Introducing new cows

[kid]

I have (2) 2 year old highland heifers that I've had for about 1 1/2 years now and they have been the only animal in our pasture. I want to get another one or two. My question is, my pasture is just 8 acres, all in one fenced in area...Im scared to death if I bring something strange into the pasture the heifers I have now will KILL the new ones. How can I safely do this. I am also thinking about borrowing a bull to breed mine, but Im scared they will Kill him too.
In case you cant tell, I am new to all of this. Any advice would be great.

 

[angie1]

We have a pole shed with a pen in it. The pen has a gate that opens to the pasture. The cattle have access in or out. Anyhow, if we bring something home, it stays in that pens for about 3 days. Then it can see the other cattle, get to know them through the gate, it can see the pasture, gives it plenty of time to calm down from transport. It has always worked very well. You leave them in there much longer than 3 days and they are going to act a little stupid when they get out. I would advise against just releasing into the pasture. You are right to be concerned about that. Do you have any type of corral?

 

[K2011]

We too put the new animal in the pen for about 4 days so the other cows can "get to know them" but Angie has it spot on.....

 

[bncsimps]

We unload new stock directly into to the pasture with existing herd; we haven't experienced any problems doing so thus far.

 

[angie1]

I do not worry about new animals getting hurt by established herd, I worry about them being all het up with the move and new environment and going through fences. Is that much more difficult to round up an animal when no place is home to them.

 

[milkmaid]

Introducing new cows to a herd is not like introducing a new baboon to a group of primates in a zoo. It really isn't that big a deal to put strange cows together. Sure, they'll run around the pasture and butt heads, but they're not going to kill each other.

I do not worry about new animals getting hurt by established herd, I worry about them being all het up with the move and new environment and going through fences. Is that much more difficult to round up an animal when no place is home to them.

Very good point.

 

[kid]

I dont have a corral. I do have tons of extra wire and some posts that I thought about sectioning off an area, but I wasnt sure how good of an idea that would be.

Thank you all very much for your advice.

 

[TheBullLady]

They won't "kill" a new one.. they'll have to acheive a pecking order, as all herd animals do, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes initially to establish that.

I'm surprised you don't have a corral... what do you do when you need to work your heifers?

It may be easier to get someone to AI your cows. For just a few head, that's probably more cost effective.

 

[angie1]

I dont have a corral. I do have tons of extra wire and some posts that I thought about sectioning off an area, but I wasnt sure how good of an idea that would be.

Make your fenced in area. It does not need to be so big, they will only be there a short time. Give them food and water in it. Free choice hay and water. Don't mix the other cattle in there with them, you do not need them pushing and shoving on each other in this type of set up. I am thinking (hoping) your fencing will be hot. Either way, use at least 3 strands for this new area. After a few days (at most) open the pen, and allow them out with the others.

If you bring a bull into this type of set up, he may very well walk right through it. Hopefully he will go no further than his motivation ~ your heifers.

I would suggest that you attempt to make this fenced off area a permanent area. You can leave it open when you don't need someone seperated, and the cattle can go in and out as they choose. Then you can also lock them in there for say medical reasons or calving reasons. We have an area like this in our pasture, and we put a heifer that calfed twins into it for a few days. She was familiar with it and she could see the others yet so it was not an anxious situation for her. I have had a steer in there who hurt his leg, and he needed restricted excercise. I use it for several things. Build it right and it will be a good thing to have.

good luck ~

 

[kid]

Let me back up a second, yes I do have working facilities and there is a pen inside the barn to run them into when needed, but the highlands aren't given access to the barn (unless it would be absolutely needed).
There is the barn and a pasture, then that pasture opens to a path that goes under the road, through a creek, and opens up in another pasture. This pasture (fartherest away from the barn) is used for the highlands and is for the most part not visible to the pasture on the other side of the road. So when I said I didnt have a corral, I mean there is nothing in this pasture. When needed, I can run them over to the barn, into the pen...but as I've been told to, we keep the highlands out of the barn or any type of confinment. There is a 3 sided shed I put up to block the wind in the dead of winter but thats it...and this past winter, the only time they went near it seemed to be just out of curiosity.
So to put a new cow in that pen, wouldnt do anything for them as far as being able to see each other.

 

[K2011]

If we only have one keeper heifer we pair her up with one of last year's keeper heifers.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

we have had one get a broken leg which is the same as killing it imo

 

[dun]

The way we do it kind of depends on the cow/bull we're introducing. If they don;t know about hot wire we put them in a smallish area that they have to walk around hotwire to get to water. After a copule of educational zaps they catch on real fast. If they're familiar with hot wire, we just pull the trailer in and turn it so that when they come off the trailer the first thing they see are cows. Unless it's a nut case, they'll just amble, somtimes run, over to the other cows and start figuring out where they belong in the order of things.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

My broken leg incident involved a rear leg