Runaway Cattle - Advice Please

Joey Baker Cresswell · Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:30 am

I am hoping someone may be able to offer some advice. About 3 months ago a very nice lady rang me looking for 2 or 3 heifers to graze her horse fields. She had looked at various people's Dexters and decided that is what she wanted. I don't normally sell any cattle apart from for beef but agreed I could spare three. I separated them off so they got used to being away from the herd. They settled together and I got them in on Monday as they were collecting them all which passed without trouble. She rang me yesterday to say that two of them had gone into the field and just kept on running smashing fences etc and hadn't been seen since and the one left behind had been charging them. I have to say I was astounded as I have never had anything like this. Later she rang to say the two had been found about 2 miles away with some other cattle but were being quite difficult and agressive. Not sure what to do now whether to suggest they take them back and put them inside their barn to settle them or should I just take them back. I have had my Dexters for 13 years and with the exception of the odd cow with a new calf being a bit grumpy and the odd slightly nervous steer have always found them very peaceful. any thoughts would be appreciated as feel quite stressed by the whole episode especialyy when the lady jokingly asked me whether I had sedated them!

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:22 pm

There was a big discussion about this after a similar situation some time ago. It might be worth using the forum Search facility to find the original advice. The crux, as I remember, was that youngstock, if turned out straight away, should have a hefted older nurse cow to act as herd leader until they settle to their new boundaries. Otherwise the new owner should house the cattle until they associate her with food & good things like tail head scratching before letting them out. The poor heifers are reft from their herd & merely searching for the way home. They need to learn that their new place is a good place to be before letting them outside. Heifers are always flightier than mature cows, who are hampered at steeplechasing by a well developed udder.

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:59 pm

ours did that but we think a dog scared them. the lady got them bak, cos we av an elder heifer thats a gud leader! I panic if ours get out, but a good leader will bring em wer u want to be

good luk getn em bak.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:05 pm

Even with an older cow amongst mine when I bought them I kept them in for a couple of weeks to get them used to me at first. I keep the practice up with anything new partly to tame it down and get it to come for food and equally importantly for isolation purposes.

Also are these fences see through? I find that all types of animals are much less likely to run full pelt at a fence that appears solid.

I would shut them in, feed them little and often, perhaps 3 or 4 times a day if it is possible and be nice and quiet around them for at least 2 weeks before turning them out again, preferably where they can run back into the shed they are to be shut into now as and when it suits them, if at all possible.

If she is used to horses - tell her to treat them as she would equine youngstock that are a bit jumpy and be gentle and forgiving with them until they are used to her!

Stephanie

rodmet · Post by **rodmet** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:36 pm

My sympathy goes out to anyone who has or has had had "runners". They simply do not stop for anything.

We lost two a few years back and they were out for nearly three months. We would be given sightings but could not get near. Living near Doncaster we called them Donny and Clyde!

Eventually we knew roughly where they were, built a pen and put down a banquet. This was enough for Donny(Maud) but Clyde(Cyril!) escaped again.

Two weeks later our local abbatoir(Dovecote Park of Waitrose fame) rang to say Cyril was penned in the buildings - what a place to give himself up!!

The final twist was that my wife went to pick him up but the combined expertise and effort of the abbatoir staff could not get him into the trailor. So Mary walked up and said sternly " Cyril stop being so stupid and get in that trailor" and he duly did to the amazement of all concerned!!

carole · Post by **carole** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:40 pm

Hi to return to your original question if it were me I would want them back to settle them, do you have a head cow who is fairly docile to lead them back if possible. Our head cow seems to love people but not particularly like other cows, not until she's explained to them who's boss anyway but the others will follow her. We have just had to have the steers join the main herd before we move them all back to their winter pasture and barns, that will be interesting for a couple of days before they sort themselves out.

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 9:23 am

Not too 'interesting' I hope Carole.

carole · Post by **carole** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:14 am

Hi Sylvia

No, not all interesting for " you ", they are all safely tucked away on our clover fields, back at our main barns and have already made friends with a different group of steers, its just that we have two different areas which we farm and we are in the process of bringing everyone back for the winter.

Carole

carole · Post by **carole** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:03 pm

Hi Joey
Just wondering if you managed to get your heifers back?

Joey Baker Cresswell · Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:07 pm

Coincidentally the lady rang and spoke to my husband yesterday with an update. The one that didn't run has settled down and being very peaceful despite no bovine company. The other two however who joined a herd a couple of miles away are still being troublesome and failed to come in with the other cows at the beginning of the week with one of them being quite agressive. I have offered to take them back but at this point not quite sure how they are going to be caught as they are out in the field on their own now I presume. I suppose very bad weather and lack of food might tempt them in but I don't know how big the field is that they have ended up in!

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:34 pm

Well some idiot (who shall remain nameless because it as me) left a gate open tonight and three steers went walk-about. Got two back but one is somewhere in Shropshire, hopefully. I assume he's in a neighbours field! I can't do anything now it's dark, so will start looking in the morning!

jeanthomas · Post by **jeanthomas** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:11 pm

Hope it all comes right joey.

I had some borrowed grazing several years ago. All went well untill december when I was supposed to fetch them back. Caught all but one cow and heifer calf. The heifer loaded every time but mum had no intention of loading. I went back twice a week all through the winter. They were out on four acres with no feed. Each time I went I had a trailer loaded with hay and short feed, no avail. Tried taking helpers but this made the situation even worse, cattle would come no where near. Farmer started to turn nasty. Finally went back on 1st March and obviously food got the better of them and they both run in!! I could not believe my eyes. Never have I shut up a trailer door so fast!! Drove straight out and home without shutting gates (no other stock kept there). Unloaded and returned to shut gates. Have never taken advantage of extra grazing since. These were all supposedly well handled, haltered stock but with no handling facilities and six months freedom, oh boy, not fun for me!!

Hope you do not have the same experience.

Jean

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:54 am

Feed is the best cattle dog. Lucerne hay works wonders.
We don't have stock getting out, but we do have large bush paddocks where the stock think they must stay, always forever.
Feed is the only way we can ever coax them through gates, but we spend a week getting them to that point, by feeding them closer to the gate every day, then in the lane itself.
Margaret.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:29 pm

Well, got them all back. The last one had gone into a field up the road so I took two cows in the front of a trailer and he walked onto the back just glad to see them. I actually left two gates open!!!

carole · Post by **carole** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:10 pm

unfortunately we are having a little local difficulty at the moment, we have just moved out gang back from their summer grazing to tidy up our fields (which we use for forage)which have a public footpath running through them prior to bringing them in. Last night they all ended up in my neighbours field as a gate was left open. As I explained to my bemused neighbour we do not use that gate and I don't think my cows can open a spring bolt gate so I guess it must have been a walker. Anyway, my neighbour seems fairly convinced that I cannot simply chain the gate up therefore obliging any walker to climb over the gate, does anyone have any thoughts or info on this (this is not the first incident).