emergency! new highlands jumped the fence!
 

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Carol K

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

It's been 10 days!

Have you any news?

Genebo
Paradise Farm

Still nothing.

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

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.

good news
 

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.

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!

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

Paul, I really do feel your pain!
 

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! :eek: 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! :eek: 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! :o 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).

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 ...

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?

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.

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.

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

Any new information Paul?

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.

::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.

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.

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