South Central Kansas, Harper County | It's been one week, they are still rather "nervous", but at least the don't run "clear" to the other side of the pen when I walk inside!(lol). I've been trying to feed them twice a day, couple of buckets of pellets, spread on the ground. There is an old railroad tie, I sit on, about 6ft away from my row of pellets. It takes a little bit, but eventually most of them come up and start eating the pellets. I may sit there for about 20 minutes or so, till they are done eating, then get up and leave. They still go to the other side of the pen when I get up, but not near as fast as last week. I don't know who mentioned it below, but I have noticed the first two dozen or so calves that come up to eat, are all heifers. I never paid any attention to that before, but maybe heifers are easier to get acclimated?
I did string up an electric fence across the corner of the pen this morning, where the calves normally run to. Put some "ribbon" on the wire, so they would see it and not run through it. Checked it twice today, and they havent run through it. I've seen several standing close to the fence, sort of looking at the ribbons fluttering in the wind, but nothing run through it. I assume some of them might have tested it throughout the day. It will be interesting to see if it is still intact, come daylight?
Cattle do not seem to mind any pickups, trucks, ect, as drive around the pen a couple of times a day. Just a little skittish when two legged people walk in the pen. My son and I both agree, if they were broke to the electric fence, I think they would get along fine on wheat pasture. We could probably drive through them with the cake feeder on the pickup with no problem, if we didnt get out and walk around! :-)
Hopefully, they will settle down a little better, come next week. I want to sort the steers off and take them to another place, but want them to get calmer before I go to sorting them around again,
Thanks for the tips,
Jim |
update on "weaning nervous calves" from below..
