escape artists or a wrong lot???

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:04 pm

we have just yesterday collected and delivered two dexters to here. one got out and away within 30min and other this morning got out and was free for some time app 4 hours. question?? is this the norm. we have them in a valley pasture with more grass than can be mentioned. old but constant sharp fencing, hedge, before river/water then another old thick hedge before a bank then open country. no other stock for some distance.(app 3/4 mile plus)
the first to escape was driven back to pasture twice and then was last seen at 11pm heading back for a third time. whilst second was off and away thru a three strand fence bank water and up another bank.
is bad luck or bad/willfull stock. pasture they are brought to is 10 acrs plus.
Help advice info greatfully received

idea of Dexters being good stock totally shot to bits..

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:05 pm

Probably not a bad lot at all, just cattle being cattle. The very first thing they will do when put into a new area is explore the boundaries. They do this very thoroughly, and any gaps will be tested. I do not know what your hedges are like, but in our area in Scotland there is no such thing as a really stock proof hedge - they all need wire fence along side to make them stock proof. The ground we own has either stone wall or high tensile rylock, and our rented ground a mix of stone wall, high tensile professionally erected rylock and some ordinary rylock which I erected myself about 15 years ago and is a bit tired. One paddock in front of a fancy house doing 5 star bed and breakfast has old victorian iron railings which are getting rusty and I have to run an electric wire inside it to keep them in.

It sounds as though you have some weak spots in the defences and it is very important to strengthen them now before the cattle do develope into professional escape artists. If it is difficult to get permanent fencing up quickly consider electric fencing temporarily - do not let them get used to escaping.

It is not badness or lack of food that makes them escape - just the instinct to test the boundaries.

Duncan

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:59 pm

How old are your cattle? Have they been outside before? Were they the only cattle in this field?. We once had some young cattle who had not been outside before who totally freaked out when turned out in a 10 acre field. It is better if you can turn out in a smaller very well fenced paddock for a few days then move them to a bigger field, it is what we try to do now.These were Dexter and Red Poll cattle but any breed will react badly if they get upset.

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:56 pm

last rtn at dusk after yet another route march for us and helpers. penned into holding yard now will make a decision over week end as to next step although at moment for these the jury is out. worked out the last 24 hrs and estimate have walked 4mile, run 4mile, driven 20mile, stressed a year of my own clock. cant even start to add up phone bills. (oh well onward and upwards)
thinking of three strand sharp and new posts to form a 9000 sq mtr paddock for them although that will not help grazing which was original plan. to renew and upgrade entire field is not viable for a couple of animals as existing stock/animals show no signs of wishing to get out and so existing is suitable for them but not these new darlings.added to that dont actually beleive that will hold these two as have seen first hand what sort of fencing the can and do go through, this parrish is now littered with fence damage. not at all happy about having to send them in/off when not at best weight/condition.
must admit they are from a yard type holding and we did think that going into such good free grass they would resist the desire to wander alas not. (a very stressfull and tiresome learning curve)

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:19 am

Eletric wire fencing, zap the buggers good. But use 3 strands for height.

Kathy

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:45 am

Kathy, how did you get that on the site without ******* , I had d*mn blanked out recently which made it look much worse than it was given what other 4 letter words I could have used ???

How are the sheep?

John C · Post by **John C** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:28 am

Sylvia.
Kathy got the word buggers on site because she spells like wot I do ! If you use the letter "A"in the spelling then you will get a load of ***************************** *************************************************

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 1:16 pm

I havent censored any swearing........yet!! so behave.

Mark

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 3:52 pm

Hi - I'm in Australia so our fencing is totally differnt to yours (no hedges or stone walls), but have found that the dexters are easier to keep in than other cattle we have had. However, young ones will go under fences, so we have had to run a low electric wire to prevent that - particularly for weanlings - they can be shocking (pardon the pun!:p ) until they respect the fence.

Regards, Rebecca
Rebecca

John C · Post by **John C** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:04 pm

Sorry Mark ,
I thought you were just a computer programme .
I go on a cricket forum(First match of the season on Saturday ) where they are a real rough rowdy lot ! The administrators obviously have some sort of programme that sorts the heffers and blinders out ! The only ones that creep through are the mispelt ones .
Its nice to know that in you we have the personal touch . Many Thanks !

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:27 am

When you take two Dexters out of their universe that they have always known, it is understandable that they want to make for home, and an environment and friends they know. They cannot appreciate the consequences of distance or mileage involved.
I have always said of a Dexter, ‘if you stick it on the side of a mountain, with a bale of straw, it will survive, and if there is a hole in the hedge, it will find it’. Their historic background has ensured an ability to look after themselves.
I have found electric fencing is the only certain way to contain them. If they are not familiar with it, put them in a small area with at least two wires, and a really good shock on it. Once they respect it, one wire is usually adequate, unless there are calves involved, when you need a wire about eight inches off the ground. Again I always put small calves in a pen with a wire and precautionary netting beyond it, so they have a chance to learn, before they go out with their mum in the field.
I am surprised that your two did not stick together, and wonder whether they even knew each other, or had come from separate pens. I endorse the advice to stop them, before it becomes a habit, and you may find them teaching the rest. It is usually a cheap and quick option to stick a single wire up, along side any fence or hedge, on lightweight posts. but it is essential to teach them first, that it will bite.

jdlheritage · Post by **jdlheritage** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:46 am

Rather than give my new girls the freedom of a 10 acre "prairie", I fenced off a smaller area with electric fencing on plastic poles so that they could get used to the environment and more importantly to me.

I find that the 25mm (1") "horsey" type tape is better than the sting type of conductor, as they seem to be able to see it better and it flutters in the breeze making it even more obvious.

A couple of day/nights with an energiser that delivers about 6000V every second or so and they have a very healthy repect for it. I use two "lines": one at a height that I can step over (WITH THE POWER OFF!) and a low one for the calf.

Best of luck!

marion · Post by **marion** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:03 pm

Any type of stock brought in, I have always kept in a pen or small barnyard for a few days to a week. That way, they have time to adapt to the change of surroundings, and get used to your voice and routine (and treats), before being let out into a larger field or with the other animals.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:05 pm

We have electric tape (higher visibility than wire) that is on a reel. We roll that out, supported by insulated standards into any size required. More often its used for strip grazing fresh pasture, but its very useful for holding wayward animals - as long as the right height is used and in the case of young calves, I use 2 or 3 lines of tape (at different heights) along the same row of standards. The standards have insulation attachments at various heights up its length.

Most of our paddocks have electric wire inside its circumference. It protects the fence from heads being pushed through the fence wires (to eat the grass on the other side of the fence) and shifting the fence battens around, and also loosening the wires. It sure makes the fence last longer. :;):