wild heifer

[lmj]

Hi, Now that we started asking question we have another one for you. A few weeks ago we bought 2 heifer's at an auction, another farmer that lives close by bought 3 heifer's the same night. When he took them home 1 got out of his field it took about 3 day's but they finally found it at another farm that has alot of cow's. They loaded her up and took it back to the first farmer's place where she promptly got out again and went back to the other farmer's place. We bought the wild thing from him since the other farmer didn't want it and he just couldn't keep it in his field.
When they unloaded we were going to put her in the barn/ corral with the 2 heifer's we had bought hoping it would calm her down. When they opened the trailer she took out the gate and ran out into the field our lead cow ran over and got her and kept her with the other cow's for about an hour, then she took off went thru the fence into our upper field she was out for about 10 minutes then came back thru the fence and has been with our cows since.
The problem we have now is when they come in to feed she won't come near the feeder until we are out of sight. And when we go in the field for anything or just out in our yard and she can see you she run's the other way.
The other day when I had to go check the watering trough she ran about 300 feet away from the rest of the cow's they just stood there looking at her. When I came back down she had rejoined them and she tucked herself inbetween them to hide.
She is a baldy that weighs about 400 lbs.
Do you think she will calm down over time? Or will she allway's be this way? Do we let her be? Take her to the sale barn? Send her to the freezer? ??????
Thanks for reading this and for your truthfull answer's. :tiphat:

 

[dun]

99% that she'll alwasy be a wacko. If you eat her the meat will probably be tough, even if you can get her in and finish her. Dart her and drag into the trailer and haul her to the salebarn. There are folks that have facilitys that can handle those kinds of cattle. If you had a 1000 acres and never had to do anything with her but "try" to get her calf off each year, that's one thing. Better to cut your loses, her attitude will end up affecting the entire herd. Probably not as bad has her, but an affect none the less. Especially calves.

 

[jonbri55]

If you have the facilities, you might try keeping her and another cow (for company) in a small, STRONG pen for awhile. That way she wouldn't have a choice but to get used to being around you. If you don't have that option, at least you can be thankful that she's still in your pasture!

 

[backhoeboogie]

She may settle some but likely she will always be a problem. When the other cows are not as timid, it helps to settle them over time.

I'd part ways with her if she were mine. If I needed the numbers, I'd simply buy something else to replace her with.

When you are working cows, one white eyed timid gal can stir up the whole bunch. It is just not worth the gamble in my opinion.

The fencing obviously needs some work to keep the cows honest. You said she was going "thru" the fence. If you fix everything to prevent that, she may decide to start going over the fences and there are times six foot isn't enough. Hence, the sure bet is to change her into something else.

 

[Jogeephus]

the sure bet is to change her into something else

...like hamburger. Life is too short and doctor bills are too high for stuff like this.

 

[backhoeboogie]

the sure bet is to change her into something else

...like hamburger. Life is too short and doctor bills are too high for stuff like this.

Probably why she was sold to begin with. If she was wild on the home turf, she'll be nuts on foreign turf. Feedlot panels will hold her just fine.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

I also had some heifers that kept getting out to the pasture adjoining my property. After the owner called me the 3rd time I loaded them up and hauled them to the auction. They also kept tearing down my fence. Once they start getting out they will never stop and you need to ship her to the auction. Trust me been there done that.

 

[CattleHand]

she will be trouble to bring in and such but she is only 400lbs. Put more weight on her and take her to the sale barn (where i have been there is a better market that way and you make more that way). I kind of disagree with everyone else, if she is staying with the herd now and now going through fences keep her for a bit. She may calm down a bit and if she doesnt sell her when you can get the most out of her. When you bring her in though dont bring her alone just bring all of them in and sort them in whatever sort of corrall you use. If your facilities can do that, I'd keep her and wait.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Sell her. That's the reason she was at the sale barn in the first place. I have a perfectly good pure bred Limo bull that's going to the sale barn because he can't seem to stay at home. Not gonna put up with it and I got better things to do with my time than fix fences.

 

[Wewild]

She has probably got a taste of what her body can do now. We always put them in a corral until they simmer down. We give them a little feed and as much hay and water as they want. It takes a little work and time (maybe a week) but they get use to you.

Then again she might just be a nut.

 

[rattler]

We got one the same way got her in the barn yard a few day's ago to load her up it was a no go she was dead set on a fight took a run at me lucky i had a sledg handle after a few good pops across the nose she changed her mind now if she makes it a little wile longer she will go in the frezer would not even think of selling her to anybody if she hurt them i would feel like it was my fault.

rattler

 

[mnmtranching]

I bet this calf has gone through the sale barn a few times, getting wilder every time.

I don't understand why you bought the problem in the first place? If you can get her loaded get rid of her or make burger. Taste OK in tacos or hamburger helper.

You can pretty much tell wild cattle when they come in the ring, only bid on the calm ones. There are those with the facilities to handle wild cattle. She will tear around in the ring, some guy will take a chance on her, being she will be discounted about $20 a hundred.

 

[K2011]

Maybe you could put her in a smaller(strong) pen with another very calm heifer that will let you come up to her and what not......and start feeding them grain and hay everyday.......and because the other heifer is calm towards you she will be to......atleast that is how I gentle some of ours.........But you may just want to sell her

 

[spinandslide]

Im not an expert by any means, but I dont like any animal going through my fences, makes more work for me.

Id personaly be sending her to my freezer.

 

[bigbull338]

sell her when you can get her in the catch pen.she will get your whole herd wild.

 

[birdog]

You might find someone who raises bucking stock and partner with them and have the Next PBR Champion brood cow :lol2: Seriously though, I'd truck her. Good luck and be careful.

 

[djinwa]

Dart her and drag into the trailer and haul her to the salebarn. There are folks that have facilitys that can handle those kinds of cattle.

That's probably what the last guy that dumped her was thinking, but look how it ended up. Sure we all play the game of dumping problems on the next guy. Just don't think I'd recommend it on a public forum. Or at least I'd say to notify the next buyer.

Can't imagine on a mechanics forum recommending selling a car with a problem that can't be fixed and not making sure the buyer knows about it.

The honorable thing to do would be to eat her, now or later. Genetics like that should never get the chance to reproduce.

 

[Wewild]

Genetics like that should never get the chance to reproduce.

It may not be just genetics. It could and most probably is a handling issue.

 

[grubbie]

Can't say that I agree that she will make your whole herd wild if your herd is tame. A wild cow in our herd doesn't seem to affect the rest. The ones that will eat cake out of our hands will always eat cake out of our hands. We start taming them down as soon as they are weaned. Some calm down sooner than others. But eventually they will at least come up to the bag of cake with the tamer ones, though they will hang back a yard or two away. This is done in a corral, and eventually they will get used to you and simmer down. BUT......that is assuming you have time and facilities for this. You will have to spend some time with her for it to work. If not, she would make good burger. Good luck.

 

[msscamp]

When they opened the trailer she took out the gate and ran out into the field our lead cow ran over and got her and kept her with the other cow's for about an hour, then she took off went thru the fence into our upper field she was out for about 10 minutes then came back thru the fence and has been with our cows since.

I do not think this is the behaviour of a truly wild animal - a truly wild animal would have kept going, regardless of your lead cow. This sounds more like a very skittish animal that has learned to not trust people.

Do you think she will calm down over time? Or will she allway's be this way? Do we let her be? Take her to the sale barn? Send her to the freezer? ??????
Thanks for reading this and for your truthfull answer's. :tiphat:

Based on your comments, I believe she will calm down over time. What kind of time frame we are talking about, I could not tell you because a lot of that is going to depend on you and how you choose to handle her.