skiddish heifer

[peacemaker]

Hi all
Just put six angus/lim cross heifers up on my place and I ended up with one that seems wild. for a while she kept the others on the run. But they came around and now they come running when they see me with a feed bucket. but the one still stays way out until I leave (50 yards or so away) she wont let anyone get anywhere near her. and some day's she wont even stay with the rest of the heifers she'll stay up in the woods all day. any suggestions? I thought about taking her to the sale but I made the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and I dont have my feed lot area set up yet and theres no way I can even get close to her before she bolts.
She has the run of the place about 116 acres until I can get the rest of the fencing up.

 

[msscamp]

Hi all
any suggestions? I thought about taking her to the sale but I made the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and I dont have my feed lot area set up yet and theres no way I can even get close to her before she bolts.
She has the run of the place about 116 acres until I can get the rest of the fencing up.

My suggestion would have been to ship her but, since you made the fundamental mistake of not having your infrastructure in place, I guess you'll either have to put up with her or shoot her and dress her out - your choice.

 

[Susie David]

So just what do you want to do with this heifer...?
Some just don't take to being made into pets. If you can't get close to her you sure won't be able to "tame" her.
Horse and a calf rope have worked well in the distant past but to bent and broken to keep horses and the shoulders don't rotate enough to swing a rope anymore.
I'd build a catch pen and leave the gate open, the she'll eventualy follow the others into the pen and you will have a good chance to catch her...
There have been some good posts on halter breaking.
Good luck to 'ya....DMc

 

[dun]

Tranq darts then a trip to thr sale barn!

dun

 

[3MR]

Maybe try squaring her in with an electric wire.

What are you feeding the other cows? Make sure she doesnt get any. If she gets her share after you leave she has no incentive to come earlier.

Just my thoughts.

 

[mitchwi]

Hi all
any suggestions? I thought about taking her to the sale but I made the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and I dont have my feed lot area set up yet and theres no way I can even get close to her before she bolts.
She has the run of the place about 116 acres until I can get the rest of the fencing up.

My suggestion would have been to ship her but, since you made the fundamental mistake of not having your infrastructure in place, I guess you'll either have to put up with her or shoot her and dress her out - your choice.

We had a steer like this once - Even with the corals we could not get this beast loaded, it went over a JD 4010 twice and the third time it broke through a solid wood fence in the alley chute, and this was at about 950#. We let it be and fed it out til it was fat, shot and dressed in the field. BTW Angus/Simm cross.

Good luck! Michele

 

[alabama]

If you don't need to catch her now just let her run. You will want to have her comming into the pin before calving.
I bet the bull can catch her.

 

[dj]

It might be easier to get them all loaded than just the one.
Feed them in the trailer. Sort her at the sale barn.
Or if you know some real live cowboys don't try to hire them.
Just tell'em you don't think they can.

 

[certherfbeef]

Hi all
any suggestions? I thought about taking her to the sale but I made the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and I dont have my feed lot area set up yet and theres no way I can even get close to her before she bolts.
She has the run of the place about 116 acres until I can get the rest of the fencing up.

My suggestion would have been to ship her but, since you made the fundamental mistake of not having your infrastructure in place, I guess you'll either have to put up with her or shoot her and dress her out - your choice.

Blunt and to the point. Msscamp is learning not to dance. I like it!!!

She is right. You hould have had a pen built before dumping them out. Next time, put them in a trap of a few acres, let them calm down and get used to each other and you.

You have several good suggestions here...pick one and have at it.

 

[dbh64]

We have a baldy steer that is the same way. The best thing to do is get her to rely on you for everything feed water ect>> she will not trust you if you don't. This is what we do when we halter break cattle is gain trust. Can you put her with just one of the tamer heifers or do you know anyone with a old tame cow??? Offer to take and feed the pet cow put them together away from the others and start feeding her and watering her by hand.

 

[J]

Well having your catch/working pens and all necessary fencing built and ready to go before putting the heifers in would have been a good idea but it ain't the end of the world either. Now if she needs medical attention or you plan to AI her in the next few weeks then there might be a slight problem there, but for now just let her be, let her come up as she feels comfortable, get your pens built then work on catching her.



You've had several good suggestions on how to catch her if you just have too, but I would just say this gives you more of a reason to hurry up and get those facilities built NOW before you need them.

 

[mnmtranching]

peacemaker, Lots of good advice. And you will win in the end! 8)

mnmt

 

[peacemaker]

Thanks everyone for the great advice...
I'll be starting on the feed lot & handling area next week so hopefully she'll come around when I get her in a smaller area.
I'll try to send some pic's of her and the others once I figure out how to upload pictures to the forum.
Thanks again,Peacemaker

 

[msscamp]

The best thing to do is get her to rely on you for everything feed water ect>> she will not trust you if you don't.

Given the description, chances are she probably still won't even if he does this. Some cattle are simply high-headed and wild - and they stay that way regardless of what you do. Why anyone would want to keep an animal like this, much less breed her, is totally beyond me. In my honest opinion, there are too many good cattle out there to tolerate high-headedness in any animal.

 

[Bama]

Hi all
any suggestions? I thought about taking her to the sale but I made the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and I dont have my feed lot area set up yet and theres no way I can even get close to her before she bolts.
She has the run of the place about 116 acres until I can get the rest of the fencing up.

My suggestion would have been to ship her but, since you made the fundamental mistake of not having your infrastructure in place, I guess you'll either have to put up with her or shoot her and dress her out - your choice.

Given the description, chances are she probably still won't even if he does this. Some cattle are simply high-headed and wild - and they stay that way regardless of what you do. Why anyone would want to keep an animal like this, much less breed her, is totally beyond me. In my honest opinion, there are too many good cattle out there to tolerate high-headedness in any animal.

Is it just me or is Msscamp starting to sound more like Caustic. Good advice. Ole Caustic couldn't have said it better himself. He probally would have shortened it a little though. More like this

Ship her you made the mistake of not having your infrastructure in place, you'll either have to put up with her or shoot her and dress her out. Some cattle are simply high-headed and wild. Why anyone would want to keep an animal like this is totally beyond me. There are too many good cattle out there to tolerate high-headedness in any animal.

Sorry Msscamp I couldn't resist. :lol:

 

[Beefy]

my opinion is she isnt really causing a problem. the others have settled down, she will always be a little flighty though. get a little catch pen set up, feed them in there. leave. she will eventually go in. might take a few days of feeding. after a while if you need to catch her take one vehicle and get somebody to go with you. hide where you can shut the gate when she goes in and let the other person leave in the truck. she will likely go in when she sees the truck leave if she is used to this IF she doesnt see you. otherwise, let her get bred and have a calf. i had two flighty heifers in a bunch that got left across the road and ran with a new bunch of heifers until they were all bred too. caught them with the second batch, they had good calves and are just as calm as they can be now that they are moms.

 

[LonghornRanch]

I like DJ response... (Or if you know some real live cowboys don't try to hire them. Just tell'em you don't think they can.)


Now that's funny! (big grin)


Toss cattle cubes at her, make sure she "gets the taste". Won't be long and she will be in the pen pushing and rubbing like all the others.

 

[Alice]

I like DJ response... (Or if you know some real live cowboys don't try to hire them. Just tell'em you don't think they can.)


Now that's funny! (big grin)


Toss cattle cubes at her, make sure she "gets the taste". Won't be long and she will be in the pen pushing and rubbing like all the others.

That is funny...in fact, I know a couple of little cowboys just like that.

And, like J said, it isn't the end of the world. Of course it would have been better to have had fences and structures in place, but one time we unloaded one on the pad where we run them into the chute to vaccinate them...a pad completely enclosed with iron pipe set in concrete...that found the one obscure gate that was the weakest link (and it wasn't that bad of a gate anyway), plowed right thru it and was off like a shot all the way across the pasture and thru the fence into the neighbor's field with his cows almost before we could bat an eye.

Stuff like that happens sometimes, even when you think you have all your bases covered.

Alice

 

[jcarkie]

how long have you had these heifers? did you buy them and work them and then turn them out? i would mark her off the replacement list but give her a little time and she may calm down enough. i have bought cattle and worked them and wow but in a few weeks they begin to trust you. after i feed them through the winter they will follow me anywhere. but there are always a few and we hired someone on horseback to rope and drag and sell.

 

[peacemaker]

Jcarkie Thanks for the encouragement.
There about 14-15 months old. I've had them for about 3 months. They were worked right before being turned out.they came from a local farm & the guy has a reputation for quality heifers. As far as health they look great.I plan to get more from him but not until I can put them in the holding area.
I'm hoping she does settle down a bit but at the same time I agree with some of the other posters and dont want long term trouble if I can avoid it. I tried to get some pic's on here twice but I cant seem to get to work. I'll keep trying.
Thanks again...
I'll start looking for a good bull soon. Maybe that will settle her butt down.