Putting out cattle for first time

funkey_monkey

We've got calves which have not been out yet in their lives. We'l be turning them out in about a months time.

Last year, when we let a similar bunch out they went down the field at full speed and through/over/under the fences out onto a road or into the neighbours field. Something similar happened a few years ago too.

I'm not sure if it was them exercising themselves not realising what a fence was, or whether they just did not see it because their eyes were not adjusted to being outside. Last year we nearly lost one when it went through the fence and got tangled.

Any advice on how to let these you cattle out without wrecking fences, losing/injuring an animal or even worse - hurting some person driving/walking by on the road.


Cheers.

Viewtodiefor

funkey_monkey wrote: »

We've got calves which have not been out yet in their lives. We'l be turning them out in about a months time.

Last year, when we let a similar bunch out they went down the field at full speed and through/over/under the fences out onto a road or into the neighbours field. Something similar happened a few years ago too.

I'm not sure if it was them exercising themselves not realising what a fence was, or whether they just did not see it because their eyes were not adjusted to being outside. Last year we nearly lost one when it went through the fence and got tangled.

Any advice on how to let these you cattle out without wrecking fences, losing/injuring an animal or even worse - hurting some person driving/walking by on the road.


Cheers.

Get them into a yard or somewhere secure , run a fence wire up in front of them, they will soon learn what it's about! Then over a few days maybe open a gate and move the wire out a bit and next day a bit further until you get to a paddock then maybe put it up in d paddock n stand in front of it for awhile till they settle down, take it slowly n you'll lesson the running!

49801

you need to train them to what a fence is!
run a strand across their pen for a day or so on a battery fencer. they have to learn somehow:o

porterhole

sometin similar happened us last year with the yearlings
had to rehouse them for a couple of days with a live fence wire
just inside top rail of feed barrier
sorted them out perfect

pakalasa

Let them out early in the day too, so that they wont get pneumonia from sweating.

(Technically they don't sweat, but they do get hot.)

Nobbies

don,t feed them any silage or hay for the day prior too letting them out,that way they will be very hungry going out and will put there heads down too graze also let them run around ayard for ahour or so before out too the field.

Good loser

Let 2 or 3 out first then another few etc.

whelan1

if they are in a shed it will take them a while to get used to the light... let them run around yard for a while before letting them out so they can let off steam

JohnBoy

Remember doing it years ago on an aunts farm, she had a small paddock beside the yard which was fenced for the job, 2 or 3 strands of high tensile wire on heavier than normal stakes.

strips of plastic were hanging off the wire too to make it more visible. one or two would make a break for freedom and pull the wire a few feet into the next paddock, then bang, and back they'd run.

then over for a closer look.

looking, sniffing, then the wet nose against the wire, BANG!!!!, then some of em would go hide in the shed again, but in a few hours everyone knew what the wire was and all was well in the world.


harsh but hillarious viewing.

JohnBoy

Remember doing it years ago on an aunts farm, she had a small paddock beside the yard which was fenced for the job, 2 or 3 strands of high tensile wire on heavier than normal stakes.

strips of plastic were hanging off the wire too to make it more visible. one or two would make a break for freedom and pull the wire a few feet into the next paddock, then bang, and back they'd run.

then over for a closer look.

looking, sniffing, then the wet nose against the wire, BANG!!!!, then some of em would go hide in the shed again, but in a few hours everyone knew what the wire was and all was well in the world.


harsh but hillarious viewing.

Muckit

pakalasa wrote: »

Let them out early in the day too, so that they wont get pneumonia from sweating.

(Technically they don't sweat, but they do get hot.)

God you'I die worrying about pneumonia!

lakill Farm

i let my first batch of calves out last Thursday. I put the fence up in front of them the day before hand. None of them touched it when they went out to grass. but once they went out i threw them half a bucket of calf crunch and that settled them especially as they had only got there morning milk.

Not the yearlings in the shed. They were all trained last year to the fence. So all i did was turn on the fence in the shed, and earthed it to the bale lifter and the "bang" from it earthing rejigged there memory, as wild as they were on Sunday morning when i let them out not one touched the fence. They went out hungry, as they had no silage since 5pm on saturday. with 3 mins of hitting grass they were eating and i also threw them a few buckets of meal and all happy.

Pharaoh1

I put up a single strand of the wide horse tape around the paddock where I let out my bought in weanling as they can be a bit lively.
Keep it out a metre or two from the permanent electric fence and it seems to work ok.

PatQfarmer

Our calf-shed used to be a stable barn, so we have a post and rail paddock to the back of it. I run a wide hot wire all the way around close to the middle rail and let the calves out in small batches. Some will run through the wire, but the rail stops them. The bang of the fence and subsequent bawl is not pleasant, seeing as we have "minded" them for 6+weeks, but one hour max and they are trained to any paddock on the farm.

PatQfarmer

Muckit wrote: »

God you'I die worrying about pneumonia!

I used to nearly die worrying about pneumonia as well!! Vaccination (of the calves, not me!) has improved my sleep pattern immensely:D
It's the only job and well worth doing.

who the fug

JohnBoy wrote: »

.

looking, sniffing, then the wet nose against the wire, BANG!!!!,

We had a calf what bit the bloody wire.

funkey_monkey

Thanks for the replies - we were going to let them into the crush for about an hour for their eyes to adjust and to let off some steam.

Incidentally, it was not an electric fence they went through - it was a pigwire fence (2x strands barb on top, 1x on bottom). Went through it at full speed with their tails in the air like a hot knife through butter.

Tipp Man

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Thanks for the replies - we were going to let them into the crush for about an hour for their eyes to adjust and to let off some steam.

Incidentally, it was not an electric fence they went through - it was a pigwire fence (2x strands barb on top, 1x on bottom). Went through it at full speed with their tails in the air like a hot knife through butter.

You should make a pen in the corner of the field with a few gates and leave them in it for a couple of days - then let them out of the pen in 2's and 3's. They will take a couple of hours to calm down but once the first bunch are calm let out the second etc.

Leaving off any number of calves can't be done in a few minutes - its can take days if you have any number of them - but with the weather as it is its a great way to spend the day

Figerty

neighbour of mine has a good trick.. Take a few empty bean cans ( baked beans that is). Open the lid about 3/4 way round and bend it over in the middle of the circle obviously with the can attached..

Hang this of the mains fence wire with a drop of water in it to weight it... It's nice an shiny and the cattle come nosing at it. Most of them sense the current before the touch it, but some tip it with nose...

It also helps them see the fence also. With the current passing through the cans the don't last long.