# emergency! new highlands jumped the fence!



## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

We had two scottish highland cattle delivered yesterday. We kept them in the corral area so they could get used to their new area. They're both yearlings and they seemed pretty nervous. 

I'm currently at work and my wife called: This morning she went in to feed, water and give them a small grain treat so they might feel a little more comfortable. They jumped a four and a half foot tall fence like it was nothing! UPHILL! They took off across the north 40 and nobody has seen them since. There's a mile or two of forest beyond that and then a couple of other little farms. 

They have never tasted grain. We're not sure how we're going to get them back. 

I had heard some folks say that highlands are the most docile and I've heard some folks say that highlands can jump like deer. Well, I now beleive the latter!

If we ever find them, how do we get them back?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Geez Paul, I'm sorry you're having such a rough start with the Highlands. Do you have a neighbor you can call that could head out on horseback or quad? I'm quite sure you'll end up with them back in your pens soon enough but it's going to take a bit of work. I find it best if something has gone wandering to move them over to the nearest place with pens and haul them out from there. Chances are really good they're going to make is as far as the next herd of cattle and join up with them.


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## NRS Farm (Sep 8, 2003)

Around here, when someone loses cattle, as you mention, we try to capture them at another local farm (they seem to seek some farm and hang around etc.). If you are lucky enough for this to happen they can then be corraled and loaded into a trailer etc. and brought back to your farm. This has been about the only way people in our area have ever gotten them back. HOWEVER, we have also had some that became wild and had to be shot. The wild ones would become like a deer and flee if you are within a 100 feet or so. Some even would run at the site of a human. Hope you get them back.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

It did occur to me that if you are in an area that doesn't have a lot of cattle or has a lot of open space, you could rent or borrow corral panels and work them slowly into there and then load out.


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## bare (May 10, 2002)

I think in your area Paul, the first thing they are going to need is a water source. If you have a stock tank in their corral, I'd leave water running in it. The smell of running water travels a long ways on hot days like this. The trick is going to be to get the gate closed before they bolt again.

Where did you get them? If it's not too far, they may be trying to head for home.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Still no sign of them.

We've contacted all of the neighboring farms. Friends have looked for them on horseback and my wife spent six hours on foot. It's hot and everybody is beat.

We're keeping the water available to them, but we also have two ponds.

Ug.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

I would also contact the county sheriff in case anyone calls to report suspicious cattle running around!

Watch your ponds or any other open water source for tracks and the like. If they find a water source, they will probably come back. You could set up a portable corral to get them.

We lost a bull last year. He was gone overnight. After trailing him for miles and hours, the sucker circled back around and was waiting by the fence! Of course, he was going "home" and you don't have that advantage.

Good luck and don't blame the highlands. Just about any type of cattle can clear a 4.5 foot fence without a second thought.

Jena


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2004)

It took 5 days to locate my lost calf, which was found 1/2 mile away drinking from a pond.

Try looking for tracks around other's water. They can hide so well you may never spot them otherwise.

When you get them home, keep them penned for three days in the pasture while you feed and water them. By that time they should be able to recognize the pasture as the place where they eat and sleep.

Good luck.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

Oh Paul, I feel so bad for you, not the best way to start out with cattle. Call some sheep people in your area and see if any of them work with dogs, when you locate the cattle ask them if they'd bring their dogs out and try and work the cattle into a pen of some sort, 4 cattle panels clipped in a circle would work at a push. 
Carol K


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## phantompark (Sep 1, 2003)

We had a new mom highland take down a five foot tall cattle panel when she was penned in the barn with her new calf. So the cows can jump. 
We have bought a herd of wild ones last year but have had none escape the outer perimeter fence. We made sure the fence is very hot. We have a homemade five foot tall corral that we tarp over if we have to contain anyone it seems the "roof" keeps them from jumping. But we don't keep them corraled. They get crazy. 

As far as catching them, we have good luck with fresh cut corn stalks or fresh chopped hay in a corral. It is better that grain if they haven't had grain before. 

Where our original herd came from had 4 remaining cows that another guy bought. He was able to get 3 of them but the 4th took off. So he left a calmer one there and that took off with the "wild" 4th one. They ended up at a friend of ours about 3 miles from the original escape site, checking out the steaks on the grill. Anyways after about a week they returned home. But still cannot be corralled in the 4 foot high barbed wire corral. He is going to try a tranquilizer gun. No word yet on that outcome. 

We did not pen the herd when we got them home because anyone we have heard of doing that had 100% escapes. We gave them a good few acres and a hot 3 foot high fence. With good results. No attempts to escape. If you do get them corralled tarp the top and load them fast. Don't let them think about escaping. At home a good quiet open pasture with little interaction with them at first. Then very very slowly get them used to you being in the area. 

We have alot of bored horse people who keep offering to help us round up the cows if they get out. Any bored horse people near you? At least they could spot them better than anyone on the ground. Also the sheep herding dogs is a great idea, but the horns scare away anyone near us. To valuable a dog to get speared. Although, our border collie works them fine. Good Luck. When you do get them let us know how you got them and you will. You never know when ours get out. Trish


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

So it sounds like we need to make a sweet spot for them. Lots of fresh hay and other goodies. Lots of fresh water. If they do ever show up, we should set up a big electric fence around them. Give them plenty of space to get comfy. Give them plenty of goodies and at all times remember that they hang out with us because they want to, not because they have to. 

If we ever do find them, I think the cattle dog idea is a good one.

We do have lots of neighbors with horses that have looked.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

One type of fence that discourages jumping has a board on the top and one at about chest level (to the cattle). The "belly board" is a phsychological barrier that makes them think they can't jump the fence, the top board reinforces the idea.

Any cow can jump....don't blame the breed, though these highlands do sound pretty nutty. I'd sure hate to corner one....

Jena


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm absolutely shocked and outraged at the stories I'm hearing. I've raised purebred cattle for many years and have sold many times to newbies but never in my life would I consider selling feral or crazy cattle to unsuspecting customers. Dammit, that's nothing but bad will and you'll never make a wrong like that right. I can't even count how many times I steered the unsuspecting newbie past the pretty black (longhorn) range cow that would be more than add an extra belly button or two to any unsuspecting visitor and encouraged them to look extra hard at the sweet little heifer that I'd been handling every day. I've gone so far as to offer free breeding or a rebreeding at next to nothing or even buy the mild mannered animal back if they found it not to their liking and I encourage them to call me with any questions, all to avoid situations like this.


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

Paul,
any update on your lost cows? Any sightings yet?

Carol K


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## Guest (Aug 20, 2004)

It's not that Highlanders are nutty. We have found that if the cows aren't handled they will be wild and scittish, it doesn't matter the breed. Herefords are big in our area and most were wild and free and not handled. Put them in a corral and they are over the top and gone. 
Our herd we got last year had been not handled at all, and a bit (alot) crazy, we thought that was the norm... After a year of daily contact, we now walk among them with no stampedes. Now they are calmer, still don't care to be handled but..... working on that. Now we have newly bought 2 yr old bull that LOVES to be brushed and handled. He goes all wobbly in the knees from the brushing and lays down after awhile with a huge sigh!!!!!! Now that is the way to have a bull. Now, we know to handle the calves and "tame" them. So don't think badly of Highlanders, they really are calm and really great(with some exceptions). A couple of crazies that should have been raised better doesn't make the breed bad. I have not heard of anyone "taming" a wild yearling, in fact we keep being told it can't be done. We are doing it, so it can be done. Paul, keep up the chase they are worth it.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Nothing yet. Setting up bait: fresh cut grasses/legume, plus some good alfalfa, plus some kelp and salt .... No more searches. Posted some signs in the neighborhood.


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

Not sure if this is feasible, but had you considered calling someone in your area with a tracking dog? Sometimes those guys just like to have something to work their dogs on, so it may serve your purpose also. Dog clubs, hunters, maybe someone could point you in the right direction (no pun intended!) with the dog tracking thing. Just a thought, not sure if it's workable.

Carol K


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Thought about the dog thing, but thought, what would they key off of?

Still missing and there have been many different folks using different searching techniques.


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## bare (May 10, 2002)

We found the best search technique up north of you here is to declare "open season". A small herd of cattle escaped one of the semi trucks, a few years ago, back when the U.S. still imported live cattle from Canada. Dang things made for the hills and defied everything anyone tried to snag them, because the company was offering a decent cash reward. 

They eventually gave up and it became open season. They were all hanging within a couple days.

Just make certain that you work yourself in for a cut.


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## bare (May 10, 2002)

Just occured to me too, that your area is somewhat open canopy. Know anyone with a light plane? It looks like the hot weather we've been having is over, so your critters are probably in the open more now.

Two red Highlands should stick out like a sore thumb.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2004)

A twist on the plane idea, you might let the local law enforcement know. They might need some hours and a search mission is always fun. If nothing else, they might just have a few minutes to kill and decide tou fly that area. Good luck


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

Unregistered said:


> A twist on the plane idea, you might let the local law enforcement know. They might need some hours and a search mission is always fun. If nothing else, they might just have a few minutes to kill and decide tou fly that area. Good luck


That's a good idea...maybe they need some training!

I keep checking this thread every day and hoping you find them. What a bummer.

A hint: When I feed my cows, I holler at them. I did it when they were confined (new to the farm) and I continue to do it every time I give them anything. They now run to me when I call.

I know this wouldn't have helped you as you just got them, but training your cows to come when called is a great time saver and can be very valuable when they get out.

Jena


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2004)

It's been 10 days!

Have you any news?

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Still nothing. 

We have lots of trees here, so planes and helicopters won't do much good.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

They stopped by for some nice hay and a little salt last night. It was so dark we alsmost didn't see them. But sure enough, there they were!

The second you get within a hundred yards, they take off again.


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## shelbynteg (Jul 31, 2003)

Paul Wheaton said:


> They stopped by for some nice hay and a little salt last night. It was so dark we alsmost didn't see them. But sure enough, there they were!
> 
> The second you get within a hundred yards, they take off again.


I've been hoping you'd get them back, it will happen, I'm not a cattleman but I would round up the best one I could find to figure how to trap them. It's slow, but it is progress.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

What do folks think about darting them? It would solve everything if we could shoot them, they fall asleep and wake up learning about the power of a halter rope tied to the truck.

Anybody have any ideas on how I might pursue this idea or whether I should?


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## JanO (Jun 17, 2003)

Paul Wheaton said:


> What do folks think about darting them? It would solve everything if we could shoot them, they fall asleep and wake up learning about the power of a halter rope tied to the truck.
> 
> Anybody have any ideas on how I might pursue this idea or whether I should?



They are obviously smart, so that would be something to consider. Is there anyway you can set up a trap instead though....? Maybe you can talk to the local farmers and cattlemen and see if they have anything that will help trap them in the pen before you resort to darting them. Heck, call the fellow that sold them to you... after all this, the least he can do is help you get them back in. Then sell 'em back to him!


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## Kathryn L.Holck (Aug 28, 2004)

Paul Wheaton said:


> We had two scottish highland cattle delivered yesterday. We kept them in the corral area so they could get used to their new area. They're both yearlings and they seemed pretty nervous.
> 
> I'm currently at work and my wife called: This morning she went in to feed, water and give them a small grain treat so they might feel a little more comfortable. They jumped a four and a half foot tall fence like it was nothing! UPHILL! They took off across the north 40 and nobody has seen them since. There's a mile or two of forest beyond that and then a couple of other little farms.
> 
> ...


I had a 4-H family have a beef escape. It would come to water and they had a tip to dope the water. The drugs on the market at the fairs will be useful. Ask your veterinarian. klh


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Paul,

This is almost exactly the same thing that happened with us last july...with the exception of that we didnt try to corral them up, we did a classic newbie mistake and let them into the pasture to eat & drink. The 2 holstein steers that we had tried to check them out, and that got the 2 Highland girls nervous and moving, which of course everyone kept moving faster until the highlands went out the barbed wire fence! Needless to say, in the interim of looking for them, my DH replaced the old barb wire fence with electrified high-tensile! 6 strand, 3 of them hot, with a solar charger on it. Havent had any problems with escapes since then.

One, Iris, we got back relatively quick, a couple weeks....she was noticed down at a neighboring farm about 2 miles away. She actually had been at his field's back gate like she was waiting for someone (the gate is less than a mile from our place), and he opened the gate and let her in. When we got her back, she managed to get out one more time by jumping over the barrier in the barn. This time, she was only gone for about another week, then got put up by a farmer about a mile or so in the other direction.

Ginger was gone for almost six weeks!  One night, a man we had talked to in our process of knocking on doors, etc called and said he thought he had seen her. It took about a week of seeding the location (hey, it had trees, water, and cornfields all around...what more could a cow ask for? :haha: ) before we actually were able to sight her. Ended up having to tranquilizer dart her to get her home. The guy set the dart up for an 1100 pound animal (an estimate), saying this should have her down for about 30 minutes. HA! They just barely got a rope and halter on her shaggy butt and she stood up...couldnt have been more than 5 minutes!  Needless to say, they concluded that Ginger was way more than 1100 pounds! Well worth the hassles though, she is an excellent momma...very protective!


To add onto the other places people already mentioned to notify (police, shelters, etc), if you havent done so already, try contacting local radio stations and see if they will run any sort of an announcement. Lots of times, they will run segments on lost pets.....the DJ here had a bit of a joke about how usually they get notices for lost dogs or cats, but this time is lost cows!  Knock on doors, take along a picture to show people who have never seen Highlands what they look like. If you have sale barns in your area, talk to them too...just in case someone gets your animals up and trys to make a fast buck. Wouldnt hurt to try any custom processors in your area too.....same scenario, just someone wanting to get some free beef. Sad to think of it this way, but hey you dont know what could happen. Just try to cover all your bases. Make sure everyone you can think of has your name and phone number, you never know where they may be hanging out and someone might see them. Place an ad in the paper too, if you think it might help, in the "lost" section.

DEFINITELY YES on the tranquilizer gun. Just make sure whoever loads up the darts knows what they are doing. It is far better to underestimate on the cows weight and load the dart for a smaller sized animal than it would be to overestimate the weight and end up overdosing them and killing them accidentally. 

Best of luck in getting your yearlings back quickly and safely. Boys or girls?
Highlands are a great experience, hopefully you get yours back and they get a chance to know you. They are addicting....we are currently at 5 cows, 1 bull, a yearling heifer, and a heifer calf (7 mo) and a bull calf (4 mo).


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

They made two guest appearances two nights in a row. Both times on the darker side of dusk. Then nothing. We thought they were camping in the bushes to the north, but we could find no sign of them. We started placing "bait" around and got no takers. Yesterday, our neighbor passed through some of the timber land and spotted them. Looks like they've been grazing there a while. 

We set up a line of bait from there to here in the hopes that they might choose to spend more time coming back down here. 

Snowfall is a few weeks away and some hay might be real persuasive to them ...


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

Glad to hear you found them Paul; that's half of it. Now that you know where they are maybe you could buy a couple of cases of incentive, and invite some friends over to help gently push the cattle toward home?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Paul, it's great to know they are alive, shore up your pens and pastures before you are ready to bring them back in and once you do get them home, you can start working on calming them down. Are you in an area that has ranches that deal with feral cattle, possibly the large ranches? If you can pinpoint the cattle, a lot of times ranch hands will help with something like this just for the pleasure of completing the task. Another option would be offering a bit of a reward for the cattle.


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## phantompark (Sep 1, 2003)

Paul, We have been thinking about you and your wild ones for quite few days. I'm glad they are alive. Snow is a good thing with these guys. Less camoflage!!!!! More tracks. A friend of mine, who is former Black Angus breeder gave the advice of making sure your "treats" are fresh daily. That was how she had gotten two of hers out of the state forest one winter, after being gone for weeks. 

Or, go for the dart gun. I think we would. If you do pass on the details it may come in handy. We have 5 yearlings and a cow on neighbors hillside semiwooded pasture. They are coming down in October. So we say. Maybe they will take down the fence! 
Good Luck!! 
Please keep us posted. T.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

I would talk to the vet and go for the gun or as mentioned, drugged water. I think water would be better because if you shoot one, the other will really take off!

Be sure you have something absolutely fool proof for them. The only thing I have that nothing can get out of is my trailer. I have quality cattle panels, a working alley, etc, but the only real fool-proof thing is that trailer.

If they were mine, they'd be living in the trailer for a while!

Halters can be broken. Ropes can be broken, especially the snaps on them.

Also be careful. My husband got tossed a couple weeks ago by a steer. Very scary (he was fine).

Jena


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Any new information Paul?


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

The vet won't do the drugged water thing. Although we haven't been able to get them to drink our water anyway.

At first the vet wanted hundreds of dollars to dart them and insisted on being able to get within 30 yards (or sometimes 30 feet). We cannot get within 150 yards before they bolt. 

We're feeding them hay out on the forest land trying to bait them into coming back onto our property.

We're looking into buying some more animals so that we can have a bit of a herd that they might want to hang out with.


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## bare (May 10, 2002)

Paul Wheaton said:


> The vet won't do the drugged water thing. Although we haven't been able to get them to drink our water anyway.
> 
> At first the vet wanted hundreds of dollars to dart them and insisted on being able to get within 30 yards (or sometimes 30 feet). We cannot get within 150 yards before they bolt.
> 
> ...


::Snerk::

I can see your next post Paul: Help, my new herd of Herfords tore down my fence to go live with the breakaway Highlands in the forest.

Those witty and wiley Scots always did have a magnetic personality.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2004)

Well, I generally in this case would saddle up and go get them. Rope them, tie them down if need be or tie their tail tight to a front leg. One bad thing, if you cant ride or rope or tie down a cow...just ignore this. 

I would be glad to come do it for you but I am a state or 2 away.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

Sprinkle some sweet feed on the hay. Once they get a taste of it, they will like it. Once they like it, they may not bolt as far or as fast when you put it out. It's a start maybe.

Jena


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

I've spent a good deal of my life around wild cattle. If you go the route of trying to trap them with feed you will have to have a stout set of corrals to trap them in. Anything made of fence, they will more than likely trash. If you do this, I would advise not doing it on foot. Get a bunch of riders (if you can find any that are cow saavy) and you might need to push them in. You will need enough riders whereas they wont be able to get through any holes. NEVER trust a cow, I have been attacked more times by cows than I have bulls. A cow WILL take you and your horse out if she so desires.
Not trying to scare you but cattle and people on foot can be a very dangerous situation.

Just my $.02


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

I once saw a goat trap in a film about Australia. The goats came to water and over time a fence was constructed around the little pond until there was just a small gap to allow entry. Once the goats became accustomed to using the gap a set of gates that only opened in were put in place. These gates when closed left a small opening and the goats would see the openng and then push their way in, once inside the pen the gates would swing closed again.

I'm certain that such a contraption would work for cattle at a feed site just as well. I know my cattle will push on a closed gate when they are used to having access to an area.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

They finally ate some grain. They liked it so much, they jumped into the fenced area with the goats and horse. We're now going to move the grain closer and closer to the house. We're looking into shoring up the fences at the corral and making a gate that faces the house. We think there might be a time where the cows will go into the corral to eat the grain, see us and stay away from us, thus stay away from the gate. We can then walk up and close the gate. They can then be darted so we can put a halter on them.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Thats very good news, is the area with the goats & horses electric? You're doing the right thing and if they like the grain, they'll grow accustomed to the person that controls the grain. We've mellowed out some awful cranky old range cows that way but you are wise to work your way into the coral, don't lock them in for a bit but let them know it's a good place instead of a bad one.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Yes, the area with the goats and horse is electic. Electric netting. About four feet high.

Here's the other big news: deer season starts in a few days and we live on "deer creek road" and the cows are out in the forest land where there hunters like to cruise.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

So we're looking at beefing up one of the corral pens ... 

How tall should we make the fence? 

We can cut some trees for poles. Of course, this will be a loooooot of log peeling. And the taller the poles, the more peeling that needs to be done. 

I carefully measured the fence that they jumped over. About four feet, eight inches. My wife says that the first one to go over had several inches to spare. 

Would six and a half feet be enough?


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

Paul Wheaton said:


> So we're looking at beefing up one of the corral pens ...
> 
> How tall should we make the fence?
> 
> ...


6 feet would be good. Although I have watched cows jump over a 6' corral panel with ease, but they generally get caught at the udder. That should be fine though, unless they are provoked. 

Poles are ok, woven wire or concrete wire with a pole or two is even better. You can buy panels as well, those are good, so long they are good panels (Priefert, Powder River, etc).


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Lots of head scratching today ....

Got to thinking that maybe we should beef up the perimeter fence. (no pun intended) Now we're starting to talk about super serious money. 

And then there will be a bull, and some calves that are weaned (yet too young to be bred).

Suddenly fencing is looking powerfully expensive.

For while I was thinking that if we get them hooked on grain and use electic fence with a really hot snap, 4.5 feet tall might be plenty ....

What if I kept the bull in the with the older girls all year round and kept the younger girls seperated? 

So the corral should probably be some pretty tough stuff, but the perimeter could be electric. Maybe 6 feet tall with five strands?

(ouch!)


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

opus said:


> 6 feet would be good. Although I have watched cows jump over a 6' corral panel with ease, but they generally get caught at the udder. That should be fine though, unless they are provoked.
> 
> Poles are ok, woven wire or concrete wire with a pole or two is even better. You can buy panels as well, those are good, so long they are good panels (Priefert, Powder River, etc).


Well, these girls were spooked. 

I suppose the stuff at five feet and below needs to be rock solid. Could the stuff from five feet and above be kinda wimpy? 2x8 at the bottom and 1x4 at the top?


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

I think you are talking serious money now it you go 2x8's or whatever. I wouldnt go with lumber. Where are you located? What do you have around for timber? Can you get 6" poles? I think concrete wire would be the least expensive for you. You could go woven wire but that is just more money than concrete wire.
Plus a 2x8 wont even phase a bovine.

You can leave the bull in with the cows, shouldnt be any issues. Weanling calves wont be stopped by a fence, unless it is a super good fence. Without knowing your setup, putting calves in a corral is better. After sometime you could move them out but you will still need a super fence to keep them separate. Better yet, calf prices are decent...sell them while you can make a buck. If they are Higland as well, your prices wont be that of the general market....more than likely.

Mind you, I dont know your goals and such, just speaking what is coming to mind. Hope its somewhat helpful.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

I was thinking of 2x8's because that is what we used for 1500 head of cattle when I was young. Plus, I have lots of timber on my land and a sawmill on the way (the sawmill is the big reason why my budget is so tight right now).


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

Paul Wheaton said:


> I was thinking of 2x8's because that is what we used for 1500 head of cattle when I was young. Plus, I have lots of timber on my land and a sawmill on the way (the sawmill is the big reason why my budget is so tight right now).


Heh....I just bought a sawmill as well....same predeciment.


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

Years!! ago when I was a little girl, I remember my dad had a heifer that jumped a fence like it was one foot tall. He made a yoke for her, bolted it on and she could eat but not get enough momentum to jump...Joan


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

Hi paul,
was wondering if you have them yet, got an update for us??

Carol K


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

We thought we had them well baited and on our property. They have jumped the fence again and are no longer on our property. Haven't seen them for weeks.


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

Paul,

Unless you want to put them in the freezer, looks like you will have to put up a more than average corral. From experience, these cows will ALWAYS be a flight risk. Sorry about your luck.


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

Oh Paul that's a bummer. You really haven't had the best start to cattle ownership, has it put you off for the rest of your life?

Carol K


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

We owned three "normal" breeds in the past and they never jumped fence like this. 

The two heifers showed up again tonight. We're thinking that with winter setting in, they might stay closer. We're shoring up our corral with 6.5 foot tall fencind. Extra stout. We're getting two more heifers, a bull, a milk cow and calf. We figure we'll keep them all in the new stout fence until they figure out where the food comes from. Maybe the wild two will hang out with the caged herd until we can figure out a way to trap them. 

We're now thinking of ways to shore up our perimeter fence ...


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## bare (May 10, 2002)

If they ever do get captured again, I think I'd seriously consider putting a hitch in their gitup and hobble them front to back. They might end up on their nose a time or two, but maybe teach them not to jack rabbit.


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

All the heifers we ever had were flighty. They usually start settling down when they are three. If the were still flightly when they were four we sold them. I have had heifers clear a 6 wire fence without even touching it. They were a chore to calve if they needed help.

BobG


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Paul, has this situation been resolved yet?


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

They are back on our property again and we're putting lots of hay and a little grain out for them. As the weather gets really cold, the feed they can find in the forest is reduced. We're thinking that they are starting to become more dependent on us. 

We have a dairy cow calf pair coming in a week. We also have two younger heifers and a bull coming in a few weeks. We hope that these will act as bait for the two loose heifers.

Next year we will build a better fence around the property.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm sure sorry your initial experience with highlands has been so difficult. If nothing else, you're sure getting a lot of experience with handling difficult cattle.


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

We've been thinking a lot about shoring up our perimeter fence. 

Since these girls jumped a 4.5 foot tall fence like it was nothing, I think it is safe to say that they will jump like deer. 

Rather than build a 6.5 foot tall fence around 80 acres, I remember reading that an effective fence to keep deer out was one fence that was four feet tall, and three feet away, parallel to that fence would be another fence that was three feet tall. If you are running electric, you would need two wires on the taller fence and one wire on the shorter fence. 

Anybody think that this might work with our heifers?


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## opus (Sep 15, 2004)

Paul,

Hate to be the party pooper here, but.......

This is going to cost you a bundle to do. Why dont you sell the gazelles and buy a few that dont like to hurdle and will be good with a normal 5 wire barbed?

If you have 80 acres, there is no reason why cattle wont stay there (with a 5 wire fence)...unless it is 80 acres of concrete and they are hunting grass.

Just my thoughts.


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## phantompark (Sep 1, 2003)

Paul, Think burger! We just took 2 of our troublesome highlanders to the butcher today. One lost a calf in March. The calf was born in the swamp in freezing rain. Well after getting the babe warmed up, we put him with mom in the barn and blocked them in with 5 foot tall cattle panels covered with tarps. mom lasted till the next afternoon before she pushed the panels down and went to pasture. When I went out to see what happened she came right back and was coming back over into the pen with me and babe. Being newbies, we didn't do things right and eventually lost the calf. Since then my hubby has constructed a portable corral. It is made of steel posts from road signs. (A Neighbor used to work for the state and collected the old posts.) The panels are a bit over 6 feet and about 12 feet long. There are 6 sections that are connected at the top and also by chains on the sides. They are heavy. Well the 2 "girls" tried to get up and over. No luck. They rammed it. No luck. 
We did have the luck to get them to the butcher and off loaded with no problems.
I think you should consider burgering them as soon as possible (which might be a while), and starting over with some better handled ones. Or maybe a 7 foot tall corral?
The wild ones seem to do a good job of converting the tame ones to the wild side. 
We are hoping you win this battle of the fences!!!!


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## insanity (Aug 22, 2004)

Since they have came back to eat once they surely are not going to far away.
Might run an add in your local paper.Someone thats into calf roping might just like to have the challenge! :haha: My mom and step father would have jumped at the chance (a few years ago), to get in some riding time and roping practice at the same time.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2004)

Paul Wheaton said:


> We had two scottish highland cattle delivered yesterday. We kept them in the corral area so they could get used to their new area. They're both yearlings and they seemed pretty nervous.
> 
> I'm currently at work and my wife called: This morning she went in to feed, water and give them a small grain treat so they might feel a little more comfortable. They jumped a four and a half foot tall fence like it was nothing! UPHILL! They took off across the north 40 and nobody has seen them since. There's a mile or two of forest beyond that and then a couple of other little farms.
> 
> ...


Hey Paul,

BOY! DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR!! Last January I bought two Highland heifers from different breeders. The came a few days apart, and the day after the second one arrived, they broke through the fence and bolted on me when I went down to feed them. My property is bounded on the north by a large river, by a major highway on the south, and there's nothing but woods to the east and west. First of all, let me tell you, they're both home, safe and sound. Now let me tell you about their little excursion. They spend four days in the woods wandering around. One thing I discovered on the third day was that they were following the same trails in their travels. Their scent was on the trails, and they wouldn't leave the trail unless they were chased off of it by the hoard of helpers I recruited to hunt them down. I don't know what your climate is like, but if it's cold right now, they will be getting 
VERY HUNGRY! After figuring out that the cows were following thier trails in circles, and discovering that those circles brought them right into my lower pasture, I started putting hay out near the trail. They came to it on the third night and completely cleaned it up! On the fourth day I put out more hay and waited. Around 5:30pm I saw them walking through the woods, right back to the spot where I had put the hay the day before. I was able to get out of the tractor with a bucket of grain and hook one of them up to a lead. Once she was hooked, I coaxed her back to the paddock with the bucket of grain, and the other one just followed. Cattle need the security of a group, so they should stay together in the woods. Most of all, don't chase them through the woods. Leave them alone to find their way home. I would suggest putting sweet grain out for them in one spot, and put a bale of hay out with it. It may take a few days for them to find it, or get used to it, but grain is a powerful motivator. Leave the bucket in the same spot with grain in it for a day or two, and then remove it. Then they should recognize the bucket if you are able to approach them. 
Highlands are very docile, but they are in a new situation, people are following them around and yelling to them, and any animal would be spooky under those circumstances. I have since added another highland to my herd, a bull calf, but I tied him up for more than a week when he got here, and I've had no problems since. Be sure to work with them every day, it's extremely important in developing a quiet herd. Just going quietly into the paddock and walking among them will help to build their trust in you. 

As for fencing, don't waste your money! They are a very smart breed, and a couple of whacks of an electric fence will keep them in place. Mine have gotten so well minded that I can leave the fence off for days and they won't even challenge it. (Knock on wood!) I would suggest three strands at 18", 30" and 45" off the ground. I use driven (not dug in) cedar posts for corners and fiberglass temporary posts for the straight aways.

Send your email address to me at [email protected] and I'll send you some pictures of my girls and boy. 

Good luck, and don't give up! They're fantastic animals!

Also, I'm looking to buy a silver heifer if you or anyone out there knows of one available.


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## kate (Jul 4, 2002)

Paul Wheaton said:


> They stopped by for some nice hay and a little salt last night. It was so dark we alsmost didn't see them. But sure enough, there they were!
> 
> The second you get within a hundred yards, they take off again.


well, the first thing you need to do is beef up that corral, the top board should be five feet, second borrow, some nice tame halter broke cow, tie her in corral with feed and water , leave gate wide open and wait. they will come and eventually stay with her...... treat them like trapping wild animals, as wild and wooly they are. be patient, cows will come around eventually, company and food will win them over......but be sure and fix that corral, it should be all wood, even if you have to put 2x6's on posts and nail more 2x6 rails on to it. if a cow can look over it, she will jump if so inclined...............


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

Beefed up the corral. New posts - ultra thick dead trees with good wood. Fence is six and a half feet tall now.

Bought a milk cow and calf, plus two highland calfs that have recently been weaned, plus a highland bull. They are all in the ultra pen. 

The two heifers came and hung out off and on for a few days. But now it has been four days and we've seen no sign of them.

Hunting season has been going on ....


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## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

They're in.

The lack of food available during the winter is a powerful tool. 

My wife put food out every night and each night they became more and more accustomed to her and the food. One night she fed the other cattle at one end of the new pen, opened the gate and tossed the food for the loose heifers just inside the gate. They went in to eat it, she closed the gate.

Thanks for the advice everybody!


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm glad to hear this one resolved itself. Good luck with calming them down and getting them socialized.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

wr said:


> I'm glad to hear this one resolved itself. Good luck with calming them down and getting them socialized.


I took some corn gluten pellets to a lady with a cranky highland. The highland cow came to eat from my hand on the first try. She is now using it to tame her cow. She calls it "cow candy".

It is remarkable how strong an attractant it is. Goats and dogs love it, too. My dogs will chew open a bag to get it.

genebo
Paradise Farm


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## sheeplady (Oct 31, 2003)

Paul, I have been following your saga since the beginning. I am so relieved that they are finally in. Hunting season brings its own worries.Especially to tan colored cattle with horns.  But now with a long winter ahead, by spring those two should be well broke in and acclimated to you and your wife.

I have been contemplating buying up a small herd of Highlands ( less than a dozen) in a couple of years, when we move to a bigger farm and when the owner of these cows retires. He is nearly 80 himself .He does keep them in with hi- tensile electric, but they are not exactly hand tame either. All the posts have given me a lot to think about. I am 60 years old and do most of the chores here alone. I have close to 50 sheep and still capable of catching them, and flipping them up to trim feet, shear etc. Sounds like I should have in place a good strong corral for beginners.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

Whew...

I am glad you got them.

Jena


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## .netDude (Nov 26, 2004)

Glad you have them back. Must be a relief.


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