LOST A CALF!!

[piedmontese]

Today my son and i went out to check and tag a day old calf.when he or she seen us it jumped up and bolted,running about 3-400 yds and right through a 5 wire tight fence.well no big deal i thought, its just in another pasture of ours but ut kept right on going and right through another fence and into a public hunting area that is heavily wooded and overgrown.4 of us searched for 4 hrs but never could find it,or any sign of it.it started to lightning so we called off the search and went home.i guess we'll go back n the morning and hopefully it will be near the fenceline by its mother.

 

[Isomade]

He!!, I'd trade a day old calf for some of that lightening if it was accompanied with a couple inches of rain. Hope you find him with momma in the morning.

 

[Kingfisher]

Today my son and i went out to check and tag a day old calf.when he or she seen us it jumped up and bolted,running about 3-400 yds and right through a 5 wire tight fence.well no big deal i thought, its just in another pasture of ours but ut kept right on going and right through another fence and into a public hunting area that is heavily wooded and overgrown.4 of us searched for 4 hrs but never could find it,or any sign of it.it started to lightning so we called off the search and went home.i guess we'll go back n the morning and hopefully it will be near the fenceline by its mother.

Dang.......I hope you find it! You need some infared technology eh?

 

[Suzie Q]

Hopefully it comes back for you.

 

[piedmontese]

went out this morning and the baby was back with momma.didnt get too close though,actually observed it with binnoculars.i figure tagging can wait the little fella has been through enuff.the problem is its momma is 3/4 jersey and 1/4 angus and shes got a ton of milk so tomorrow i gotta get some xtra calves on her.last yr she weaned 10 calves for me and was still milking when i finally dried her up.i took the last 2 calves off her at the end of april and she was still milkin heavy but i wanted to giv her a rest b4 she calved again.

 

[Lucky_P]

pied,
I've come to the point that if I feel the need to do something with a new calf, it better be wet and not yet up on its feet, or I'm gonna wait until it's had 48 hours or so to bond with the dam. They're just stupid/crazy in that first 24-48 hrs; guess it's just 'flight' instinct taking over.
I've had 'em run a half-mile, pass right by the cow and bail off into a rain-swollen creek , or run a half-mile the other way, crossing 4 or 5 fences and a highway, if you so much as look at 'em cross-wise during that first day or so.

 

[cow pollinater]

Whenever I have a baby through the fence I kick the momma out to. I'd much rather look for a momma with a head on her shoulders who knows where home is than a scared kid who only knows how to run away.

 

[piedmontese]

Whenever I have a baby through the fence I kick the momma out to. I'd much rather look for a momma with a head on her shoulders who knows where home is than a scared kid who only knows how to run away.

i actually considered that but was worried i may lose her too.the public hunting area is big and very heavily wooded and overgrown.

 

[CKC1586]

Glad the little one is back! Hopefully his Mom gave him a good scolding!

 

[jcarkie]

been there done that and it is not fun.

 

[piedmontese]

checked them today and the calf is gone again.i searched the pasture but hes gone.i presume into the public hunting again but we didnt even search.both my boys got poison ivy and the dr visit and meds cost more than the calf is worth.hopefully its back tomorrow.i did get 3 new babies on the momma today.

 

[piedmontese]

calf was back with momma today.i guess it just goes back and forth between my pasture and the public hunting area.the fence is a 5 wire and n good shape.i have often thought that i wish i could graze my cows on the hunting because its got alot of grass.all they can do is eat through the fence.

 

[cow pollinater]

It's called creep feeding... Just hope that he outgrows it on a day when he's on your side of the fence.

 

[piedmontese]

thought i better giv a update.the calf now stays in and has calmed quite a bit.i was actually able to get close enought to see that its a bull.actually a really nice calf too.hes sired by a registered piedmontese bull and his momma is 3/4 jersey and 1/4 angus.hes jet black.also got 3 holstein calves on her.they all just run with her 24/7.

 

[IL cow man]

I've had that happen about five times this year trying to tag calves . They all have come back after i couldn't find them in the tallgrass. I believe it is natural for them to give flight and then come back to where momma left them. It sure does worry you. I've had to catch them before and haul them back when they have crossed roads. I have had one that I had to haul back on the 4whlr and it was a bull calf the problem was he peed on the seat I was sitting on and I had to change clothes. I use to have pickups with vinyl seats and floors and hauled them in the cab with me and they are not good passengers. The help you shift and like to pee in the truck. The worst one was the one that pooped its first poop (you Know that orangeish colored stuff) on the dash and then fell into and smeared it all over. I had a time getting it out of all the grooves in the dash. However, the dogs licked the toolbox I had on the floor spotlessly clean while I was cleaning up the interior. I should have used the dogs to clean the dash. It is amazing how a 4000 volt electric fence doesn't shock them half the time. I've got one right now I've caught twice in a week and tagged today that still is in the big hiding stage and won't move with it's momma and her momma is crazy. After I tagged it it ran off in the wrong direction, of course. It laid down in the next paddock so I left it as it is next to the cows. The momma, we call her the green tag cow as she still has the original tag from last year when she tried to redecorate the interior of the barn when I ran her thru. Thank god no one got hurt. She is going to town the minute I get her brought in with the other cows. She came in a group of bred heifers from Nebraska. I have a few more in that group that need to be relocated to the sale barn. I have found it is best not to chase the calves as they just keep going farther. Just watch and see where they lay down. They usually will lay down as soon as they can find something big enough to hide in.

 

[redcowsrule33]

The "don't chase and wait" approach has usually worked well for me, too, except for this year. We had a heifer calve and like a dummy we fed the cows (this was before grass) after tagging the calf instead of before. The heifer being inexperienced and hungry left the calf and went back to the wagon to eat, which normally would be fine but a bunch of the older calves started running around just for fun and spooked the new one. He ran full tilt until he hit the fence and bounced off then headed down towards the cows. I thought we were scott free until he ran past the cows and through the fence into the woods. Waited for him to lay down, which he did in a big snag, then snuck in to grab him as we have enough coyotes that a calf in the woods after dark doesn't last long (of course this all takes place just before dark). Calf sees me coming and takes off like a deer. Ended up tailing him by 100 yards through the 20 acre woods, then through the neighbor's fields until he hung up in a fencerow. He got himself loose just as I got there and took off again. This time he ran back towards the farm (he saw the bull penned up) and stuck his head through the woven wire fence. This time I got there before he found his reverse gear. We were both so exhausted I ended up laying on him until help arrived 10 minutes later. Penned him up in the barn with mom for the night, he's been fine ever since (I was afraid I ruined him into a spook but he was young enough to forget). Named him Bolt.

For some reason this year has been way harder than it should have been. This escapade was one of the easier problems.