Leaving the cows to watch the farm.

[highgrit]

I'm planning on leaving the cows to fend for themselves, for about 2 months. It will be during the summer and I will have someone checking on the place. But no one will really be checking the cows. I have plenty of pasture and ponds, so food and water isn't a problem. I'm going to put out 400 lbs of mineral and hope for the best. I'm just wondering what kind of things I can do to make it easier on the cattle? And other tips to maybe avoid any major problems? I do have a few good neighbor's and friends but I'm not expecting them to worry about my cattle. Thanks Vince

 

[Hook]

People out west do it all the time. Just have someone on standby to catch any strays or fix any fence needed if they break out or a tree falls on the fence. Otherwise they've been surviving since the beginning of time without too much interference

 

[M5farm]

The only thing I would really be concerned with would be fencing And them getting out and it not be found for a few days. As long as they arent calving they should be fine.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I wouldn't trust my girls "to watch the farm." There are a couple of party girls in the bunch that are noted for drinking from the spiked trough and luring in stray bulls. Sometimes late at night I can hear them singing and dancing. I think there is some strange sxx going on out there, I tell ya. :cowboy:

 

[B&M Farms]

You will get a lot of there is no way I would do that but if your fences are in good shape I wouldn't worry about doing any more than you suggested in the spring/summer. I work away from home for up to a month at a time and my cows don't see anyone but my wife once in a while when we are not feeding hay. She has had to put them back in a couple times but mine are easy and no major roads.

 

[M5farm]

Bcg these are southern girls not like those wild west coast girls.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Bcg these are southern girls not like those wild west coast girls.

:lol: Yes, well you know the song about "California Girls"! :lol:

 

[Deepsouth]

Bcg these are southern girls not like those wild west coast girls.

:banana:

 

[jedstivers]

The only thing I would really be concerned with would be fencing And them getting out and it not be found for a few days. As long as they arent calving they should be fine.

You don't have to worry about that. As soon as they get out they will go to someone's house to report about the hole in the fence.

No if you were posting this on ranchers.net they would say "well what's the big deal". Over here you're going to get " well whose going to look and them twice a day and make sure they remember to chew their cud".
Lot of difference in east and west of the Mississippi.

 

[Kingfisher]

I think what your asking us " can I trust my cows..." I would have a little "come to Jesus" meeting a few days before I left em for 60 days...

 

[Williamsv]

I would have to find a responsible person to check on mine every day or two or I would worry about them. That is why I am tied down at home now and cannot travel since I retired. I know mine would get into something if I left them.

 

[highgrit]

My wife is the one that is worried, some are her pets. I've been around cows that only got worked twice a year. They would get checked on from the air a time or two every week. I'm going to check and clean fence lines, that's my weakness. We've never had any cows get out yet. I've always been told, keep a cow, fed, bred and watered and you can't run them off.
Mrs. Williamsv, my wife feels the same as you. But I have places to go, and people to annoy.

 

[jedstivers]

My wife is the one that is worried, some are her pets. I've been around cows that only got worked twice a year. They would get checked on from the air a time or two every week. I'm going to check and clean fence lines, that's my weakness. We've never had any cows get out yet. I've always been told, keep a cow, fed, bred and watered and you can't run them off.
Mrs. Williamsv, my wife feels the same as you. But I have places to go, and people to annoy.

I thought that saying was wives, my mistake.

 

[highgrit]

I've seen some pretty heifers, and some pretty ugly heifers. To much feed isn't pretty sometimes.

 

[jedstivers]

I've seen some pretty heifers, and some pretty ugly heifers. To much feed isn't pretty sometimes.

There's a reason you can't run some of them off.

 

[highgrit]

A pretty heifer doesn't come cheap either.

 

[Supa Dexta]

A lot of guys just use it as an excuse to not leave the farm - cause they just plain don't want to.

There's a big world out there though, and you only get one shot to see some of it. It's even nice to get around and see some other farms and country you hear about but have never seen. 2 months is a long while, but a week could be a nice time to get away and take the wife. Even if it is farm related she'd still likely appreciate getting away for a bit.

 

[Rafter S]

You said you're putting out 400 lbs. of mineral, but you didn't say anything about salt. Maybe your mineral has salt in it, but if not, don't forget that.

 

[cow pollinater]

They don't need you looking at them anywhere near as much as you feel the need to look at them. ;-) Go enjoy life and let the chips fall where they may. Bulls will tear up fence and travel but with quiet cows that know where home is you'd be surprised how long you can go with fence being completely destroyed without them travelling.

 

[Bigfoot]

I travel some for work, I'll be gone sometimes as many as 5 days at a time. I will end up being gone 5 or 6 times a year. I will also be gone 15 weekends a year for rodeos, or more. All in all, I'll be gone two months, just not all at once. I have plenty of train wrecks while I'm gone. I can't imagine how discombobulated everything would get, if I did it all in one stretch. What your talking about will work, because lots of people do it. I'm just saying there will be some cost associated with it.