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Post by workinonit on Aug 22, 2019 15:14:34 GMT -6
Finally got our place sold, closing is next week. Sold all the cows, calves & bull except 4 pairs. Will be moving the 4 pairs, to the new place, on Monday. We have had 2 fields fenced, each one about 2 to 3 acres in size. Also have a small paddock/corral area fenced maybe 50' X 70', one side butts up against the barn but does not open into it. (I've since forgotten the measurement). The fencing for these areas is brand-spankin'-new. High tensile, fixed woven wire, barbed on top. Height, at top of barbed wire, 48" to 50", in that range. The cows are fairly easy-going, not terribly nervous types. One can be a bit "alert", but workable. The calves, fairly easy-going as well, except one that's a bit of nit-wit and high headed. Plenty of grass/forage in these fields. One field, the fenced area includes a very small portion of "woods" for access to shade and is not near any roads. The other, all open but some sections lined with trees, here-and-there, on the outside of fence which offers 'some' shade. That field is just about along side the road. At this point the only water source are 2 water portable troughs filled by a hose. The ride/haul will probably take about 2.5 hours. Plan to haul on Monday morning.
At this point, between packing, driving back & forth 2 hours or so between farms a few days a week, unloading 'loads of belongings, making all necessary "moving arrangements", not enough sleep, prepping the new place, etc. I'm beginning to overthink some things. Placement of the cows being one of them! While 4 pairs are pretty darn easy to take care of, instead of a herd, it is a different dynamic for sure.
Initially I thought to unload them in the field with the small bit of woods, not along the road. Then I had visions of worst case scenarios and decided to put them in the very small area by the barn and keep them in there for a few days, but realized it will probably be too small an area for that amount of time and had more visions of bad scenes, then thought about the other field that has road frontage and decided not to put them along a road for their first time at the place.
This farm, the one we will be leaving, this sort of thing has never been an issue, as I have had it set up differently from the one where we are going. Where we are going is different due to building placements, tree-lines, roadsides, etc.
Clearly I'm over thinking the whole thing. And have decided to "put it out there" on this forum, for other's thoughts & suggestions and possible discussion.
Thank you!
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Post by bulltrader on Aug 22, 2019 15:34:52 GMT -6
They will be tired from the ride and hungry. Put them where you feel best about
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Post by workinonit on Aug 22, 2019 16:08:45 GMT -6
They will be tired from the ride and hungry. Put them where you feel best about Kenny, my 'clear headed thinking' was similar. Thank you. |
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Post by randy on Aug 22, 2019 16:16:35 GMT -6
They will may a lap around the field and settle down to eating pretty quick i bet.
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Post by workinonit on Aug 22, 2019 16:26:31 GMT -6
They will may a lap around the field and settle down to eating pretty quick i bet. Years ago, when I started to build my herd, any new ones that I brought in, would eventually be turned out with the herd or group, after having been put up with a couple of the calm cows and that's what they would do. they would walk or trot the fence line all the way around, then go about greeting the others & settle in. I'm thinking that this may be how it goes. The calf, in my 'avatar', is one of the 4 calves. Thank you. |
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Post by okie on Aug 22, 2019 18:20:13 GMT -6
Personally I would pen them until they got a good drink and then laid down at the least. With quiet cattle it's probably not to big of a deal but I like for them to at least get a glimpse of where home is.
When I was young I worked on a diversified ranch that ran a couple thousand head of stockers every year as well as cow calf and registered stock. Our standard procedure when the trucks came in was to put out hay and water in the corrals and wait until at least half of them were laying down and then we'd drive them out to a middle pasture and hold them up on water until we were sure everything saw it and they settled down. They will still walk every fence line but they do it a lot slower that way.
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Post by workinonit on Aug 22, 2019 18:47:07 GMT -6
Personally I would pen them until they got a good drink and then laid down at the least. With quiet cattle it's probably not to big of a deal but I like for them to at least get a glimpse of where home is. When I was young I worked on a diversified ranch that ran a couple thousand head of stockers every year as well as cow calf and registered stock. Our standard procedure when the trucks came in was to put out hay and water in the corrals and wait until at least half of them were laying down and then we'd drive them out to a middle pasture and hold them up on water until we were sure everything saw it and they settled down. They will still walk every fence line but they do it a lot slower that way. That's an option I hadn't thought of and do-able. I could let them off in the smaller pen area for a little while, then let them out in one of the fields. Thanks for the reply and the different perspective. |
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Post by M-5 on Aug 22, 2019 19:28:23 GMT -6
Turn em out in the morning , they will walk the fence then start grazing and no worries. If 1 in million chance they did get out you got all day to round them up.
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Post by hughespieds on Aug 22, 2019 19:51:16 GMT -6
Just turned one out yesterday from my weaning pasture to the farm. She walked the fence and separated herself from the main group while walking the fence and talking to the bull across the road for most of the day. Checked on her today and she was still with the others. Can't say that about the yearling bull that was left behind. He broke thru the fence to be with my nephew's cows.
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Post by workinonit on Aug 22, 2019 20:34:29 GMT -6
Just turned one out yesterday from my weaning pasture to the farm. She walked the fence and separated herself from the main group while walking the fence and talking to the bull across the road for most of the day. Checked on her today and she was still with the others. Can't say that about the yearling bull that was left behind. He broke thru the fence to be with my nephew's cows.  I guess he didn't like being alone. At least he joined another group and didn't run off. |
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Post by birddog on Aug 22, 2019 20:46:12 GMT -6
The key thing is to make sure they know where water is at. I had a mid age cow that I had owned for years almost die before she figured out how to drink from a water trough. I almost realized to late that she had never drank from anything but a pond.
Good luck on the new place.
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Post by hughespieds on Aug 23, 2019 7:16:47 GMT -6
Just turned one out yesterday from my weaning pasture to the farm. She walked the fence and separated herself from the main group while walking the fence and talking to the bull across the road for most of the day. Checked on her today and she was still with the others. Can't say that about the yearling bull that was left behind. He broke thru the fence to be with my nephew's cows. I guess he didn't like being alone. At least he joined another group and didn't run off. Guess that shows just how strong the herding instinct is with some of these animals. He's used to being fed early evening and I looked out hoping to see him back in waiting for groceries. Instead, he was just on the outside of the fence grazing with all the others. Normally he would have been at the trough bellerin' for his feed. |
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Post by hughespieds on Aug 23, 2019 7:20:45 GMT -6
The key thing is to make sure they know where water is at. I had a mid age cow that I had owned for years almost die before she figured out how to drink from a water trough. I almost realized to late that she had never drank from anything but a pond. Good luck on the new place. That's kind of my switch too. The girl now at the farm was using a water trough here, while there's just stock tank (pond) at the farm. The bull that broke out has gone to the same situation. |
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Post by birddog on Aug 23, 2019 12:34:59 GMT -6
Another thing you have to watch for is cattle that have never had to drink from a pond in our black gumbo type soil. More than once I have had a new animal bog up from getting in to deep. Calves can get in trouble too but most seem to learn from mom to just ease in the front legs. I have noticed the cows know the best and safest part of the pond to enter.
I wish I could water from troughs but it is just not feasible with 100 mouths drinking in 100 degree weather and no well to draw from.
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Post by hughespieds on Aug 23, 2019 13:17:24 GMT -6
I just checked on her and she had dried black dirt up to her knees. If she didn't drink she sure missed a good opportunity. The only muddy spot around here is in the tank.
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I guess he didn't like being alone. At least he joined another group and didn't run off. 