NEED IDEAS TO CAPTURE CALVES

[Ridgefarmer63]

Thanks folks for all the constructive comments. We will get them.

Bryant, go to hell. Move out of your parents basement and get a real job. (not trying to start a cyber fight, but that needed a response)

Sorry folks, couldn't help myself.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

As a side question, how old a calf can you lasso without him hurting himself, or you not being able to hold onto the rope? And I'm talking about around the neck. I've got one that I need to catch and he hasn't started creep feeding yet.

With-in our corral at the farm, I have roped up to 6 months old. You can hold them but it is an exercise to pull them somewhere. This is my experience and I am a 6 foot, 200 lb., fit , 55 year old "old" guy.

I have been going by the pasture with grain and feeding the mommas with in a temp. corral that we set up. The calves are ranging closer. We will get them soon. Going to bring the trailer into the field friday and leave it there for a little while with the temp corral off the back end of it. Will feed them there and i'm sure the little friggers will come in.

Biggest lesson learned is make sure they know you a little better prior to setting them out on an "away from the farm" pasture. Flipping the cattle panels over (to keep them from going under) and isolating from momma for a while are great ideas. Chasing with four wheeler =not.

 

[BRYANT]

Thanks folks for all the constructive comments. We will get them.

Bryant, go to be nice. Move out of your parents basement and get a real job. (not trying to start a cyber fight, but that needed a response)

Sorry folks, couldn't help myself.

don't worry I don't live in the parents basement mater of fact we own several properties free and clear. Childish remarks never have bothered me and they never will.

back to the question I gave you some good advice
build a corral to pen them in , feed them in it and fix a loading gate and DONT RUN THEM TO EXHUSTION. But you don't want good advice instead you was mad wanting to vent.

as you said ''any ideas welcome'' as long as it is something that does not hurt or go against your idea. You will find there is people on this site that will tell you what you want to hear and others that will tell you the truth regardless even if its not something you want to hear. You will not find very many people that own very many cattle or have worked very many cows that will tell you the way to work cows is to run them till they can't run any more then grab/lasso them. I am 54 yrs. old and my family raised cattle ,Brahman cross, for many years before my time and NEVER was I taught that way to handle cattle but MAYBE you have a great way to work them. Please take some video and pictures as I would sure like to see how it works. My way I can take a feed sack and lead these ol Brahman cross cattle for a long ways or take my saddle mule and pen them but you start running them with a four wheeler they will scatter over the next two counties.

Good luck, hope it all works out good for you.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Thanks folks for all the constructive comments. We will get them.

Bryant, go to be nice. Move out of your parents basement and get a real job. (not trying to start a cyber fight, but that needed a response)

Sorry folks, couldn't help myself.

don't worry I don't live in the parents basement mater of fact we own several properties free and clear. Childish remarks never have bothered me and they never will.

back to the question I gave you some good advice
build a corral to pen them in , feed them in it and fix a loading gate and DONT RUN THEM TO EXHUSTION. But you don't want good advice instead you was mad wanting to vent.

as you said ''any ideas welcome'' as long as it is something that does not hurt or go against your idea. You will find there is people on this site that will tell you what you want to hear and others that will tell you the truth regardless even if its not something you want to hear. You will not find very many people that own very many cattle or have worked very many cows that will tell you the way to work cows is to run them till they can't run any more then grab/lasso them. I am 54 yrs. old and my family raised cattle ,Brahman cross, for many years before my time and NEVER was I taught that way to handle cattle but MAYBE you have a great way to work them. Please take some video and pictures as I would sure like to see how it works. My way I can take a feed sack and lead these ol Brahman cross cattle for a long ways or take my saddle mule and pen them but you start running them with a four wheeler they will scatter over the next two counties.

Good luck, hope it all works out good for you.

Boy, you are one of those ready, shoot, aim guys aren't you? Re-read the original post. There were two ideas. #1) Chase with four wheeler til you can just grab them (idea given to me by another farmer who had done it that way once) OR 2) put the trailer in the pasture with a panel corral around it.

A little back ground. We have been raising cattle close to 20 years. It was my mistake to set them out in a pasture off the farm so early especially after the high energy loading at our farm.

When I tried to get them out the other day, I DID have a panel corral set up, but they won't go near it.

I was stressed a little the other day so thought I would present it to the forum to get some different perspectives. I got that from some great folks. As one poster said, "be patient" ... I know that but sometimes in the rat race of life we don't practice it.

I am one of those dreaded hobby farmers. One man operation. I work fulltime 40 hours a week off the farm, have 25 head that we rotate on our pastures and remote pastures and make all our own hay from our hayfields and other local hayfields. So we're just sittin' round doin' nothin' most the time..

Thank you for your input and well wishes. Leaving work now to go feed them. We will get them out this weekend.

 

[BRYANT]

As one poster said, "be patient" ... I know that but sometimes in the rat race of life we don't practice it

man that is for ever more the truth and these ol cows will try your patients for sure!!!!
I was checking some cows a couple days ago its so muddy I could not drive in so we had rode the mules in and I found a calf that nothing seem to claim. went back to day rode in in close to 100 deg. with high humid we were wet the mules were wet, find calf still was not looking good found a Brahman cross cow we think it belong to put her in shoot and wouldn't you know she lays down on us . I started to get a hot shot and light her up but the man with me said its so hot lets let her out and watch her, his patients paid off a hour later calf was sucking

good luck hope you catch them

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

As one poster said, "be patient" ... I know that but sometimes in the rat race of life we don't practice it

man that is for ever more the truth and these ol cows will try your patients for sure!!!!
I was checking some cows a couple days ago its so muddy I could not drive in so we had rode the mules in and I found a calf that nothing seem to claim. went back to day rode in in close to 100 deg. with high humid we were wet the mules were wet, find calf still was not looking good found a Brahman cross cow we think it belong to put her in shoot and wouldn't you know she lays down on us . I started to get a hot shot and light her up but the man with me said its so hot lets let her out and watch her, his patients paid off a hour later calf was sucking

good luck hope you catch them

Wow, that sounds like quite a day ! Went by tonight. Calves walked right in with their mommas as soon as I stepped outside the fence. Ha ha. We'll get em.
Thanks for the response and take care.

 

[farmerjan]

Glad the calves walked in for you. Now, since you did not immediately slam a gate and make a fuss, they will go in more readily the next time. Yes it takes a little patience. I do a much better job of getting cows/calves in than my son because I don't get impatient and get loud like he does. He will admit it too sometimes. Sometimes I just tell him to get lost, or that I will get them in and then call him after the fact and say they are in, you can come get them. I also do some "creep feeding". Not where the creep feeder has feed all the time, but have a "creep gate" the calves can fit through, and feed a little grain in the feeders. They start to come in regularly when they see me coming as they know they are gonna get a treat. Makes for calmer quieter calves to work around. Makes it so much easier when I want to work them for anything.

One thing, follow a routine and then they will accept what you are doing because it follows a pattern they are used to. Feed at the same general time, morning or evening, and if only one person does it normally, then do it that way until the gates are closed. Our cows will notice if there is anything different, like 2 people, or if we take the trailer, or even just a different truck. I try to drive both my truck and my car on different days so they don't think anything of it. My son often takes the truck with the "hydrabed" as they associate it with being fed; even in the summer, they hear it and come to see what he has for them.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

We all know the frustration , but be calm, always . I think there is mention somewhere in the archives about us men , and how our tempers seem to ruin things . If all else fails , dart em.

It is harder than hades to get the medication for darting them these days.

How long does it for one to drop after they have been shot?

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

UPDATE: Went by yesterday morning, set up trailer in pasture with a corral off the back. Threw some hay and grain, went to work.

Came by after work , threw some more grain, hung out with them for a while eventually both calves came in. One calf was definetly more jumpy than the other. Slowly shut corral gate all the while talking in soothing voice. Then I got in corral. All five of us did a few graceful dance moves and then they all went in trailer. All cattle finally back home.

I think the biggest thing is patience, which we ALL know.

On our farm, I walk with our herd every night. I call them and they follow me, very rarly do I have to push them. Usually just to get them in trailer they need a little nudge.

I don't think I would hesitate to put these two cow calf pairs in another remote pasture. We all know you can't be in a hurry, but sometimes we are. Cows will cure that character flaw for you.

Thanks for all the ideas and encouragement folks !

 

[KMURBAN]

Glad to see you got em all... :banana:

 

[farmerjan]

Congrats on getting them all. I know you feel better that they are away from the main roadway.

NAH, none of us ever get in a hurry...... :hide: :hide: :roll: :roll:

 

[JMJ Farms]

We all know the frustration , but be calm, always . I think there is mention somewhere in the archives about us men , and how our tempers seem to ruin things . If all else fails , dart em.

It is harder than hades to get the medication for darting them these days.

How long does it for one to drop after they have been shot?

In my experience every one is different. Some take off running full speed. Some amble off. Some are in between. As a general rule 100-200 yards is fairly average. Sometimes you have to shoot em twice and then use reverser to wake them back up. Seems some require more tranquilizer than others. I have a dart gun and I really like it, especially for treating calves. The only ones I've ever put to sleep belonged to someone else and were out and running wild along the highways. We dart em, load em, and then they usually take them back to the same place they just got out of :lol2: