need come cow advice.

Got a portable corral set up at that other farm pasture, everything is freezing up, bad weather coming this weekend , wanted the cows home. Well, got 4 cows on the first "come boss" into the corral, rest wanted nothing to do with it. Hauled them 4 home, went back , left trailer out of sight and I lured the rest in with a small square of 3rd crop alfalfa, some corn, and my good looks. Managed to get them all in, got the trailer and backed it up to the load gate, managed to get the calves in a seperate part of the corral from the cows so I could wean them at this time also. Well, as we were working the cows to get them in the trailer, I had one of the calves, about 500-550#, manage to get her head under the bottom rail of one of the corral panels, she literaly crawled under and bent the rail up, none of the other tried, she then was in a squared area in the corner of the pasture fence, she forced herself though, and was back in the pasture. I cussed, we loaded the remaining calves. Tried to get the calf back into the corral area, no go, tried to slowly guide her that way, no go. She got more and more nervous and finally high tailed it into the swamp. I left the corral set up, tossed in nice hay, a pail of pats, and a pail of creep feed. Hoping she will come in there and make a hang out for a day and MAYBE I can sneak in from the back and close the gate on her. but then what, any suggestions? what if she doesnt come up, what if she has gone nutts? Put her down and haul to locker? Tranquilize her and try to get her in a trailer? Any advice to get her in the corral. All water sources are froze up, warmer sun days she will find some here and there in the swamp. I am so frustrated. Was a beautiful red angus/Charlias heifer too.

What has worked for me in the past when I had trouble with a calf like that was to leave one of the older "mama" cows with her. If the older cow has been worked/loaded several times she will be calm and she will calm the calf. Take a shovel and digg out the legs of the panels where she will not be able to get her head under the panels. When they go into the panels load them up and haul the heifer to the sale. She will always be trouble about going under the panels.

Take her momma back and then catch them both.

Just leave the pen open with hay and feed in it. She will come back. May take a few days. Just have patience.
Next time you try to load she will try to get out the same way so make sure you have it fixed. Try to load her calmly when she starts moving the right way make sure she can't stop or turn around. One try will be all you get so make sure it works.
I "train" all my cows with range cubes, makes it very easy to get them to move. When I get a cow like you described it goes straight to the sale barn. Can't afford to have one that's wild. That one will tear things up or hurt you.
Just stay calm but firm. Good luck!

Yep, exactly.

Then next year, do the sortin' at home where ya can handle 'em. Herd the calves and those mamas will follow.

Oh, and quit tryin' to sweet-talk 'em with the foodstuffs. They're cattle, not a bunch of fat high school girls. :>)

Allan

What the others have said is good advice - don't shoot her without checking out the laws. We can no longer take dead cattle in for butcher - They must walk off the trailer of their own accord - it's just your govt knowing what is best for you!

I was contemplating that, her mom is my 2nd tamest cow, almost like a pet, even saved my rearend from a charging pee'od heifer last spring. Tried getting her in a pen tonight, so I could maybe get her loaded and brought over to get back with daughter, but she is still kinda riled up. Would not go any where near a pen. Will try again in the am, with a corn cob or two. Amazing how combining 14% corn can leave so many in the feild. Better off bringing the calf to sale barn or butchering? Hate to pass off my problem to some one that buys her cause she is so purdy.

I sold a herd of cows on my place several years ago and I was able to trap all but two of them in my coral. I rented a tranquilizer gun from the local vet and was able to shoot them one at a time. I backed my cow trailer up to them and put a noose around their neck when they were knocked out. I took the other end of the rope in the trailer and tied it off short. When the cows come to they hopped into the trailer. Hope this helps. Roy

Now is one he!! of a time to bring that up, forty years after the fact!

Get her momma back there as soon as possible otherwise she might not stick around at all. That is why I always load calves first or sort mommas with their respective calves and haul separatly because the calve only come into the corral because the mommas are coming in and it is pretty common to get a baby to bust out. Hard to make a temporary corral that is full proof. Just had one bust out the other day when we were boostering the calves. I will wean on that pasture by pulling the calves out first, much easier to bring mommas home last.

Just because she busted out of the pen doesn't mean she is a throw away, sounds like your panels are cheap if she bent a rail up.

Dave- animals always want water- they can survive a long time with just that. Cuz it"s getting cold, and water will freeze, you might have to add some anti-freeze to it...........oh, wait, bit of alcohol will do the same thing without croaking her.........and they get REAL easy to load when smashed, although it might require some heavy lifting. Or just get some mash from the brewery in Cold Spring. Yup, I think that is a plan. Or take some corn to the ethanol plant in Little Falls, and bring back some white lightning. Some for the critter, some for you sounds about right.

I'd get the momma cow back to the heifer. I'm sure that in a few days they will be back eating that good feed and you can trap them both.

A few years ago I had a wild cow that wouldn't come to the corral when anyone was around. During the day or at night the cow would come to the pen and eat on the bale there but would spook at first hint of anyone coming to her. I tried walking up to the pen one night covered in a white sheet, against a snow covered field and that failed too.

Eventually I tied a rope to the gate brought it through the panel and ran it out about 300 feet to an old building where I sat for several hours. She came up towards evening to eat hay. When she walked through the gate, I pulled the rope, closed the gate and loaded her on the trailer. She was quite surprised that the gate seemed to close on its own.

I have some brahman x herfords which are crazy.Most wont even come in the pen,and if I trap them they try to go under,over or through my priefert corral panels.If I catch them they are sold regardless of age or weight.Due to the drought I penned and sold more than usual and got rid of most of them,but still have some in each pasture.Those wont even come close to the pen.I guess I will have to hire some cowboys to rope and drag them in the pen.Crazy cattle are dangerous.My son was knocked down and then stepped on by 700# bull calf who went beserk in the pen.Fortunately he only got a big bruise on the side of his leg.My biggest mistake was to buy a brahman bull.The bull was gentle but some of his calves were crazy.If you are lucky your calf went through your back fence to points unknown or freezes this winter.Did I say I hate crazy wild cattle.

I agree with bringing momma back and leaving her in the pen. Go take cure of some other chores.
If the runnaway isn't weaned,she will be standing outside the pen waiting for the gate to open when you return.
An aside on the subject. For me, Brahman cross calves produce more than enough profit over other crosses to pay for stronger pens. If the same person or persons shake a sack and throw them cubes everytime they enter pastures,the intire herd will follow that sack into the pen. Show up with strange people,new horse,new dog,different truck or a turkey tail feather sticking out of your hat and the whole bunch will head for the brush.

You won't get that back by itself, hunt some others down there with its mother and bring the herd back, they will run you ragged as a singular animal. Even with the Fergy.

You need a good cattle dog, one that is use to work cattle not ducks and geese. Had a bunch of rodeo stock get on our place the tore down fence as the Want-to-bee' tried to be cow boys. Ordered them off the property. Turned my three cow dogs loose and said "get em". It did not take them long toput them back into the pen and then glad to get in the trailer. If you have dogs that are trained to work together the really can do the job.
gitrib

#1 rule TAKE THE COW BACK

Any cow is better than none if you can't get the momma. 2 or 3 good too. As long as they have food and water they won't die.

Always load calves first! Like others said take momma back.

Take moma back and don't have an army of people with you. Seen too many times when and animal is on the loose and they go after it with a dozen or more people. Good way to get someone hurt. That animal is already scared ane feels like a pray animal. Slow and steady beats fast and loud.

old rule of thumb(wheather your chasing calves or ladies) "catch the cow to get the calf", I agree, take the cow back. If you can set them up some sort of wind break,and can feed and water them in your pen lots of times those old cows will stay in the pen if they are used to being moved. Might even leave your trailer there for a wind break if your where it wont get stolen. What most folks do around here is get in the habit of honking your horn when you drive up to feed ,they will soon learn to come running. Next time you have one get out often you can just let it go and dont chase it,but leave two or three in the pen and it will hang around and go back in the next day. Then again you have some you just cant catch,ive tranquilized them, roped them and drug them in a trailer, and everything else over the years. Just a suggestion, if and when you get him,make a trip straight to the sale barn,LOL.

3 choices.

1. Take cow back and try to get them loaded together. (Then I'd unload her at the stock yards, seems like once a critter figures out they can wreck a good gate they seem to do it for fun every chance they get)

2.Pay the $50-$100 to some one with a tranq gun and load her with a come-a-long. (Some folks like the old school horse and rope rodeo but necks can get broke and you will still have to pay them for come'n out. Also the ring of hair miss'n around her nick will make her bring less when you sell the crazy thing)

3. Find a locker plant that will take her doa (or a buddy with a big grinder), have gin pole or loader ready, get close enough to put a 30/30 behind her ear, and have a few hundred lbs of hamburger for the winter.

Good luck.

Dave

OH, heres another thing,if your loading real early of a morning or late evening or night,make sure the lights inside your trailer work. Honestly ,you would not believe the difference it makes. Cattle are not particularly smart, but the are smart enough to not go into a hole, which is what your trailer looks like when its dark inside. They will ALWAYS move out of the dark places into the light if they are scared. Its actually very often easier to load them in the dark. If you will notice at a place where they load a lot of cattle the loading docks are always well lighted while the rest is dark. opposite is true of the docks where you unload cattle ,they move out of the trailer area into a lighted area. Makes unloading much easier also. Same thing is true of a dairy barn. Always light where you want cattle to move to ,it does make a difference,especialy if they are skittish. Think about it,if you were walking down a dark street and someone was chasing you,would you go to a lighted area ,or to the darkest place? It does make a difference believe me. Your old cows might jump into a dark trailer,but all those calves hear and see is a dark hole with a lot of noise coming out of it. If they can see another calf or cow inside they are not near as scared. Thats the place to be to get away from the person pushing them. Hope this helps. Nearly all cattle and horse trailers have lights in them, thats what they are there for. If your loading turn them on,if your unloading turn them off. Honestly it makes a big difference. You would be surprised at how often a old cow that is used to being moved will walk into a lighted trailer with no pen at all,and even more surprised at how often their calves follow. Thats how those folks who steal you cattle load them,they dont set up a pen ,no time. They just back up to a gate at night, turn the lights in the trailer on and start pushing your cattle. When a load walks in they shut the gate and drive off. Believe it or not they can steal a pasture full of the wildest calves and never make a sound. Got a wild cow? thats when to load it ,dead up midnight on the darkest night of the year.

The best way to move a calf is with her mother. Then sort the mother off and confine the calf.

The other option is to move them with all the other calves as a unit. They"re herd animals and want to be together. Trying to move them by themselves usually causes the flight part of "fight or flight" to kick in and they"ll bolt and go through fences, etc.

Sounds like a typical calf,you're lucky she didn't get 'mad' and bust you up.

(quoted from post at 02:28:21 11/18/11) I agree with bringing momma back and leaving her in the pen. Go take cure of some other chores.
If the runnaway isn't weaned,she will be standing outside the pen waiting for the gate to open when you return.
An aside on the subject. For me, Brahman cross calves produce more than enough profit over other crosses to pay for stronger pens. If the same person or persons shake a sack and throw them cubes everytime they enter pastures,the intire herd will follow that sack into the pen. Show up with strange people,new horse,new dog,different truck or a turkey tail feather sticking out of your hat and the whole bunch will head for the brush.

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Exactly! Everytime I go see them, just to look 'em over, I take range cubes.
They all come running to my truck & will follow me right into the corral. They are comfortable with the corral as I arranged it so that they must pass through it to get to water & from one pasture to another. I learned a half a life time ago not to try to 'drive' cattle.