Minding your own business

[Chevy]

I don't even understand how some people go out of there way to be nosey.
We sold some calves to our neighbor yesterday. Got them moved down the road to his son's place first thing they got out. Apparently the fences he had some guys to fix they failed to do correctly. My husband and the guy ran around until 2pm round up the calves. Between all the neighbors comes out excited all the commotion scaring them farther away. They managed to patch up the fence temporarily in the dark or so they thought. Today one had already got out was in the neighbors yard eating grass. Another neighbor took it upon his self to go chase it with a stick. Ran it way down the road somewhere hasn't been found yet. What was going through this man's head to think duh I'll go chase this cow with a stick? Was he bored or what. Good thing we sold them or my (butt) would be chasing that man with a stick asking how he liking it. I just don't get it.

 

[Brute 23]

That's why I never turn young animals straight out to pasture. They always go in pens or a trap or some where for a day or two to settle in.

... as for the stick guy... an eye for eye I say.

 

[4hfarms]

Nothing like a sharp stick in the eye to straighten them out...

 

[Lucky]

There's a crazy misconception out there that you are supposed to chase loose cattle around. Rarely works though

 

[Dave]

One of the nice things about living in a county of open range and one full of cowboys and cattlemen. No one gets excited about a loose cow of any size or description.

 

[Nesikep]

There's a crazy misconception out there that you are supposed to chase loose cattle around. Rarely works though

especially fun with a cop car and sirens!!

One of the nice things about living in a county of open range and one full of cowboys and cattlemen. No one gets excited about a loose cow of any size or description.

When mine get out, I know they ain't going far.. the only green grass there ever is is where my irrigation oversprays the fence (so about 20 ft)

a few years back my bull got out, got a call from my neighbor, I went and picked him up.. then I followed his tracks.. he bushwhacked some ROUGH country about a mile and a half north, found nothing interesting, got on the road and was on his way home when I got the call

 

[Nesikep]

 

[greybeard]

We sold some calves to our neighbor yesterday. Got them moved down the road to his son's place first thing they got out. Apparently the fences he had some guys to fix they failed to do correctly

Not necessarily the fault of the fence fixers.

I've seen calves, new to a place, get out of (or in thru) some pretty good fences.

Brute is right. Best to keep new stock and especially young ones penned up for a few days till they get settled in & used to idea of being in their new surroundings.

Unless you can run like a deer and corner on a dime, chasing cows or calves with or without a stick is a zero sum game.
There's a marked difference between chasing them and gently/quietly 'pushing' them along.

 

[Chevy]

Good points every one. There were put in a small area not just turned out in an open pasture.
So we figured out yesterday evening the man with the stick may have thought we were trying to steal this other man's cows behind him.

 

[herofan]

Good points every one. There were put in a small area not just turned out in an open pasture.
So we figured out yesterday evening the man with the stick may have thought we were trying to steal this other man's cows behind him.

I will have to say, however, that different places gave different cultures. One person here mentioned that in cowboy country, a cow out is no big deal.

Around my area, if you inform someone that their cows are out, their first impulse is to somehow figure out how it couldn't possibly be their cows that are out. It seems that it irritates some to be told their cows are out.

When I was a kid, there was a guy whose cows stayed out in the neighbor's on a regular basis one year. When informed, it's as though it angered him. He would take his sweet time addressing the situation, try to convince you it wasn't his, or sometimes ignore it completely, so everyone started running them off and stopped telling him. It eventually stopped, so maybe he got the picture and fixed his fence.

 

[Dave]

I have one of the neighbors cows that has been in with mine all winter. No one is excited about it.

 

[Nesikep]

I have one of the neighbors cows that has been in with mine all winter. No one is excited about it.

if she stays much longer that calf is gonna be yours!.. Oh, she was open

 

[Ky hills]

I will have to say, however, that different places gave different cultures. One person here mentioned that in cowboy country, a cow out is no big deal.

Around my area, if you inform someone that their cows are out, their first impulse is to somehow figure out how it couldn't possibly be their cows that are out. It seems that it irritates some to be told their cows are out.

When I was a kid, there was a guy whose cows stayed out in the neighbor's on a regular basis one year. When informed, it's as though it angered him. He would take his sweet time addressing the situation, try to convince you it wasn't his, or sometimes ignore it completely, so everyone started running them off and stopped telling him. It eventually stopped, so maybe he got the picture and fixed his fence.

I've noticed different responses here locally too. Some do seem to be offended to varying degrees when told there are cattle out. For the most part though folks are appreciative and especially so if you help them. My cynicism says that if they don't seem appreciative then they are likely used to having cattle out. For us we take it very seriously and try to keep fences maintained, and keep weaned and or newly purchased calves confined for at least a few days until they settle in. We have a pretty good distance of road frontage along a state highway, with the hills and curves here we unfortunately get lots of vehicles running off the roads and through fences do it's a constant concern.

 

[moses388]

I appreciate it when people call reporting escaped cattle. I have received a few false reports. Someone calls about an animal on the road. So I go check it out. No manure on the road. No tracks or sign of cattle having been there. Everybody is accounted for at feeding time. I don't know about some people.

 

[farmerjan]

We get calls all the time for cattle out. Often they were ours.... but then it got to where we were the first on the list and it was ours less and less often as we got pickier about the places we rent and started convincing owners to replace fence that had been there forever and ever.... When you are patching the patches, it is past time to replace fence. One of the problems with having agreements to repair fences as part of the lease.
But we b order the interstate one place so we try to maintain the fences there real well.... although it was written in the agreement when the owner sold the land to the state for the highway, that they had to maintain the fence....
It's getting more and more developed around here so cattle out are a problem... our county is still free range, so "fence out".... but many around here have changed so it is a matter of time....too much traffic and too fast driving....

 

[Dave]

if she stays much longer that calf is gonna be yours!.. Oh, she was open

No she is bred. She also has a brand on her so I know exactly who the owner is. The cows in my field are half mine and half belong to B. B is supplying the hay. The owner of this cow has fed enough of B's cows over the years that it all works out. When we gather them all up here in a few weeks to work the calves we will cut her off into a pen and the owner will come get her. Or I will toss her into my trailer and take her to his place.

 

[farmerjan]

We have done the same thing. If a cow winds up in the field, the next time they get brought in, the neighbors cow will get cut out and either they come get it or we drop it off.... We have pretty good neighbors to most of the places.... all the ones with cows know that sooner or later someone is going to wind up in someplace they are not supposed to be....If someone really wants to get their animal back we try to acommodate.... have had a few of ours over the years get over the fence and wind up getting bred back to their bull.... Got one right now that got over 2 years ago, and they said they would call when they get them in to work them, yet keep forgetting. One of mine, and I told son that he needs to just tell them to pay us and keep the cow.... they have kept the calf the last 2 years...and we no longer have pasture bordering them so no more will ever get in there.... not ideal, but..... they set up a catch pen so not like a good place to just quietly go in there and get her caught and moved out. Most everyone else will call you, to come get it when they are working the cattle, or get it in the trailer and say where do you want it....You don't get too bent out of shape if one of theirs gets in with yours because sooner or later, one of yours will get in with theirs.
We did have a problem with one guy with his bull.... mean dispositioned and he came across several times.... Hit our bull breeding a cow and wound up with a broken leg and we had to eat the loss because no one actually saw that happen... but even the vet said that was the most likely outcome.... he did get rid of the bull after that though because a few others got to complaining about him. Nice calves but he had a miserable attitude and disposition.