SRBeef
Well-known member
I did the monthly weigh in of my small herd yesterday. Since I usually am working them alone, I really hate chasing cattle.
They were nowhere to be seen when I went to the corral with a couple of 5 gal buckets of sweet feed. In my rotational grazing system the current paddock is right next to the corral. However they usually also have access, through a series of lanes, to the woods in the background in the photo below, at least up to a fenceline through the woods. The woods gives them a cool place to get out of the sun and also keeps the undergrowth down. in the part they have access to.
After banging on the feed bucket a few times and calling to them I hear this bellow coming out of the woods in the far left of the picture. Then I see one red and white cow in the distance then a line of them coming between resting paddocks, down the lane across the dam, turning at the waterer, under the fly rubs and heading into the corral. Here's a picture I took as they entered the corral.
I'm sure many of you have cattle that come when called. I like watching rodeos, I don't like hosting rodeos, and I hate chasing cattle! They always get their treat (once a week or so) in the feed bunks on the right side in the corral. I also leave the mineral lick tub in the corral (edge of it visible). Even the calves come by for a lick and get used to being in the corral.
I let the lead group see me pouring the last bucket of feed into the bunks inside the corral - so they know where it comes from - and pretty soon they are all in the corral. I have a smaller portable bunk in the left rear corner, behind the tub, that the calves use so they get used to a treat in the corral. While everyone is focused on the treat, I go around the left outside the corral and quietly close the lane gate. From there they go where I want them to go. Safely, with minimal fuss and stress for them and for me.
They have free access to the corral at all times and occasionally I just close the gate for no reason when I am mowing etc and leave them in there for an hour or so just so they learn not to go nuts when the gate closes. I then leave the tub, alley doors and chute open and a brighter cow soon finds that is another way out. In a couple minutes they follow the leader thru the tub, alley/scale, chute and open headgate back to grazing. So going thru is no big deal. Occasionally then I pause them to get a weight, and a couple times a year they get paused again in the headgate for a jab by the vet, sorted one way or the other or into the loading ramp.
I only had to use the tub sweep for a couple of them plus the calves yesterday. Calves have not quite learned the drill yet. Most just walk thru and onto the alley scale. They know this is a way out. They also get used to being handled this way. Got a lot of good weight data. I was really pleased at how the system I built a couple years ago is working. No yelling, hotshots or poking. In fact it goes smoother if you talk to them thru the process. They stay calmer. FWIW.
Jim
They were nowhere to be seen when I went to the corral with a couple of 5 gal buckets of sweet feed. In my rotational grazing system the current paddock is right next to the corral. However they usually also have access, through a series of lanes, to the woods in the background in the photo below, at least up to a fenceline through the woods. The woods gives them a cool place to get out of the sun and also keeps the undergrowth down. in the part they have access to.
After banging on the feed bucket a few times and calling to them I hear this bellow coming out of the woods in the far left of the picture. Then I see one red and white cow in the distance then a line of them coming between resting paddocks, down the lane across the dam, turning at the waterer, under the fly rubs and heading into the corral. Here's a picture I took as they entered the corral.
I'm sure many of you have cattle that come when called. I like watching rodeos, I don't like hosting rodeos, and I hate chasing cattle! They always get their treat (once a week or so) in the feed bunks on the right side in the corral. I also leave the mineral lick tub in the corral (edge of it visible). Even the calves come by for a lick and get used to being in the corral.
I let the lead group see me pouring the last bucket of feed into the bunks inside the corral - so they know where it comes from - and pretty soon they are all in the corral. I have a smaller portable bunk in the left rear corner, behind the tub, that the calves use so they get used to a treat in the corral. While everyone is focused on the treat, I go around the left outside the corral and quietly close the lane gate. From there they go where I want them to go. Safely, with minimal fuss and stress for them and for me.
They have free access to the corral at all times and occasionally I just close the gate for no reason when I am mowing etc and leave them in there for an hour or so just so they learn not to go nuts when the gate closes. I then leave the tub, alley doors and chute open and a brighter cow soon finds that is another way out. In a couple minutes they follow the leader thru the tub, alley/scale, chute and open headgate back to grazing. So going thru is no big deal. Occasionally then I pause them to get a weight, and a couple times a year they get paused again in the headgate for a jab by the vet, sorted one way or the other or into the loading ramp.
I only had to use the tub sweep for a couple of them plus the calves yesterday. Calves have not quite learned the drill yet. Most just walk thru and onto the alley scale. They know this is a way out. They also get used to being handled this way. Got a lot of good weight data. I was really pleased at how the system I built a couple years ago is working. No yelling, hotshots or poking. In fact it goes smoother if you talk to them thru the process. They stay calmer. FWIW.
Jim