newcomer question

[Anonymous]

I just put 2 yearling heifers on a 6 acre grass pasture. I would like to feed a supplement, but they have no inclination to go into the barn to feed with all the lush pasture. Any suggestions on how I can entice them into going into the barn to feed? Thanks, Mike

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[Anonymous]

The cattle usually go for the green edibles, then hay. On enticing your 2 to go to the barn to eat supplements, you have to get their attention, show them the feed in a bucket (or toss a few cubes in front of them), and then gradually "lead" the calves with the bucket (occasionally tossing out a few cubes for them to eat--reward). Once you have "trained" them to come to the barn for goodies, often all you have to do is to raise up the bucket, rattle it and they'll come (if not come running). I have a new pamphlet about ready for distribution, entitled "Principles of Livestock Training Using Positive Reinforcement". If you want a copy, please e-mail me. Have a good one!

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[Anonymous]

Mike, put some sort of feeding trough in the pasture with the heifers. In a day or so carry some feed out to the trough. Yell at the cows, blow a whistle, honk your truck horn, make some sort of noise to get their attention. Let them see you put the feed into the trough and then leave. Cattle are pretty curious and sooner or later they'll find the feed you left. Do this a few times and they will relate your yell, car horn or whistle to feed. After you get them coming to the feed trough to eat it's just a matter of getting them to follow you to the barn. That works for us. But I will say this time of year they had about as soon have the green grass as range cubes. So you might have to use sweet feed or something pretty tasty. Good luck...

> I just put 2 yearling heifers on a
> 6 acre grass pasture. I would like
> to feed a supplement, but they
> have no inclination to go into the
> barn to feed with all the lush
> pasture. Any suggestions on how I
> can entice them into going into
> the barn to feed? Thanks, Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Mike pretty much the same advice as the others, I use grain in a bucket, cattle blend for 50lbs @$4.50, good source of protien. Make sure you use the same call all the time...mine is "come on ladies!". First yell at them to get there attention shake the bucket and dump the grain on the ground, while they are watching, walk away. do this for a couple of days and they should start getting use to you yelling and shaking the bucket. When they start running to you for grain lead them to the barn and start feeding in the barn...don't get run over! Use the same call all the time because it makes it easy to do a head count, they'll come if you yell after a short time. For minerals I use a 250lb mollassas (sp) base mineral tub just place it away from the water or they eat it too fast.

> I just put 2 yearling heifers on a
> 6 acre grass pasture. I would like
> to feed a supplement, but they
> have no inclination to go into the
> barn to feed with all the lush
> pasture. Any suggestions on how I
> can entice them into going into
> the barn to feed? Thanks, Mike



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[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the help! Mike

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