sidney411
Well-known member
To start off with, I knew better then to do what I did, but I figured it would all be fine.....
I decided to move the heifers that have calved out of the calving pasture to move in some new ones I brought in from another pasture. I though well, I'll just drop them off in the oats, it'll be good for them to get a little extra protein before I turn them out w/ the big herd. (I always lock them in a small escape free area when they have brand new calves being moved, but this time I thought what the heck they'd be better off with oats to eat then hay.
I opened the trailer gate and one little devil calf took off - through the electric fence. No problem, I'll just make a circle around him and chase him back to momma. Yeah right! It's impossible to out run a 5 day old calf! He went through the only open gate before I could get to it to shut it and through a gap and the last I saw of him was going over a hill full speed in about a 150 acre CRP pasture w/ weeds waist high and thick thorn bushes. We searched on foot, 4 wheelers, and horse back for 6 hrs. Got totally scraped up, soaking wet, covered in mud, got both 4 wheelers stuck in the creek, almost bucked off the horse when we went into a thicket and spooked up some hogs, ended up getting lost in the dark, and never saw hide nor hair of that calf.
Decided to let the heifer (cow now) out since she was bellering and pacing the fence. Yesterday morning she was laying up next to the remaining heifers in the oats so I decided I would walk her back in with them. When she gets up out jumps that calf from the bush she was laying by! I couldn't believe it, the last I saw that calf he was 3 pastures (fences) away from our pasture. I though he was coyote bait for sure, these animals sure amaze me every day. The instincts of this cow, being she's only been a mother for 5 days, is just absolutely amazing.
I decided to move the heifers that have calved out of the calving pasture to move in some new ones I brought in from another pasture. I though well, I'll just drop them off in the oats, it'll be good for them to get a little extra protein before I turn them out w/ the big herd. (I always lock them in a small escape free area when they have brand new calves being moved, but this time I thought what the heck they'd be better off with oats to eat then hay.
I opened the trailer gate and one little devil calf took off - through the electric fence. No problem, I'll just make a circle around him and chase him back to momma. Yeah right! It's impossible to out run a 5 day old calf! He went through the only open gate before I could get to it to shut it and through a gap and the last I saw of him was going over a hill full speed in about a 150 acre CRP pasture w/ weeds waist high and thick thorn bushes. We searched on foot, 4 wheelers, and horse back for 6 hrs. Got totally scraped up, soaking wet, covered in mud, got both 4 wheelers stuck in the creek, almost bucked off the horse when we went into a thicket and spooked up some hogs, ended up getting lost in the dark, and never saw hide nor hair of that calf.
Decided to let the heifer (cow now) out since she was bellering and pacing the fence. Yesterday morning she was laying up next to the remaining heifers in the oats so I decided I would walk her back in with them. When she gets up out jumps that calf from the bush she was laying by! I couldn't believe it, the last I saw that calf he was 3 pastures (fences) away from our pasture. I though he was coyote bait for sure, these animals sure amaze me every day. The instincts of this cow, being she's only been a mother for 5 days, is just absolutely amazing.
