Wild Cattle

i_steal_sheep

Hoping for a bit of advice on this one. I have 2 particularly wild Limousin Cross heifers, 15 months of age. They are on an outfarm, but the thing is that they are stone mad. I've tried unsuccessfully, a number of times, to load them into a trailer and invariably they end up in the neighbors farm. It's as if they are spooked or something. They were bred from our own stock - their mothers are some of the quietest cattle we have ever reared and the bull is extremely docile but yet these 2 heifers are out of control. We've tried bringing them down a corral - but they jump it, we've put other quiet stock into the field with them but they wont follow other stock etc. They are being fed a ration morning and evening in an attempt to settle them but this is not working either. They would be fierce used to us, because we herd them twice daily - by walking through them and not using jeep. My only remaining solution is to give them a little something to relax them long enough to bring them back to the home farm to prepare them for their 'final journey'. They are not dangerous animals - just completely mad. Has anyone any suggestions - I open to any means necessary!

bob charles

high level of magnesium in the water for a few days and they should be like alright maaaaannnnnnnn. get some mag flakes. high Mag imbalance distorts something in the brain

49801

You can talk to your vet about a medicated ration but it has a withdrawal period.

Only nugget of advice I have heard in extreme circumstances like this is to make sure their only water source is next to the field gap.

Have you tried leaving the box just inside the field and feed them the ration in your cattle box. Maybe even put a drum of water in the bow too and turn off the supply

Manoffeeling

bob charles wrote: »

high level of magnesium in the water for a few days and they should be like alright maaaaannnnnnnn. get some mag flakes. high Mag imbalance distorts something in the brain

But different from tetany?

i_steal_sheep

49801 wrote: »

You can talk to your vet about a medicated ration but it has a withdrawal period.

Only nugget of advice I have heard in extreme circumstances like this is to make sure their only water source is next to the field gap.

Have you tried leaving the box just inside the field and feed them the ration in your cattle box. Maybe even put a drum of water in the bow too and turn off the supply

The only problem with the medicated ration is that there is two cows and calves back in with them again and they would be eating the same ration. Is it only on TV where they can but a tranquilizer dart into them?

Pharaoh1

i_steal_sheep wrote: »

The only problem with the medicated ration is that there is two cows and calves back in with them again and they would be eating the same ration. Is it only on TV where they can but a tranquilizer dart into them?

No, I used the tranquiliser dart a few years back for a particularly difficult bullock.
Got a fella who worked with sedating deer for antler clipping. It worked fine but the trick is just enough to make them drowsy and not too much or they wil just lie down.
There is a withdrawal period but I put him into a shed and he was easy to load. Actually sold him through the mart after and he was very quiet going through - I think he just had an issue with my pen after a bad experience in it.

haybob

i_steal_sheep wrote: »

Hoping for a bit of advice on this one. I have 2 particularly wild Limousin Cross heifers, 15 months of age. They are on an outfarm, but the thing is that they are stone mad. I've tried unsuccessfully, a number of times, to load them into a trailer and invariably they end up in the neighbors farm. It's as if they are spooked or something. They were bred from our own stock - their mothers are some of the quietest cattle we have ever reared and the bull is extremely docile but yet these 2 heifers are out of control. We've tried bringing them down a corral - but they jump it, we've put other quiet stock into the field with them but they wont follow other stock etc. They are being fed a ration morning and evening in an attempt to settle them but this is not working either. They would be fierce used to us, because we herd them twice daily - by walking through them and not using jeep. My only remaining solution is to give them a little something to relax them long enough to bring them back to the home farm to prepare them for their 'final journey'. They are not dangerous animals - just completely mad. Has anyone any suggestions - I open to any means necessary!

If you still have their mothers stick them back in with the heifers for two or three days and they SHOULD follow them into the trailer.

MfMan

Heard tell where people gave Calpol to giddy cattle prior to selling them at a mart, calmed them down a lot apparently.

i_steal_sheep

MfMan wrote: »

Heard tell where people gave Calpol to giddy cattle prior to selling them at a mart, calmed them down a lot apparently.

I've heard similar stories about cough medicine but my chances of getting next or near to these girls, to administer anything orally, are slim. Very slim

Redlimo

How close can you get to them?

Tipp Man

Redlimo wrote: »

How close can you get to them?

If this man's user name is anything to go by he should have plenty of experience;)

i_steal_sheep

Redlimo wrote: »

How close can you get to them?

They will actually come up to me - usually about 6ft before the bolt off with tails up on their back.

Redlimo

Right, best job would be to buy or borrow one of those telescopic injectors. The syringe (of anaesthetic in this case!) goes at the top and it's spring loaded to inject at high speed. Ask your friendly neighbourhood vet for 10% xylazine. Be prepared to flatten them completely, but one at a time for safetys sake.

pakalasa

Go out to them very early in the morning and try them then. You'd be amazed how quieter they can be at that time.

Manoffeeling

MfMan wrote: »

Heard tell where people gave Calpol to giddy cattle prior to selling them at a mart, calmed them down a lot apparently.

I find that hard to believe.

6480

feed them ivy out of the hedge and they will calm down for u i seen an old man do it with wild cattle

i_steal_sheep

UPDATE: Managed to get these girls corralled over the weekend. Fed them a decent bit of meal - they were full as tics by the time we had finished them so they were fairly settled. We build a massive corral type temporary extension to the pen and just hunted them into it with relative ease. Go them into the box, along with some 2 Belgian Blue Cows. Happy Days.

bob charles

i_steal_sheep wrote: »

UPDATE: Managed to get these girls corralled over the weekend. Fed them a decent bit of meal - they were full as tics by the time we had finished them so they were fairly settled. We build a massive corral type temporary extension to the pen and just hunted them into it with relative ease. Go them into the box, along with some 2 Belgian Blue Cows. Happy Days.

and where are they now. looking to deal:D

1chippy

Was that in Sligo by any chance