“The cows are in the yard Mommy!”
Ugh. The cows escape too often this time of year, as they adjust to eating hay and not wonderfully fresh green grass. They are supposed to be in our large holding pen, awaiting butchering later this month.
They’ve escaped so often since our pastured dried up, learning to jump the electric fence. After one such escapade, I finally put them in the holding pen. They’ve been there for two weeks, without escape. It’s been nice.
But yesterday they escaped! They knocked down a board on the holding pen, ran back out into the pasture, and jumped the fence into the barn. They pooped all over there before making their way to the green lawn.
I’m definitely not opposed to cows mowing my lawn. In fact I do it quite often:
But the cows sure better be invited if they plan on staying in the lawn! The steers were not invited and needed to head back to their pen.
So how do I get the steers back in without help?
Here are five tips for when cows escape and you’re on your own
1. Make pen repairs first if possible
1. Make pen repairs first if possible
My cows were safe in the yard. They weren’t in the road, and the lawn is pretty much he only green space left around us. So they could stay and munch while I fixed the down board.
Otherwise, I’d be putting them back in a broken pen and they would immediately escape again.
2. Add food to the pen
I threw in several flakes of barley hay, and sweetened the deal by adding a coffee can of grain.
3. Get the path figured out
I knew the best way back to the pen, and I moved a vehicle to block an alternate path. I used a gate to keep them out of one section of barn.
The fewer routes available, the better. You want to make sure the cows go where YOU want them to go.
4. Go get the cows
Once I was prepped, I went down the driveway and climbed a hill into the yard so I could come up behind them. That assured they’d start moving in the direction I wanted.
Remember that cows have a pretty wide field of vision, and a blind spot. Avoid making quick movements in that space.
5. Walk slowly, and make yourself big
I used two large sticks (one in each hand) to expand my reach and guide the cows from a safer distance.
I tried to just keep behind them and guide them into the path I had prepped.
If you avoid unnecessary quick movements, you’re less likely to startle the cows. That means they’re less likely to run off.
And a bonus tip…the most important of all!
6. Be prepared to not have your plan work
One steer was very tempted by the grain and went right in. The other? He bolted the fence into the pasture and ran off.
I shut the gate and left one steer in, and began my plan again. Reworking out the best route from the pasture, I quickly prepped the path.
Remember to stay calm and keep your cool. Yelling at the cows won’t do any good. They’re just being cows. You’ll just frustrate yourself.
Eventually, both steers were back in a fixed pen. Yeah! Hopefully they stay there until their butcher date on the 25th!
What are your best tips for bringing escaped cows home?
[…] But alas, our grass is dead and hay is expensive. The steers kept getting out. […]