - if she didn't - she would have been gone weeks ago. The best was Monday afternoon when I looked over at my neighbors and thought - wow they have a cow (a black cow was standing outside their open barn thinking of going in) - and then thought no... stupid that's your dumb black escape artist. After fixing the fences yesterday, at least she stayed in. My fear is that she has gotten a taste of it, and will continue to break fences (or jump) to escape. Today will tell....
Jill

 

[backhoeboogie]

Jill, It seems to me that once one of them starts doing that, it is monkey see monkey do for the rest of them. I'd be parting ways with that cow real soon. You can end up spending all day fixing what she tore up all day.

 

[Arkieman]

Sometimes it does not make any difference. My neighbor has one cow that jumps the fence just because she can. She jumped over yesterday, trotted off, turned around and went right back. The grass was the same on both sides.

His name is not McFadden is it..... That's who I sold my "Jumper" to last week at the sale barn!!!

 

[bigbull338]

spring an winter are the times when cows love to tear up fences.i dont care if they are in a pasture belly deep in grass.theres no reason for emm to breakout.but they love breaking out an getting to grass on other side of the fence.its just a cow thang.

 

[arkcowman]

It doesn't matter how good my fencing is.... if there is even the smallest flaw anywhere in my fence where a cow might have the most remote chance of breaching... I have a cow that will find, exploit it and encourage the others to follow. Now before I fault my rogue cow for this action I must hold myself accountable for the quality (or lack thereof) of my fence.

 

[tup]

always sympathetic, i understand and yes, share your pain. an escape artist is never welcome and by my experience, i have learned the hard way that often offending cow or bull makes this activity just another part of thier daily rounds. i would never myself advise anyone to sell said cow or bull, perhaps someday if i make guru, lol but i do have a somewhat unorthidox cure. miss cow, later to be called miss lonley hearts was herd houdini. to prevent more escapes miss lonely was put into goat pasture fixed with five hot strand barb wire. after three months in the company of goats, with no end in sight, day after day of softly mooing across at her former herdmates, miss lonely hearts was returned to her herd and has kept a low profile ever since. we did just sent a bull away who had started to jump fence, wearing out his welcome, after breeding next door kin's cows. every situation being different, but miss lonely hearts is now a good cow and it worked for the best. it's all i got :cboy: