run away dexter - help and advise needed please
I had the misfortune to loose a calf from its mother this time last year. It was on the run from 7.30 am utill 5.50 pm. In this time it managed to run 13 miles, cross 6 lanes on a moterway and several B roads. I had a police helicopter scramble twice to search with a thermal camara. It was finaly shot dead by a marksman from the local hunt THANK GOD
Just imagine if it had caused an accident and killed someone
There has been several resent cases of horses geting out of fields and the owners have been successfully prosecuted. as the law now says you have to make risk asessments before putting animals in a field.
In one case the horses were in a post and rail field with an eletric inner fence, the young horses were startaled and broke through both. THE Law said as would be your case young animals are easly spooked and YOU should take steps to prevent it ( what ever that means)
It seems a good fence is now no deffence
Better a dead animal than a dead person on your conscience I say
PS Tranqulizer guns are now not allowed as there have been cases of meat shot be same being eaten so say our local Police force.
Just imagine if it had caused an accident and killed someone
There has been several resent cases of horses geting out of fields and the owners have been successfully prosecuted. as the law now says you have to make risk asessments before putting animals in a field.
In one case the horses were in a post and rail field with an eletric inner fence, the young horses were startaled and broke through both. THE Law said as would be your case young animals are easly spooked and YOU should take steps to prevent it ( what ever that means)
It seems a good fence is now no deffence
Better a dead animal than a dead person on your conscience I say
PS Tranqulizer guns are now not allowed as there have been cases of meat shot be same being eaten so say our local Police force.
We had a similar experience turning out calves with mothers two years ago. The herd knew where they were going but the calves had only ever know the shed (at three weeks of age). Three calves took flight & one followed the herd, before too long we had two of the fugitives back with their mothers, but the other took off and heading for the main road we followed him. To cut a very long story short, he travelled about six miles before we lost him. We took his mother up there in the trailer that night to the area he was last seen, but to no avail.
That night was a terrible wet one, not a nice experience to be outside in for the first time without your mother in a strange place at three weeks of age! Anyway, next morning we were all set to take the cow back yet again when we got a call from a neighbour to say he was laid under the hedge in a field just a few fields from where he started! Amazing homing instinct & taking mother to him he came running- and didn't leave her side for a while after that. Lesson learned (for both bovine & human!).
The next year a similar thing happened, only this time we didn't follow the calf, just put mother in the field with the others- he came back soon enough. Often laise-faire is the best approach with animals.
Hope you get sorted out OK & if I was nearer I would help- I know most Dexter people would too- it is appauling that the vendor would refuse (particularly to someone new to Dexters), he is doing the breed no good at all.
That night was a terrible wet one, not a nice experience to be outside in for the first time without your mother in a strange place at three weeks of age! Anyway, next morning we were all set to take the cow back yet again when we got a call from a neighbour to say he was laid under the hedge in a field just a few fields from where he started! Amazing homing instinct & taking mother to him he came running- and didn't leave her side for a while after that. Lesson learned (for both bovine & human!).
The next year a similar thing happened, only this time we didn't follow the calf, just put mother in the field with the others- he came back soon enough. Often laise-faire is the best approach with animals.
Hope you get sorted out OK & if I was nearer I would help- I know most Dexter people would too- it is appauling that the vendor would refuse (particularly to someone new to Dexters), he is doing the breed no good at all.
As another relatively new Dexter owner, I too had an escapee! One of my heifers took exception to the crush and hopped it over our hedge bordering ourselves and our neighbour. Fortunately, said neighbour and his tenants could not have been more helpful. Our neighbour (78 yr old retired farmer!) actually suggested that I might like to take the whole herd over there so that the heifer would rejoin and then herd the whole lot back again!!
I opted for taking over my very quite wonderful lead cow on the halter. Unfortunately, by this time the heifer had decided that the field she had been in had become boring and she had wandered elsewhere.
So, out come the quad bikes! We eventually located her in our neighbours field that adjoins one of our bottom fields, and she actually opted to return all by herself! She then joined the sheep for a couple of days before realising that she is in fact a cow!
Suffice to say, everyone was most helpful and incredibly laid back. For the most part, none of our neighbours could understand why my husband was getting hot under the collar about it, and basically informed him that everyone at some point has had a cow escape, and if only one, they were very lucky!
I too think that the person who sold you the animal is irresponsible, and should never have turned his back. Any animal that I have ever sold (horse, cow, sheep, dog etc..) I have always been on the end of the telephone and happy to assist with a problem have I been able to! I totally agree with the "Name and Shame".
Soapbox moment over! :;):
I opted for taking over my very quite wonderful lead cow on the halter. Unfortunately, by this time the heifer had decided that the field she had been in had become boring and she had wandered elsewhere.
So, out come the quad bikes! We eventually located her in our neighbours field that adjoins one of our bottom fields, and she actually opted to return all by herself! She then joined the sheep for a couple of days before realising that she is in fact a cow!
Suffice to say, everyone was most helpful and incredibly laid back. For the most part, none of our neighbours could understand why my husband was getting hot under the collar about it, and basically informed him that everyone at some point has had a cow escape, and if only one, they were very lucky!
I too think that the person who sold you the animal is irresponsible, and should never have turned his back. Any animal that I have ever sold (horse, cow, sheep, dog etc..) I have always been on the end of the telephone and happy to assist with a problem have I been able to! I totally agree with the "Name and Shame".
Soapbox moment over! :;):
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Kathy Millar
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 4:53 pm
- Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
One morning, not long ago, I was heading out to feed the cows when my husband came ruuning out to inform me that the neighbour had just phoned to tell us he had seen our herd running through one of his fields (he actually said "going up the road" but failed to say which road!) Needless to say, I thought I would have a heart attack! My herd consists of 2 cows, 2 calves and a yearling steer and the thought of all of them on the road....Anyways, luckily, the neighbour had left his gate open so they turned into that field instead of continuing on the road. A bucket of barley, a pair of fence cutters and they were back on our property. Good to have a lead cow who thinks always of her stomach! And none of them are halter trained.
Good luck and keep us informed.
Kathy
Good luck and keep us informed.
Kathy
Kathy
Home Farm, Vancouver Island, Canada
Home Farm, Vancouver Island, Canada
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Jim Taylor
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- Location: Biggin Hill, Kent. U.K.
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Kathy Millar
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 4:53 pm
- Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
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Mark Bowles
- Site Admin
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- Location: Leicestershire England
sorry i haven't been on the site for a while but here is the latest update. Well our little chap has been very elusive but we knew he was hiding in a 20 acre woodland! all alone! about 10 days ago a shoot went through the wood and sent him running again. this time he went across a road and into another neighbours field this time with other cattle. Yesterday i had a phone call to say that they had caught him using a bulling cow and loaded him into a trailer and what did i want to dowith him? i didn't feel confident enough to have him back so the neighbour who keeps beef steers is keeping him with his cattle. and me? i am looking at a nice quiet old jersey cow with a welsh black calf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!