LAST UPDATE ON CALF BEING OUT

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Well here goes... We tried and tried to get this thing home.. But Sat. morning we recieved a call it was out by the budwieser dist. plant.. going towards rt. 301.. Well we hurried down and all we could do was shot it because to close to road.. I'd like to thanks alllllll of you who tried to help.. I guess we'll have to get lambs here instead start off with maybe 2.. Who know's what next. 22 acres of pasture and only use it for 2 horses and a pony.. My wife says good enough.. But not me.... heee-heee... I'll have to look into other types of animals for post and rail.. thanks again James

-- James (onemaur@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002

Answers

sorry to hear that. I was rooting for you. having spent a week chasing a wayward goat over hill and dale I have some idea of what that's like. wishing you better luck in the future.

-- B. Lackie - Zone3 (cwrench@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002.

Wow James! Congratulations! I hope you at least get a nice steak out of the whole deal. Best wishes.

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002.

At least you don't have to worry about it anymore. Glad it's settled, even though it would have been nicer if you'd gotten her back.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), January 30, 2002.

Sounds like you got her just in time..could have been worse had she gotten into traffic. Sorry you had to go through so much with her...I was rooting for you!

Anything can get out..and not all cows are equal. If you get a fence up and hot wire it..you could still have a calf or two.

Glad all of you are all right and thanks for updating us...I was just wondering about you and that calf this morning earlier.

-- Sher in se Iowa (riverdobbers@webtv.net), January 30, 2002.


Don't give up on cows. Get a "training cow"like we did. She had been bottlefed and loved people. She got out several times from our old fence and came up to the yard and mooed for my husband to come out and put her back in. You just got a wild one. Cows are real homebodies once they bond to your place.

-- Georg in TN (dgkotarski@bledsoe.net), January 30, 2002.


Sorry for your loss. I would add that if you are considering getting other animals, you would improve your fencing first. Sheep get out much easier than cattle, in my experience. Hate to have you repeat this terrible experience.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

So sorry to hear you had to shoot your calf, but at least you will get a steak or two. My experience has been pretty good with heifers, but not so good with bulls. The heifers that did get out stayed in the yard, the bulls went everywhichway. So the last time I chased the bull in the late evening (dark actually) I told my husband if it got out again the bull was dead meat. Well the bull got out, my husband shot it , we processed it and never gave him a second thought. Too much trouble. The heifer we had only got out when the bull got out. We had good fences, but the bull would lean on the posts until they snapped or put his feet on the field fence and "pull" the fence down to where he could walk over it.

But the ram that I had NEVER stayed in his pen. He walked right through the electric fence and came up to the porch and baa'd for his bottle. Even though he was a year old, he still wanted his bottle! Ended up giving him to a friend who thought she wanted a sheep - until he got into her tackroom and ate all her paperwork that was on her desk!

Oh the joy's of livestock ownership - now all you gotta do is get a couple of goats...that'll test your fences :>)

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), January 30, 2002.


James, Been following the calf saga. If you are considering goats next, here is some advice that an old-timer gave us years ago when we were thinking about keeping them: Build the stoutest fence you can afford, six feet high, then fill the field with water. If the water gets out - so will the goat.

-- Griff in OR. (griff@hangnail.com), January 30, 2002.

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