Stray calves dilemma; long winded

[Ouachita]

I walked out on the porch Saturday morning and noticed a couple dozen calves that were not mine. This part of the place is fenced, but I only use it for hay. If I get short on grazing, I’ll move the cattle on it and close the gates but otherwise the gates stay open because we have a short term rental and those folks seem to leave with the gate clickers too much.

Being a good neighbor, I closed the gates and started calling around. Hindsight suggest that maybe that wasn't my best decision. No joy, until my wife put a message on FaceBook. Reply was almost instant. The owner of the calves lives on the other side of the county, but he has a lease place just a couple miles away and that is where the calves came from. They got onto Forest service and came through an open gate on the backside of my place. They had been escaped for several days when they found me.

We managed to get them into a 2 acre paddock and loaded half of them the same afternoon. They are a spooky bunch. Never seen anything like them. My perimeter fence is seven strand with post on 10ft, but my cross fencing is only four strand on 15-18ft and it doesn’t slow this bunch down much. Sunday morning they had settled a bit and seemed to like the sound of my 7.3 diesel, so I poured a bag of cubes out in the working pen in the next field over. They migrated that way and I managed to wrangle all but four head. They are gone.

These last four have been as wild as I’ve ever seen. They are all very good looking 4 and 5 weight calves. They are tagged and owner says all vaccinations. They busted into the pasture where my cattle are now. Here it is four days later and we still haven’t caught them. They seem to be settled as long as they are in the pasture with mine, but if they even see a human they’re gone.

The owner offered to compensate me last evening by offering to sell these last four at much lower than market (approx. half price). Said another way, he's offering to pay me about $4,000 to take this problem away from him and fix my own fence. That seems to be a very generous offer to me. No anger here and we are getting along fine. He's 84 years young and except for one person helping him over the weekend, he does this alone.

I’m in a pickle, because if I don’t accept this deal I risk more damaged fence (and possible injury to my wife and adult kids who have been helping when they can). The upside is clear; I get my boys to fix the fence :ROFLMAO: and assuming I can load them late summer/early fall when I take mine to sale, I win $$$. The downside is that these critters may never settle, and I have to keep the driveway gates closed, and they may make mine wilder than Cooter Brown. What are the other downsides to keeping them?

 

[Ouachita]

Oh, and the four calves, according to the best we've been able to read ear tags, are two steers and two heifers, 450-500lbs. This was a very uniform bunch. He's in it big time. Hope I'm still going like him at 84.

 

[mwj]

Give it a few days and see how it effects your cattle. If they make yours uneasy open the gate on the wild calves and head them toward home.

 

[greybeard]

Would the the Wild Bunch 4 pen with your cows? I always had pretty good luck penning strays by bring mine into pen and the strays tagged along. Then, sorted mine out, leaving the strays penned.

 

[Ouachita]

Would the the Wild Bunch 4 pen with your cows? I always had pretty good luck penning strays by bring mine into pen and the strays tagged along. Then, sorted mine out, leaving the strays penned.

I haven't tried that yet. The 84yo owner and his helper brought 4 wheelers and dogs. When the wild bunch start busting through cross fence, I moved mine to the furtherest pasture for a buffer from the action. Mine started calving in February and I introduced a new bull to the herd about 4 weeks ago. He does fine with the herd but is a still a bit jumpy with strange humans and dogs.

Now that the wild bunch made their way into my tame bunch anyway, I'll see what happens and likely try to get them in the pasture with the facilities to corral and hold them. I need to work mine anyway. Just trying to think of any downsides to buying these four that I haven't considered.

 

[Dave]

How good are your pens? If sturdy enough and set up well enough. Just go to feeding your cows something which bring them into the pen. Feed them and walk away. In a week or 2 the 4 should be coming in with your cows. The trick is getting the gate shut on the first attempt. Is it situated where you can get to it without being seen?

 

[RDFF]

I'd probably try to work with them. Usually, they would eventually settle down and just stay with the rest of the herd. Maybe make a deal with the guy to pay him when you get them sold. If they escape on you, you owe him nothing and they're still his problem.

 

[mwj]

I haven't tried that yet. The 84yo owner and his helper brought 4 wheelers and dogs. When the wild bunch start busting through cross fence, I moved mine to the furtherest pasture for a buffer from the action. Mine started calving in February and I introduced a new bull to the herd about 4 weeks ago. He does fine with the herd but is a still a bit jumpy with strange humans and dogs.

Now that the wild bunch made their way into my tame bunch anyway, I'll see what happens and likely try to get them in the pasture with the facilities to corral and hold them. I need to work mine anyway. Just trying to think of any downsides to buying these four that I haven't considered.

The big down side is the outlaws keeping your cattle worked up. High headed cattle is something that is learned. I would not like my cattle exposed to any ''teachers''. I would give them a few days to see who is the student.

 

[greybeard]

The big down side is the outlaws keeping your cattle worked up. High headed cattle is something that is learned. I would not like my cattle exposed to any ''teachers''. I would give them a few days to see who is the student.

Been my experience that it is often also genetic. Can't prove it tho.

 

[Ouachita]

The big down side is the outlaws keeping your cattle worked up. High headed cattle is something that is learned. I would not like my cattle exposed to any ''teachers''. I would give them a few days to see who is the student.

That is my main concern. These calves are a couple months older than mine and I'd prefer they don't teach bad habits.
I just got a call from the owner. If I don't want them, he offered to compensate me for the hassle and the fence repair. He asked if he could leave them until Saturday hoping they'll settle and try to get them penned with mine. I have a few days to think about it.

 

[Travlr]

I walked out on the porch Saturday morning and noticed a couple dozen calves that were not mine. This part of the place is fenced, but I only use it for hay. If I get short on grazing, I’ll move the cattle on it and close the gates but otherwise the gates stay open because we have a short term rental and those folks seem to leave with the gate clickers too much.

Being a good neighbor, I closed the gates and started calling around. Hindsight suggest that maybe that wasn't my best decision. No joy, until my wife put a message on FaceBook. Reply was almost instant. The owner of the calves lives on the other side of the county, but he has a lease place just a couple miles away and that is where the calves came from. They got onto Forest service and came through an open gate on the backside of my place. They had been escaped for several days when they found me.

We managed to get them into a 2 acre paddock and loaded half of them the same afternoon. They are a spooky bunch. Never seen anything like them. My perimeter fence is seven strand with post on 10ft, but my cross fencing is only four strand on 15-18ft and it doesn’t slow this bunch down much. Sunday morning they had settled a bit and seemed to like the sound of my 7.3 diesel, so I poured a bag of cubes out in the working pen in the next field over. They migrated that way and I managed to wrangle all but four head. They are gone.

These last four have been as wild as I’ve ever seen. They are all very good looking 4 and 5 weight calves. They are tagged and owner says all vaccinations. They busted into the pasture where my cattle are now. Here it is four days later and we still haven’t caught them. They seem to be settled as long as they are in the pasture with mine, but if they even see a human they’re gone.

The owner offered to compensate me last evening by offering to sell these last four at much lower than market (approx. half price). Said another way, he's offering to pay me about $4,000 to take this problem away from him and fix my own fence. That seems to be a very generous offer to me. No anger here and we are getting along fine. He's 84 years young and except for one person helping him over the weekend, he does this alone.

I’m in a pickle, because if I don’t accept this deal I risk more damaged fence (and possible injury to my wife and adult kids who have been helping when they can). The upside is clear; I get my boys to fix the fence :ROFLMAO: and assuming I can load them late summer/early fall when I take mine to sale, I win $$$. The downside is that these critters may never settle, and I have to keep the driveway gates closed, and they may make mine wilder than Cooter Brown. What are the other downsides to keeping them?

This is why I always set up at least one of my water sources in a pen that I can shut a gate on. If they were my animals I'd be sending them down the road, but in a trailer to the sale barn.

I'm not gonna comment on the deal the guy is offering, that's between you and him.

 

[Brute 23]

I like where the guy is headed but I would offer this instead, you will pay him half when/if they sell.

No way I am writing him a check and they bust out and ate gone to some one else tomorrow.

Me personally, I would tell him I want them gone asap by what ever means necessary and would help facilitate that. They can do way more damage than they are worth, imo.

We had 2 cows tear up some pens and go out in to the neighbors years back. We called him and told him the deal. We offered to basically go shoot them and drag them back if he wanted them gone. He said he would looked at them and try to pen them with his in a couple days. He called back and said that he thinks he can pen them but it may take a little while. My dad gave him a receipt for both of them and told him he can do what ever he wants with them. Keep them, shoot them, sell them... they are his. He ended up getting them penned and sold a couple monthe later.

 

[bird dog]

Sounds like easy money to me. I would pay him and just flat out ignore them for a month. They won't settle down much but they will bond with your herd and you will catch them later when you catch yours. I doubt that they will leave your herd if they are not pressured.

 

[worldsgreatestlover]

If it came down to it id buy the calves and haul them to town on my own time. Or hire it done.
But id start out by telling the guy he don't have to give them away. I would try probably to hard to figure something out. And I can almost guarantee I would tell him don't worry about the fence, I'll get it

 

[cfpinz]

If you can get close enough with a tranquilizer dart, problem solved.

The owner seems stand-up enough, better than most folks with wild cattle. I wouldn't get too excited about it, will all work itself out eventually.

 

[greybeard]

If it came down to it id buy the calves and haul them to town on my own time. Or hire it done.
But id start out by telling the guy he don't have to give them away. I would try probably to hard to figure something out. And I can almost guarantee I would tell him don't worry about the fence, I'll get it

He could always call over to Radiator Ranch for Dale Brisby...... ;):)

 

[Mrcopier]

Anytime this has happened to me the high headed ones are a bad influence on my cows. Gotta go

 

[Ouachita]

I got home last evening and the four strays seem to have settled nicely with my herd, at least for now. They came toward the truck with mine. They won't let me walk to them, but at least they're not bolting. I spoiled them all with a bag of cubes.

The owner lives about an hour away from where he keeps these calves on a lease place. Other than being worked and weaned about a month ago, I'll bet they never had much human interaction.

 

[MurraysMutts]

That last bunch I had never calmed down! Granted they were cows. But still, they were with my super gentle cows for months and months. My cows would just look at em like they were idiots.

I was sure glad to see them sell!
The two I hired would have your calves loaded in about an hour I bet.

 

[kenny thomas]

If he is 84 and still trying, i would tell him that I would catch them for him and I would fix the fence. It could be you next time. Its not always about the money if he is trying to be good about it.