SmokinM said:
Just getting the farm set up to rotate some pastures and in moving the cattle the calves are proving an issue. Always one or two of the youngsters that don't make it thru the gate or are hiding in the woods. They are like herding cats so that doesn't work. The fencing I have and the way the farm lays just letting them sneak thru the fence on their own doesn't work well or isn't an option depending on the rotation. Always try moving them when they are up feeding and in a group close as posssible to the gate. Anybody got any other ideas for these little buggers. Not an issue once they get some size on them but these couple week old ones will make a preacher cuss. Gonna have to brush up on my roping and get a faster horse at this rate.
Are you horseback trying to push them from pasture to pasture or do you lead them with feed?
We have a lot of brush and decent size pastures. I really try not to move cattle when they are calving daily. Our cattle will hide calves for weeks some times.
We feed a lot of cubes (cake). I can go thru the pasture and honk, holler, what every and they will trail in behind me. I like to ball them up close to the gate of the pasture we are about to go in to and get a good count on every thing. I do not like to move them in pieces. Once I see I got them I'll open the gate. Usually it doesnt take long for cows to get with that program. Some times I dont have to even use feed. Just the thought of that new grass on the other side and they will go.
If I am unsure that I got them all I will definitely leave the gates open between the two pasture.
I usually always go back for the next couple days to check unless I'm just 100% sure I got them all.
Your gates definitely have to be able to flip in to where you want the cattle to go. If they have to flip in to the cattle tie them up tight against the fence so no calves can get in behind them.
Usually balling them up and letting them all go in one shot prevents a lot of the hang ups.
I'll even cube right on the other side of the gate where they can see me so they are balling at the gate wanting in. The usually hit the cubes and go to town. The stragglers can see them right there and go to them.