jail break

[Lazy M]

Finally captured and weaned all our spring calves. Our feeding lot is broken up into three joining paddocks: the barn lot (very secure 5 board fence), a middle lot (woven wire fencing), and a pasture lot (6-7 acres with 3 strands of hot wire). I usually wean calves in the barn lot for a week, work them, run them out into the middle lot, and then after another week open up the pasture lot. I had all the calves except 4 heifers caught and released all the way into the pasture area. I finally caught the 4 stupid heifers on Sunday evening and had them in the barn. This evening I went to feed and found that the heifers had run through the board fence, destroyed the gate into the pasture lot and ripped down the electric wire. Now all the calves (70 total) are all scattered back out on the farm.... Now I'm back to square one.

 

[Kingfisher]

Looks like an opportunity for an upgrade. .

 

[Lazy M]

Upgrade to what, concrete? They escaped board fence, woven wire, and hot wire

 

[kenny thomas]

I have used all the above and changed to heavy wire panels. They are like cattle panels but real heavy. Cost over $50 each. I wean calves every week in there and have never had one escape. It is 5ft high with a heavy barb wire on top. The post are 9ft with 3 ft concreted in the ground.

 

[Lazy M]

This is the first major break out that I've had since I installed the board fence. I may look into lining the inside of the board fence with the wire panels.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

This is the first major break out that I've had since I installed the board fence. I may look into lining the inside of the board fence with the wire panels.

That'll work.

 

[greybeard]

Sooner or later, everyone with just boards runs into this type problem. Only time I have personally seen that not to be the case was a too-small pen my father built using 3" X10" creosoted beams instead of boards, but even that pen deteriorated after 30 years and just became too much to keep repairing. I went with portable tube type panels, and will be adding wire mesh to the inside of those as time permits.

 

[Jake]

We have gone to using all continuous fence for stuff that needs to be tight and continuous fence for the low pressure stuff.

 

[Jogeephus]

Seems to me, if you had the in the barn where they couldn't see their mommas this would make things worse. I wean with a five strand fence with the cows on the other side. They can still nurse a little if they are set on it but very few ever bust out. Seems to me it helps them to be able to see their momma and it seems their mothers begin to like the freedom and end up weaning them completely by just ignoring them after a few days.

 

[Kingfisher]

Seems to me, if you had the in the barn where they couldn't see their mommas this would make things worse. I wean with a five strand fence with the cows on the other side. They can still nurse a little if they are set on it but very few ever bust out. Seems to me it helps them to be able to see their momma and it seems their mothers begin to like the freedom and end up weaning them completely by just ignoring them after a few days.

. Like I said....an opportunity for an upgrade.

 

[Lazy M]

They were actually in the barn lot and a board fence separated them from mama. It is kind of weird that they didn't bust through to mama directly but first went through the other calves then went out to mama. I'm wondering if something spooked them.
Anyhow, my luck has changed! I took off work early, repaired the fence, and called in the herd. I was able to sort back off all the calves.
It's really makes it easier when the calves get the taste for feed.

 

[kerley]

Finally captured and weaned all our spring calves. Our feeding lot is broken up into three joining paddocks: the barn lot (very secure 5 board fence), a middle lot (woven wire fencing), and a pasture lot (6-7 acres with 3 strands of hot wire). I usually wean calves in the barn lot for a week, work them, run them out into the middle lot, and then after another week open up the pasture lot. I had all the calves except 4 heifers caught and released all the way into the pasture area. I finally caught the 4 stupid heifers on Sunday evening and had them in the barn. This evening I went to feed and found that the heifers had run through the board fence, destroyed the gate into the pasture lot and ripped down the electric wire. Now all the calves (70 total) are all scattered back out on the farm.... Now I'm back to square one.

So the stupid ones nursed and like grain, sounds like your calves are not so stupid.

 

[Kingfisher]

They were actually in the barn lot and a board fence separated them from mama. It is kind of weird that they didn't bust through to mama directly but first went through the other calves then went out to mama. I'm wondering if something spooked them.
Anyhow, my luck has changed! I took off work early, repaired the fence, and called in the herd. I was able to sort back off all the calves.
It's really makes it easier when the calves get the taste for feed.

I'm glad you got it straightened out. 70 calves is a big nursery for sure!

 

[Jogeephus]

Does sound like something put the spook to them. I don't know of very many fences that can hold cattle that truly want to get out and am actually amazed at how little it takes to hold them ..... most of the time anyway.

 

[Lazy M]

Finally captured and weaned all our spring calves. Our feeding lot is broken up into three joining paddocks: the barn lot (very secure 5 board fence), a middle lot (woven wire fencing), and a pasture lot (6-7 acres with 3 strands of hot wire). I usually wean calves in the barn lot for a week, work them, run them out into the middle lot, and then after another week open up the pasture lot. I had all the calves except 4 heifers caught and released all the way into the pasture area. I finally caught the 4 stupid heifers on Sunday evening and had them in the barn. This evening I went to feed and found that the heifers had run through the board fence, destroyed the gate into the pasture lot and ripped down the electric wire. Now all the calves (70 total) are all scattered back out on the farm.... Now I'm back to square one.

So the stupid ones nursed and like grain, sounds like your calves are not so stupid.

Good point. I've often thought that the ones that we consider wild and difficult actually just have above average intelligence. The dumber that they are the easier they are to manage